Dear Olympics enthusiasts and Music Insiders,

Thank you, 2026 Winter Olympics. Humanity needed you this week. I needed you. In fact, much of my week was spent in contemplation of the Women's Halfpipe, down to its dramatic finale.

My fascination with this particular competition started when I met a young snowboarder and future Olympian from right here in SoCal a couple of years ago. Her name is Bea Kim (pictured above with my son, Guy, in the background). In the summer of 2024, my son and I were lucky enough to be part of an experiential learning expedition to the Arctic Circle through Walking Softer’s Summit Program, focused on climate and leadership. Our fellow travelers were scientists, business leaders, policy mavens, artists (including a DJ!), philanthropists, and a couple of very accomplished athletes, all of whom were eager to explore how they might use their platforms and pulpits to educate about climate change. Bea, then only 17, spoke eloquently about the effects of climate change on her sport.

Watching the Women’s Halfpipe Finals today was heart-stopping. About 30 minutes before the competition began, the snow began, and an icy hardpack was nowhere to be found. As the snow swirled and fell heavily, the riders struggled. Powder in the pipe is not your friend. There were wipeouts and even injuries, but these riders pushed hard. They saved their most complicated tricks for their best-of-three runs. These young women are some of the most formidable there are — resilient and strong. I respect them and am in awe of them.

All the women seemed to have small, individual rituals they performed in preparation at the top of the pipe — meditation or a mental check-list of the programs they were about to perform, maybe even prayers. And some appeared to be listening to music. In fact, I noticed many Olympians listening to music all week — if not during their actual events, in their warm-ups and practices. What were they listening to? Do cross-country skiers tend to favor one form of music, speed skaters another, and curling masters yet another?

What would I be listening to? I used to do a lot of snowboarding, and I still ski. Snowboarding, I always listened to music. But I never have, for some reason, while skiing. I would love a playlist of the music those competitors were listening to — for relaxation, or inspiration, or simply to get their hearts beating faster.

Bea came in 8th overall in the Women’s halfpipe, and when she gets back to Cali, I’m going to find out what was in her earbuds. And put it in mine.

What would you listen to? I want to hear that playlist!

xx, Anne

Suzanne Kraft: Live From KCRW HQ

Multi-instrumentalist producer Diego Herrera, performing under alias Suzanne Kraft, brought transportive tracks from 2015 release 'Talk From Home' to KCRW’s Annenberg Performance studio. Resistant to easy categorization, Kraft’s music has been connected to the mid 2010s resurgence of '80s “Balearic” music, an endlessly slippery sonic sensibility at the edge of high-brow ambient and synth-pop cliché. Moving through "Flatiron," “Talk From Home,” "Male Intuition," and "Renee Sleeping,” Kraft demonstrated a mastery of atmosphere, an understated elegance that proves even the quietest compositions can command the total attention of a room.

Getting Kraft-y

KCRW and NXT Art Foundation Present: Attune

KCRW is proud to partner with NXT Art Foundation to present Attune — a first-of-its-kind public art platform designed to connect Angelenos through coordinated sound and light-based works presented simultaneously across multiple locations in Los Angeles County. This Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2026, at sunset, multiple sites, including Barnsdall Park (East Hollywood), Leimert Park (South Los Angeles), Tongva Park (Santa Monica), Loma Alta Park (Altadena), and more, will activate into a free, family-friendly public art experience.

Click the button below to view the full map and learn more.

A-new-tune for LA