Local ski and snowboard legends frequent the slopes of the surrounding area’s ski resorts but some have even made Tahoe/Truckee their permanent home.
Among the activities Lake Tahoe is known for, skiing and snowboarding exist at the top of the list. With countless ski resorts, beautiful views, and an olympic historical background, Tahoe might very well be the place to be! Throw in the chance of running into a number of local legends who have competed in the Winter Olympics, X games, World Championships, etc. and you have the perfect day on the slopes lined up.
Some report seeing skier Glen Plake at Heavenly, skier Jonny Moseley at Palisades, or a number of other local legends on their skis or boards including Jeremy Jones, Nate Holland, Jamie Anderson, Julia Mancuso, David Wise, and Daron Rahlves. Anyone with any interest in snow sports will have heard of, if not completely obsessed over, these names and the achievements each athlete has earned.
Because of the 1960 Winter Olympics, which were held at what is now called Palisades Tahoe but was then known as Squaw Valley, the resort is one of the most well-known in the area and famously known around the world. Palisades Tahoe is the largest resort in the Lake Tahoe region made up of 6,000 acres over two mountains. The mountain averages 400 inches of snowfall a year and operates one of the longest snow sport seasons in the area on over 270 runs. It’s no wonder it’s a highly desired place. One local legend named Daron Rahlves understands the hype.
Daron Rahlves was born in Walnut Creek, California and lived close by in Clayton, California until he was 7 years old. His family skied so he and his sister were introduced to snow and the sport at a young age. He skied on his own for the very first time at just three years old at none other than Palisades Tahoe. And on the upper mountain of the resort at that. At the age of 7, his parents bought a home in Alpine Meadows.
Skiing was the thing that introduced Rahlves to Lake Tahoe. Growing up and skiing in Tahoe helped shape Rahlves as a skier and gave him the tools to become a successful racer as he began to take the sport more and more seriously. He and his family began by skiing the NASTAR race course every weekend morning at Alpine Meadows. The NASTAR stands for National Standard Race and was created in 1968. It is the largest recreational ski and snowboard race program in the world. The race works by creating The National Standard as a Par time, or the “0” handicap, that everyone is racing to achieve or beat. The “0” handicap is set at the NASTAR National Pacesetting Trials and is the fastest possible time for the course. The men and women of the US Ski team compete and establish the “0” handicap which decides the Par Time for the season. The US Ski team alumni can also compete against the National Team for the pacesetting handicaps. Among those alumni is Daron Rahlves himself who has also hosted regional pacesetting races at resorts like Palisades Tahoe. The handicap system allows for all ages and abilities to race and have the opportunity to compare their scores with one another and the Par Time.
Racing the NASTAR every weekend turned into Rahlves joining the ski team. He then competed in Far West Races around Lake Tahoe. “I was a competitive kid and had fun trying to go fast, but freeskiing was still the priority until I was 13 years old when racing got a hold of my focus,” Rahlves said.
From there Rahlves went to Vermont to a nationally recognized ski academy called Green Mountain Valley School. At just 14 years old he had decided to fully commit to improving as a ski racer and at the age of 17, he knew he wanted to see how far he could take his skill. At 19, he made the US Ski team. For the next two years he made progress in his career earning 4th place in a Super G World Cup. Because of that, he earned a top 30 ranking in the world and made his way up from there year after year. “It was a grind for a few seasons with finishes in the top 10 until I won my first World Cup. That moment really stands out for me knowing and believing I was at the top of my sport. Then a podium finish at the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuhel, Austria and taking the World Champs SG title in 2001 was huge,” Rahlves explained.
Rahlves raced with a scrappy and aggressive style focusing on flow and power. He had a strength in taking risky direct lines and arching clean turns. He had aerodynamic speed and was able to push past his comfort levels, even getting a little sketchy sometimes in his pursuit of more. Rahlves said favorite parts of skiing are, “…the freedom, speed, and powerful turns. I live for those moments of finding out what I’m made of.”
