Pro Snowboarder Pat Fava Shares His favorite Electronic Tunes

I remember the first time I strapped on that yellow Sony Sports Walkman loaded with a Def Leppard cassette tape, it was pure adrenaline that made riding my little Burton Elite 140 through the trees that much more magical. Not much has changed except the genres I listen to and the kit I listen to them on. Oh, and my knees are not what they used to be, but neither is Def Leppard. My knees probably aged better. My perspective has always been that music and snowboarding are two great tastes that go great together, and when you hit that sweet spot of perfect powder and the perfect jam, there is almost nothing better. So with that notion in mind, I dropped some questions to professional snowboarder and DJ, Pat Fava, one of today’s more exciting riders on the pro circuit. Snowboarding has always had its sonics — the scraping sound of the edge on ice, the thump of impact, the crowd hums and hoots that fill in the space between tricks — but Pat Fava hears it all differently. The ThirtyTwo rider, contest killer (X Games Street Style, Red Bull Heavy Metal), and unofficial Chief Vibes Officer of the 32 crew builds his world around music as much as around snow. For him, riding isn’t just movement; it’s cinema. And every great film needs a soundtrack. His earliest spark came from a Waka Flocka Flame show in Seattle, where a mid-set EDM detour lit up something electric in his brain — a foreshadowing of the late-night warehouse energy that now shapes his style on snow. In this feature, Pat shares the electronic playlist that scores his riding — a mix of Aphexian glitch, Lobster Theremin grit, and underground breaks that once powered his summer job mowing fairways at dawn and now fuels everything from street missions to powder days. It’s a collection built on emotional arcs, cinematic pacing, and that essential “send” factor only the right song can summon. Consider this not just a rider profile, but a look inside the sound system that keeps one of snowboarding’s most charismatic talents pushing, progressing, and occasionally convincing himself to try the trick that should’ve been left for tomorrow. Pat Fava launching over a Lambo / Photo By Pat Ollieing Q&A With Pro Snowboarder Pat Fava What’s your earliest memory of getting into electronic music? Was there a specific track, artist, or trip that flipped that switch for you? Pat Fava: I remember going to see a Waka Flocka Flame show in Seattle when I was young. He put on EDM music and came off the stage and was dancing in the crowd. It was sick! Your playlist features artists like Aphex Twin, Lobster Theremin, ET-95, and Froman — deep underground stuff. How did you first start digging into those sounds? Pat Fava: I had a job at a golf course when I was younger in the summers, that’s when I started really diving into electronic music. I would ride around on the mowers cutting grass from like 5 in the morning til about 1 or 2 in the afternoon. I was constantly finding new music, and a lot of those songs in my playlist are from that time. The playlist moves through drum & bass, breaks, and house — all with this cinematic, emotional energy. Is that intentional? Do you think of your riding like a soundtrack or do you like to create soundtracks for your riding? Pat Fava: I intentionally curated the playlist to move through emotional energy! I would say riding is like a soundtrack, you have to have an intro or “warm up” as I’d say in riding. The middle and meat of the song are the middle of the day, when your riding is high energy and you’re feeling good; then the finale, or “cool down,” of a song is similar to the end of the day riding, when you’re low on energy and ready for the next song or to go home. Do you ever curate playlists for certain conditions — like storm days vs. park laps vs. street missions? Pat Fava: I definitely have different music for pow days vs. park or street missions. More mellow for pow days, more intense/Hype music for park. When I’m in the streets, I don’t listen to music while filming, BUT when we’re shoveling and getting ready, I like to bump high-energy music! How does music influence your mindset when you’re dropping into a big feature or contest run? Pat Fava: Music will 100% be the deciding factor in whether I try something scary or not. I swear, many times in these situations, if I wasn’t bumping a song that got me juiced, I wouldn’t try the trick I’m nervous about. When you’re editing a video part, do you get involved in picking the track? Any favorite song you’ve used (or wish you could)? Pat Fava: I have been fortunate enough to choose my last two video part songs: Chief Keef and Future tracks. Rap has always been my favorite, especially to snowboard parts. Pro Snowboarder Pat Fava / Photo by Pat Ollieing If you could have any artist — past or present — score a snowboarding segment for you, who would it be and why? Pat Fava: I’ve always wanted to use a Project Pat song; hopefully, that can happen in the future. Imagine Project Pat to some Pow J