Off the Grid: Snowboarder lives in tiny home in Truckee

Pro-snowboarder, Mike Basich, tours his self-built 225 square foot home in the middle of his 40 acre property in Truckee, CA, and shows how being close to nature drives his most creative decisions.

From a young age, Mike Basich was encouraged to get out in the world and try new things. This led him straight to the "no rules" mentality of snowboarding, which at the time, was just evolving in the snow sports world. As one of the first professional snowboarders ever, Mike won many competitions and achieved great financial success. While he enjoyed the adventurous life of being a professional athlete, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

When Mike was still snowboarding professionally, he was traveling the world, constantly competing, and making tons of money. He went for the American dream, bought the big house and the fancy cars, but ultimately it didn't do anything different for him.

Several years after leaving the competitive snowboarding world, Mike decided to go completely off the grid. He sold his house, and after five years he managed to build his own off-grid home in Truckee, California with no internet, no indoor plumbing, and no traditional electricity. He has one fireplace that serves as his stove, furnace, and water heater. He says that living the way he does, away from the chaos of the city, allows him to slow down and be more in sync with nature.

Even after he stopped competing, Mike still felt a connection to the freedom of expression that goes along with the sport of snowboarding. He now fulfills that by through snowboarding photography, which frequently keeps him in the backcountry of the California mountains, where he feels at home.

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