EPISODE 264: BENJAMIN ALEXANDER

EPISODE 264: BENJAMIN ALEXANDER

Benjamin Alexander has only spent four months of his life on Jamaican soil, and yet he’s now representing his father’s birthplace in this week’s Winter Olympic Games. Yes, a Jamaican skier, it’s like “Cool Runnings” on snow, and Benji’s story is an amazing one. While he was a troublemaker of a working-class kid, Benji was smart and always had huge goals: finish university, move to Asia, become a DJ that traveled the world, and eventually, go to the Olympics. It’s a wild story that takes Benji from England to Hong Kong to DJing sex parties, and the happy ending will be found this week during the Beijing Olympics.

Read More

EPISODE 262: JOSH DUECK

EPISODE 262: JOSH DUECK

Josh Dueck is an inspiration. A working-class kid from Kimberley, BC, Josh took skiing as far as he could afford to before becoming a coach. His coaching career was cut short due to a life-altering injury that put him in a wheelchair and eventually on Paralympic Podiums. It’s a heavy story, and I ask all the questions that people want the answers to, but were afraid to ask.

Read More

EPISODE 261: BIRK IRVING

EPISODE 261: BIRK IRVING

Birk Irving got his first ski sponsorship at 7 years old and has never looked back. While he was the small kid throwing 540’s at 7, he’s matured and grown into one of the best halfpipe skiers in the world. On the podcast, we talk about his Academy Award winning grandfather, his upbringing in Winter Park, getting signed really young, making the US Team, the X-Games, Olympics and so much more. Torin Yater-Wallace asks the Inappropriate Questions.

Read More

EPISODE 259: MARK ABMA PT. 1

EPISODE 259: MARK ABMA PT. 1

Mark Abma isn’t your typical pro skier. If you break him down, he’s part elite athlete, part farm boy, part hippy, part businessman and part dreamer with a work ethic that puts most people to shame. On part one of his podcast, we talk about the journey from his dad’s welding shop, to the Hemlock Valley Freestyle Team, to the BC Freestyle Team, to the X -Games, to the big mountains, to the big screen and beyond. Abma is a legend, and his story will surprise you.

Read More

EPISODE 257: ZACH CRIST

EPISODE 257: ZACH CRIST

Zach Crist may have the most complete ski career of any athlete I’ve had on the podcast--other than his older brother Reggie. Coming up in Sun Valley, Zach achieved his goal of making the US Team, but it wasn’t all the glory that it sounded like and after a second knee injury and retirement, Zach started collecting X-Games medals. From there he became a guide, went to AK to film, invested in some ski related real estate and we talk about the high’s the lows, and the tragedies and triumphs on the podcast.

Read More

EPISODE 256: MIKE ROGGE

EPISODE 256: MIKE ROGGE

While Mike Rogge is a publisher these days, he cut his teeth writing for some of the most important titles in snow and beyond. These days, life is all about changing the print model from a dying, corporate, ad driven business to a thriving, independent, boutique model that caters to what subscribers want. On the show, we talk about finding a home in skiing as a writer, Powder, The Ski Journal, his internet persona and so much more. Rogge has never been afraid to share his opinions which always makes for a great listen.

Read More

EPISODE 255: CHRISTINA LUSTENBERGER

EPISODE 255: CHRISTINA LUSTENBERGER

Christina Lustenberger, aka Lusti, is an all-around badass in the mountains. Before this certified ACMG guide was killing it in the TGR movies, she was a racer out of Canada and paid for it with 5 full knee re-constructions over 10 years. But even with the injuries, Christina competed in the Olympics and transitioned from race to guide school. On the show we talk racing, guiding, being a woman in a male dominated world, malfunctioning gear and what it took for Lusti to earn the pro skier dream.

Read More

EPISODE 254: JOSSI WELLS PT. 2

EPISODE 254: JOSSI WELLS PT. 2

In Jossi Wells part two, we pick up talking about Jossi’s recent wedding in NZ, and then it’s back to his still going, legendary career. We talk about being the youngest ever competitor at X, the change that comes with a sport entering an Olympic era, his Olympic experience, heading out into the backcountry and a round of ‘Inappropriate Questions’ with Tom Wallisch.

Read More

EPISODE 253: JOSSI WELLS PT. 1

EPISODE 253: JOSSI WELLS PT. 1

Jossi Wells became one of skiing’s rockstars in the 2000’s and he wasn’t one of those skiers born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was born into ski patrol, and he was destined to become a skier. Along the way he and his family made all the right choices and he went from the little kid who shreds anything from Wanaka to an X Games Gold Medalist and an Olympian who became a household name in the global ski world.

