On today’s show, I speak with my good friend, Skylar Holgate of Silverton Mountain Guides out of Durango. Skylar and I have shared a lot of great adventures, however what makes him most interesting is how many days he’s logged on major mountains around the globe.  Skylar and I talk about his experience as a racer turned big mountain snowboarder and how he passes on his expertise from a lifetime of advanced mountain experience. Join us for this very special episode. Topics: [03:37]...

On this episode of Next Level Skiing, I speak with Ted Mahon, one of Colorado’s most respected mountain athletes. He has an impressive 25 years of experience in skiing and mountaineering. During most of that time, he has worked as a ski instructor. He has also skied most of the country’s highest mountains. On top of this, he has helped countless skiers reach their peak level of performance. Join us for an interesting conversation about preparation, uphill clinics, and Ted’s mountain...

Welcome back to Next Level Skiing, where we pick the brains of the best in the sport. Today, I speak with Erik Lambert, one of the founders of Bluebird Backcountry. He and his partner wanted to test the idea that skiers needed an intro to the fundamentals of backcountry skiing before diving in. As such, they figured out a middle ground and thousands have flocked to learn from the guides at Bluebird. They have since expanded their program and the training grounds.  Tune in to hear more about...

Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. Today, I chat with Cody Townsend, a Southern California football superstar turned mountain hero. He has piloted a career on skis unlike any other I’ve seen. He claims his achievements were driven by boredom, of all things. His current undertaking, The Fifty Project, exposes the glory and work in skiing and mountaineering.  Join us as we discuss his transition from heliskiing to hiking peaks and the unrelenting...

Dr. Wes Wylie is the guy you want on your heliskiing crew. He’s a heliski guide at Alaska’s Tordillo Mountain Lodge as well as Powderbirds out of Snowbird. He’s been a ski patroller at Deer Valley for more than 20 years. He travels to Chile and New Zealand in the summer to guide clients. Oh, and he’s also a private physician who travels the country practicing medicine.  1:00: Are you a ski guide who practices medicine or a doctor who skis?  2:30: Getting into medicine as a way to ski 3:45:...

Doug Stenclik opened his Cripple Creek Backcountry shop in Carbondale in 2012 with a premonition that uphill skiing was about to explode. It did, and how he’s got three shops in Colorado and an online site that ranks among the top sellers of all backcountry and ski touring equipment.  Doug’s vision began with a distinct belief that skiers should not be making life-and-death decisions while they are learning a new sport. His take is that backcountry skiing done right can be just as safe as...

I would argue that no one has taught more people to heliski powder than Robert Koell, aka Roko. The Austrian skier grew up skiing to school and ski racing in his uncle’s ski school at a resort his dad built. He was a coach for the Austrian ski team and arrived at Canadian Mountain Holidays in 1989 with a plan to spend a year learning English before returning to coaching. More than 30 years later, he’s still guiding with CMH, rotating through the operation’s stable of lodges. He’s written...

Few skiers have had such a lasting impact on their sport like Mike Douglas. From Olympic-caliber bumper to freeskiing pioneer to ski design innovator to influential filmmaker, Whistler’s. Douglas has been at the forefront of skiing for more than 25 years. There’s a good reason everyone calls him “the Godfather of Freeskiing.” He pushed his young moguls skiers — like Vincent Dorian, J.P. Auclair, J.F. Cusson and Shane Szocs — into “snowboard parks” in the mid 1990s, where the crew became...

On today’s episode, I had the opportunity to speak with Joel Gratz, the captain of a team of meteorologists at Open Snow, who love to give winter sports enthusiasts the most accurate weather reports. Joel has helped people chase powder and find the best snow for years. Tune in to hear us talk about Open Snow and how Joel got his start. Topics: [02:15] Having moderate expectations is important. [03:00] He’s a skier, so he knows how to speak the language. [04:05] You can get excited within...

Allen Tran is a high-performance dietitian and chef for the US Ski Team. Today, he will tell us how to convert regular meals into power-boosting food for your next run. Tune in to hear how Allen does his job and helps athletes perform at their peak. Topics: [01:50] Allen got his start by going to culinary school and worked in the culinary industry for years. [02:09] He then got a Masters in sports nutrition and exercise physiology.  [03:07] He preps with athletes in the summer to see...

On this episode, I speak with Jonathan Ellsworth, Founder of CEO of Crested Butte’s Blister review website. He has made it his mission to test and review the latest gear, in order to pass on knowledge to other skiers. Tune in to hear us talk about Blister and how Jonathan approaches his reviews. Topics: [02:05] Jonathan grew up in the Chicagoland area, not anywhere near a ski area. [02:50] He thinks his late start in skiing is key to Blister’s success. [03:00] When an injury ended his...

On this episode, I get to chat with Hilaree Nelson, the world’s greatest ski mountaineer. She and her partner were two of the very first people to climb and ski the fourth highest peak in the entire world. She has pursued a life of mountain exploration. Tune in to hear us discuss her career and how she prepares for big challenges. Topics: [02:21] Hilaree was on the race team, but she never skied a single gate.  [02:54] Her background isn’t in racing and she’s jealous of people who have...

