The first time Dew Tour caught a glimpse of Zoe Kalapos was in 2018 at the debut of the modified superpipe competition in Breckenridge, CO. Although she is relatively new to the Dew Tour circuit, Zoe rolls with the best on the U.S. Snowboard Team and it shows, as she just barely missed the podium with a fourth-place finish at the 2020 Dew Tour Copper competition. We wanted to learn more about Zoe besides just her recent stats, so we phoned her up while she was at home in Vail to find out what type of music keeps her going. Get to know who Zoe’s current favorite rap artists are, her go-to karaoke song, and stream her custom music playlist all in our latest On Rotation.
What is your favorite type of music to listen to?
My favorite music is hip hop or rap.
Are you into more of today’s current-day rap artists or older style songs?
Yeah, newer stuff. I like Future, Migos and I’m obsessed with Nicki Minaj. That’s mostly what I listen to. I kind of stick to more like the pump-up classics of hip hop and rap. Also, my dad, when I was growing up, all we listened to was rap like Nelly and 50 Cent.
That’s rad, so your dad is into rap too?
Yeah, it’s pretty sick like growing up, I didn’t really appreciate it when I was younger, and now I’m like, dang, I really respect your music tastes, and that formed my music taste now.
I can’t say I’ve interviewed too many people who have said their parents were into rap like that.
It’s nuts like Nelly’s song Air Force Ones, my dad would play that on repeat, and even now, I still know every word from listening to it so much as a kid.
What’s your music routine for when you workout?
I listen to a lot of Future and Mijos, and then at the C.O.E., the Center of Excellence, in Park City where I work out, they put on Travis Scott, or like the big booty mixes, which is nice because I would always change the station or songs. It’s a lot of pump-up stuff for sure to keep us stoked while we’re working out.
Okay, so the gym has it playing on a speaker. You’re not plugged in to your own headphones.
We have speakers throughout the gym, so then for each session, we get to change it. So for our session, I always get to be the D.J., so I put on Travis Scott radio or Nicki Minaj radio or like a big booty mix.
So how many other people are working and jamming out with you? Or is it a solo session?
Well, it’s different now because of COVID, but usually, the gym is pretty busy. Now they’ve separated it into pods. There’s like, three to six of us working out at a time, but it’s a huge gym, and I always get the D.J. control. Sometimes they are stoked on my workout music, but it’s 7:30 am, and everyone is like, it’s a little too early.
What’s your playlist usually like on road trips with the crew?
Well, I usually ride with all the boys, and they all listen to Migos and Future, so we all have the same music taste. Regardless of the time of day, it’s usually some rap or some rock and roll. The boys like to listen to rock and roll, which I definitely can get down to on a road trip. But for sure, we all like that kind of fast pace rap. We’re always driving places together and going to the mountain, so it’s nice to have friends you ride with that all have the same music taste.
Who is usually the one queuing up songs in the car?
It kind of depends who is driving; whoever is driving is D.J. I drive a lot, and so does Chase Blackwell and Toby Miller. Toby kind of likes more of the E.D.M. stuff. So we kind of try and snag the aux cord if you get in there. Otherwise, you’re kind of stuck listening to whoever’s driving music.
Do you practice with headphones?
Yeah, I do and it’s kind of weird I listen to the same song. Like the last season, I listened to the same song for most contests, and when they tell you to drop then I’ll start it at a certain point. So I know when the hype part comes, then I’m perfectly synced into when I’m dropping in.
Do you remember the song that you had on repeat for most of last season?
Last year it was Fate by Mike WiLL Made-It.
Do you have a song that you know you’ll have on repeat for riding this year?
Future just came out with a new album, like, last weekend, and there’s a song called Rockstar Chainz that I really like. It has parts that are pretty mellow for Future and then also a pump up part. So I listen to that a lot and definitely want to listen to that when riding like, it makes me excited. I feel like music is half of what gets me excited to ride. It just gets you going.
Do you ever imagine riding lines or tricks in your mind to songs beforehand?
Yeah, and like when we visualize, I also try and play the song at the same place where I would drop and like in my mind, run through each trick and imagine where I would be in the song as best as I can. It’s hard when I’m not riding, but I try and think it through. Usually, when you drop in, you don’t hear any of the music, so it’s like right before is what I focus on.
What about a regular park day or lapping pow runs? Do you have the same music playing as when you’re competing?
Yeah, sometimes or I like to listen to Flume, Rüfü Du Sol, or Louis The Child. Kind of just more vibey stuff if we’re cruising or riding pow.
Are you running wired headphones or joined the wireless craze?
No, I’m wired, and I have so many Bluetooth headphones. When I snowboard, I like having that little button that you can use to turn it up, pause or skip. I see everyone smacking their earmuffs trying to change the song with their Airpod. It’s so not functional, so I stick with the chord.
Any videos from growing up that influenced what you listen to?
Definitely a lot of snowboard movies from the 90s. Also, like Art of Flight. I think it’s right at the beginning with an M83 song, and they’re dropping in, I think that music is so good in snowboard movies. Especially in Art of Flight, that’s one that I remember so well. The music just makes the whole mood for the movie. I think Art of Flight has the best soundtrack.
If you could pick any song for a video part with rights to it, what song would you choose?
I would definitely choose L.E.S. Artistes by Santigold!
Who would you like to watch live if concerts weren’t canceled because of COVID?
I would probably Future. I went to Hungry not this past summer but the summer before and saw Future at a music festival there, and it was so sick. All truth, he didn’t rap that much, but the energy of the crowd that he attracts and the vibe was really sick. If I could, I would want to see Future again.
Last few questions, and we’ll wrap this up, are you a fan of karaoke?
Yeah, huge fan of karaoke. I love singing. We went to Japan a few years ago, and there were karaoke rooms in our hotel, and we would go down there every night. I remember at China’s World Champs, I think it was like 2016 or maybe 2015, and that was the first time I’d been to China, and they had a karaoke room at Club Med where all the athletes were staying. It was the most fun experience I’ve ever had. When I get my own house, it’s going to have a karaoke bar in there.
Did you have a go-to song that you would always sing on those trips?
Over there, they kind of just have popular English songs, so you have to choose from their most popular songs like Justin Bieber or Justin Timberlake and stuff like that. I would sing Baby by Justin Bieber. That was the go-to for me.
If you were going to do karaoke tonight, what would be your go-to song now?
I would say maybe Work by ASAP Ferg. That’s like one song that I know every word to.
Whoa, that song is a tall order to carry out because it has a fast beat and pretty wordy.
Dude honestly, I kind of take pride in it. That would probably be my song because I know every word, and I feel pretty good about it. Oh, god, I’m like getting stoked. [laughs]
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