Some of his favorite and most memorable accomplishments include participating in two big downhill races. One called The Lauberhorn Run in Wengen, Switzerland and the other referred to as The Hahnenkamm which is held on the Hahnenkamm mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps of Austria. Each event holds notoriety for the athletes in attendance in their respective sport. “Winning and more podiums at both was so cool! Those performances place a ski racer in legendary status. The endless pursuit of all my efforts was well rewarded,” Rahlves shared.
Rahlves wasn’t in the Tahoe area a lot during his competitive years as racing took him all over but he still skied at his favorite resorts, Alpine Meadows and Palisades Tahoe, when he was home. “I would just ski and soak up the Tahoe vibe. It made all the difference,” Ralhves continued, “Before my first two World Cup DH wins, which were on back to back days at Kvitfjell in Lillehammer, Norway, I skied two incredible powder days at Palisades Tahoe with Jonny Moseley and Shane McConkey. I took that mental high and overall fun into the next week at Kvitfjell and tapped into my first feeling of supreme confidence and flow,” Rahlves divulged.
Rahlves is a 4 time Winter Olympian, a World Champ, a 12 time FIS Alpine World Cup recipient, a Winter X Games Champ and a Hahnenkamm Kitzbuhel 2x winner. “It was an amazing experience competing with the world’s best and representing the USA,” Rahlves expressed.
Rahlves participated in other sports all throughout his career making a name for himself in other industries too including motocross, surfercross, skier cross and jet skiing. Ski racing during the winter season and jet skiing in the summer was what he calls the perfect balance in his career to keep the mind sharp and juices flowing. Motocross is an activity he lives for in the summer and also helps fill the need for a focused mind and “all-in commitment” off his skis but nothing compares to skiing. “These other sports are intense, but my profession was ski racing and everything else I did related back to that ultimate goal of honing those skills to be my best at ski racing. My elite level skiing competitions put a lot of pressure on me to give everything and no other sport compared to those since I wasn’t as committed,” Rahlves revealed.
Skiing is still a big part of his life. He is on the snow a lot simply because he loves it. In the off season he is planning for the following one, working with his brand partners on better performing equipment and rad experiences for others to enjoy. It’s no surprise Rahlves is still in the industry and participating in or hosting events. There was an event running from 2011-2016 called the Rahlves Banzai Tour at four local resorts. It is exciting to announce that it will make a comeback for a one off event on April 19-20, 2025 at Palisades Tahoe. The tour will be on the same route it existed on in 2014 and 2015. The start will be close to the top of the Base 2 Base gondola and follow most of KT-22 chair line. The Rahlves Banzai Tour is a rowdy 4 person race top to bottom over natural terrain. Men and women in ski and snowboard heats will race to decide who is the strongest, most skilled, and fastest. There are videos on Youtube of the past years of the events.
Another project Rahlves has released is more of a familial passion project. Peaks and Passages “Family Matters” features Rahlves skiing with his two kids, Miley and Dreyson. The trailer will be released October 8, 2024.
Anyone in the ski or snowboarding world has heard of a Warren Miller film. Rahlves has a part in “Warren Miller 75th” from the 2024 season at Palisades Tahoe.
The film can be previewed here: https://warrenmiller.com/film-tour
All in all, Lake Tahoe can all be wrapped up into a single word for Rahlves. And that word is HOME. He does a wonderful job of enjoying every second outside on his mountain bike, motorcycle or his own two feet. Some of his favorite spots include the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Desolation Wilderness, Donner Summit, Shirley Canyon, Downieville, and Peavine zones all for various sports and enjoyment. He might even venture out on the water of the lake around Bliss and the east shore.
Wherever Daron Rahlves is, one thing is for sure, he is living the Tahoe way. Just as so many other local ski and snowboard legends do. Glen Plake, for example, grew up in Lake Tahoe skiing Heavenly and made his way to becoming a US National Ski Hall of Fame skier. Or what about skier Jonny Moseley (previously mentioned)? He was the first person born in Puerto Rico to join the US Ski team and won multiple medals in a variety of competitions, and similarly to Rahlves, spends his time at Palisades Tahoe. Or David Wise, two-time olympic gold medalist and five-time X Games gold medalist who considers Northstar his home mountain. The list continues but one thing remains the same, each athlete has some kind of tie to one of the beautifully unique ski resorts in Lake Tahoe.