On today’s episode, our guest is Kim Reichhelm. Kim is an NCAA All-American Ski Racer, who pioneered big mountain skiing. Considered one of the most influential American skiers, her clinics, camps, and trips have helped other skiers hone their skills.  Join us as we discuss how she got into skiing, the ways in which skiing has changed, and how she runs her clinics. Topics:  [02:00] Kim grew up in a competitive, athletic family. [03:06] Kim’s father decided the family was going to take up...

On today’s episode, I get the chance to speak with Wendy Fisher, a former member of the U.S. Ski Team who walked away from skiing, only to get back into big mountain skiing later on. She now works at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, guiding people through the steeps. She also runs an annual camp out of Chile. Tune in to hear us talk about her career, he life in Crested Butte, and how she learned to overcome fear. Topics: [02:19] Every summer, she brings her kids out to her hometown of Tahoe...

On today’s episode, we have Evan Reece. Evan co-founded Liftopia, a consumer platform and back-of-house revenue management system for resorts. Today, the company works with more than 250 resorts worldwide and is the largest ticket sales operation in North America. Tune in to hear us discuss how Liftopia came about, how it works, and why loyal customers are some of the most resort-disloyal people. Topics: [02:44] Before starting Liftopia, Evan had been working for HotWire. [03:25] Before...

On today’s episode, I speak with Lindsay Andersen, a verteran guide at Canadain Mountain Holiday’s Bobbie Burns lodge. Throughout her career, she has led hundreds of clients through the steepest and deepest terrain. Topics: [01:52] Lindsay was born and raised in Banff, so she was skiing by the age of two. [03:07] She took avalanche courses through Lake Louise and the Canadian Avalanche Association. [05:16] Lindsay hopes she is a mentor to all people coming up in the industry. [07:05]...

On today’s episode, I get the chance to speak with Chris Davenport, one of the world’s most accomplished big mountain skiers. Initially, as the grandchild of a skiing pioneer and child of a ski racer, Chris started out as a racer, himself. Eventually, he transitioned into free skiing and that has since become his passion.  During our discussion, we talk about his history with skiing, how Chris is a lifelong student of skiing, and why he thinks all skiers should take up the fight against...

Klaus Obermeyer is a living legend. He has had the amazing privilege to see every technological advancement in skiing from the very beginning of the sport. He is 98 years-old and still has a great passion for the sport. If you’re in Aspen, you may even run into him on the Mountain. Tune in to hear Klaus discuss the early days of skiing, his method for teaching beginners, and his secret to a long and healthy life. Topics: [01:55] Klaus made his first pair of skis at two years-old. [02:08]...

On today’s episode, I get to chat with Dr. Tom Hackett. Tom started out as a member of the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol before becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon. He took an interest in not just fixing injuries, but trying to understand why injuries happen. This is what lead him to his success as a Doctor and he now serves as the Orthopedic Surgeon for the US Ski Team, among other notable patients. During our discussion, we get into the meat of why we hurt ourselves and the group of muscles we must...

Jim Lindsay is a master boot fitter in Aspen. He works at BootTech creating customized boots for skiers. These boots can often make a huge difference in a skiers stance. Tune in to hear us talk about the importance of a good fit, Jim’s interest in orthotics and biomechanics, and what kind of difference a properly fitted boot can make. Topics: [02:04] Jim says that everyone is (or should be) familiar with the idea that you can change a ski’s performance by changing its angle. Whereas most...

Today, I had the chance to speak with Olympic skier, Tommy Moe. Tommy joined the US Ski Team at only sixteen years-old. He spent twelve years as a member of the team and won the silver and gold medals at Lillehammer in 1994. Today, he works as a Ski Guide in Jackson Hole and is one of the Heli-Skier guides at the amazing Tordrillo Mountain Lodge in Alaska. Listen in to hear about Tommy’s journey as an Olympic skier, what he did to improve his technique, and how skiing has changed since his...

Chris Steiner is a Chicago-based father of three, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Tech Founder and Engineer. In spite of his busy schedule, he always manages to score the best powder days in every season.     Chris created ZRankings.com, a site that ranks all of the ski resorts in North America based on an algorithm he calls the “pure awesomeness factor”.     Listen in as we discuss the best resorts and when to ski them. Chris serves as a fount of knowledge when it comes...

On this episode, I speak with certified badass, Jake Hutchinson. He is the son of a Ski Patroller, a Marine, and an avalanche safety and survival course instructor. Jake trains search and rescue teams, as well as members of the Special Forces. On top of all that, he is the lead trainer at Salt Lake City’s Gym Jones. Tune in to hear us talk about injury-proofing your body, the importance of self-assessment, and how the mountain can separate the wheat from the chaff. Topics: [03:20]...

Today, on this episode of Next Level Skiing, I had the opportunity to speak with Angel Collinson, a professional Freeskier. Angel explains how she was bred into skiing and originally started out with a different goal for her career. We talk about how visualization, meditation, and deep breathing have improved her performance and lifestyle; Angel explains why these methods of self-care are such an important part of the gig and explains how she benefits from the practices. We also discuss how...

Welcome to Next Level Skiing by Wagner Skis. Next Level Skiing is a podcast about skiing. Your skiing. We talk to the sport’s luminaries and behind-the-scenes bosses about strategies and hacks for stepping your skiing up a notch. Sure, the key to getting better at skiing is to go skiing. A lot. If it was only that easy. This podcast will offer some shortcuts to becoming the skier you want to be, without having to quit your job and move to a ski town. Subscribe where ever you get your podcasts...