Read More

EPISODE 252: EVAN RAPS

EPISODE 252: EVAN RAPS

Before Dr. Evan Raps, there was no hip hop in skiing, but back in the late 90’s early 2000’s , this New York kid took over the ski world and ushered in a new, fresh style to the sport. On the podcast we talk about his roots in moguls, the season that made him famous, the C-Crew, contests, filming, and too many knee surgeries…It’s a rare chat with a true innovator in the sport.

Read More

EPISODE 251: CHRIS "UNCLE E" ERNST PT. 2

EPISODE 251: CHRIS "UNCLE E" ERNST PT. 2

Part 2 with Chris “Uncle E” Ernst picks up where we left off, when Uncle E was on top of the world announcing every event that mattered…but things were not as perfect as they appeared. On the podcast we talk about the continued success, the partying, the travel, the double life, the corporate life, getting caught, disappearing for 5 years, and slowly but surely, rebuilding a life and career.

Read More

EPISODE 250: CHRIS "UNCLE E" ERNST PT. 1

EPISODE 250: CHRIS "UNCLE E" ERNST PT. 1

Chris “Uncle E” Ernst is a legend on the microphone and in the ski industry. Uncle E is known for being that wacky, zany guy on the mic who knows all the athletes, all the history, and brings the excitement of the X Games and many other events into living rooms around the world. What you don’t know about him is his private school upbringing, cutting his teeth with bungee jumping, how he helped invent a sport and so much more that we talk about on the podcast.

Read More

EPISODE 248: LUCAS WACHS

EPISODE 248: LUCAS WACHS

If everything is based on talent, Lucas Wachs should be a household name in skiing. But in today’s world of professional skiing, talent is expected and for better or worse, self-promotion determines how far a pro will get to some extent. Lucas Wachs is one of those guys who isn’t comfortable promoting himself, he lets his skiing do the talking and its afforded him a 12-year career. While Lucas doesn’t make noise about his skiing, he’s the guy the other skiers are talking about and snowboarders recognize his talent too, including Max Warbington who asks the Inappropriate Questions.

Read More

EPISODE 245: TRENNON PAYNTER PT. 2

EPISODE 245: TRENNON PAYNTER PT. 2

Trennon Paynter is a legendary Canadian mogul skier, he’s also an Olympian for Australia, and the Head Coach of the Canadian National Halfpipe Team. In part 2 of his podcast, we talk about going to the Olympics for another country, shifting to coaching park and pipe, his elite athletes, getting halfpipe into the Olympics, and a whole lot more. The godfather, Mike Douglas, asks the Inappropriate Questions.

Read More

EPISODE 244: TRENNON PAYNTER

EPISODE 244: TRENNON PAYNTER

Trennon Paynter is a legendary Canadian mogul skier, he’s also an Olympian for Australia, and the Head Coach of the Canadian National Halfpipe Team. His unbelievable ski story starts with cigarettes, partying, and good times in Banff before Trennon became a self-taught badass in the moguls of Kimberley BC. From there, Trennon competed against the New Canadian Air Force and beat them, made the National Team, Raced on the World Cup, and got into coaching...This podcast is a fun history lesson.

Read More

EPISODE 241: GRIFFIN POST

EPISODE 241: GRIFFIN POST

Griffin Post was born into the ski industry. His dad was an executive with some big brands, ultimately running Smith, and wanting a young Griff to be anything but, a pro skier. That said, there was no special treatment for Griffin and he almost didn’t make it. A chance trip and win at the US Extremes took Griffin away from utilizing his MBA and working his way into the world of TGR. Hear Griffin’s unique path to pro skiing on the podcast.

Read More

EPISODE 240: DAN EGAN PT. 2

EPISODE 240: DAN EGAN PT. 2

Dan Egan is a Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Member and living legend with a ton of stories to tell. In round two of his podcast, he tells the story that almost killed him, what it took to survive and how it changed his life forever. There were 15 people that didn’t make it out and Dan tells the tale. We finish things off with my complaints about the Ski and Snowboard HOF that Dan is currently the face of.

Read More

EPISODE 239: SKOGEN SPRANG

EPISODE 239: SKOGEN SPRANG

While a lot of people know Skogen Sprang as the US Freeski Slopestyle Coach, before he held that title, he was one of the sport's true innovators, bringing new tricks and a snowboard style to the table. On the podcast we talk about doing every action sport as a kid, turning his pro snowboard dreams into a pro ski career, innovation, his prolific 2000 year, the injury, and what it took to come back. Don’t miss this one.

Read More

EPISODE 237: TODD LIGARE

EPISODE 237: TODD LIGARE

Growing up in Park City, Todd Ligare’s life was based around ski racing and making the US Ski Team. As a teenager, he started traveling the world and after a decade of racing and travel, Todd got slower and while he still earned a scholarship to ski race in college, his race dream had now turned into the Tangerine Dream, he wanted to ski for the biggest cameras of all over at TGR. This podcast is another lesson in making things happen for you through hard work and hustle.

Read More