Low Pressure Podcast: Skiing's First Podcast

Simon D'Artois is Canadian Olympian and X-Games Gold Medalist in the halfpipe He came to LPP fresh off his experiences at the Peyongchang Olympic games.

Michelle fills us in on her current filming projects with MSP and Redbull including a wild mission to Western Australia to test her limits of performance and endurance. We also talk about singing and playing music, house renovations, contract negotiations, self awareness, and the importance of humility and being present

Nikolai Schirmer is working on his weekly web series, "Schirmer in the Field", a running documentary on ski culture, seen through his eyes during his travels and experiences. We chat we talk about the process of completing his weekly episodes, his home in Norway way above the Arctic Circle, learning how to sled in BC, Law School and how all of these tie together.

Kajsa Larsson and Malou Peterson join us to talk about their new web series KM Days. This winter the two young skiers from Sweden have been releasing a weekly episode of their adventures traveling around Canada. The two met on a surf trip in Biarritz, France and while sitting on their boards waiting for waves. They hatched a plan to move to Revelstoke, BC and spend a season documenting their life as ski bums.

Originally from SLC, Freeride World Tour veteran, Drew Tabke, now makes his home in the Pacific Northwest. We sat down in the basement of a fancy ski-in ski-out chalet at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort where he talks about the spending the last 13 years travelling and skiing with the Tour. We talk about the fraternity of skiers and how travel and competition, tragedy and triumph all contribute to shape who he as and create tight, family style bonds.

This episode is a full, behind the scenes look into a week at Freeride World Tour. Recorded during the event in Golden BC at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.

Greg Hill, is a skier, guide, and environmentalist who is leading the way by proving what we can do to become sustainable adventurers. It's a a theme that is building momentum within our community and Greg, with help from his skiing and travel partner Chris Rubens, is leading the charge. Travelling to ski and adventure in the mountains has a big carbon footprint and Greg is doing his best to find sustainable alternatives.

McKenna Peterson's life has been very closely tied to and influenced by her family. In the Winter she grew up in Sun Valley Idaho skiing with her parents and her siblings. In the Summer the clan hopped on a commercial fishing boat and sailed North to Alaska. Her life changed last year with the passing of her father who was the victim of an avalanche. As a professional skier, being in the mountains is her job, her passion, her history. As a member of the family business, McKenna has now taken over the role of Skipper on the boat. Her life has been turned upside down and amidst the confusion and change she's working on figuring out what it that means, who she is and how to move forward.

Thayne grew up in the Church of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake city Utah before deciding at age 15 that the Church wasn't how he wanted to live his life. Having an understanding and supportive family has been key to Thayne's development as a skier and as a person. It's proven in the way he carries himself and in the respect he shows others and the people who continue to influence him. In this episode we talk about Thayne's 7 year history working for 4FRNT and how the recent changes there have affected him, his love for golf and it's similarities to skiing and how a knock on his camper door started his partnership with Level 1 and more. Enjoy! All the LPP - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Marcus Caston is a skiing purist. The SLC native believes that we should all be back on straight, skinny skis for the sole reason that it will separate the good from the average. Marcus, who's turns and face shots have graced the cover of many a popular ski mag, talks about a lot of the contrasts in today's ski culture. Blackcomb vs Whistler, Alta vs Snowbird, hucking big cliffs vs throwing tricks off of little ones are just some of the topics covered. This self professed, "Ski Dork" is un apologetic with his thoughts that some may find controversial. Once an aspiring ski racer, Marcus now spends his time travelling the world shooting photos and doing his best not to ski in the rain at which it seems he is failing miserably. Enjoy! #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Aussie freeskier Nat Segal is here this week with a very entertaining conversation about, "Finding the Line" the new documentary ski film. The the theme of the film, which she's making with her sister and former Olympian skier Anna Segal, is based on fear. The two of them analyze fear and how it affects them and their decision making in the mountains, and how they each approach and tackle it differently. In this episode we also talk about Nat's nomadic lifestyle, growing up with Anna, how she got into competitive skiing on the Freeride World Tour circuit and much more. Enjoy! #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

The first ever LPP guest, Ian McIntosh returns and joins us for a fantastic conversation to bookend our first 100 episodes! Ian McIntosh is a thinker and a planner. I don't know if you could catch him unprepared. This is equally true with his life away from skiing. In the four and a half years since our first conversation, a lot has changed in his life, some good, some bad but you'll notice when hearing him speak he has an outlook and an optimism that only pushes him forward. Ian talks about his dedication to Protect Our Winters (P.O.W.) and the steps he's taken to be a leader in the fight against climate change. We discuss that he sees social media as an important tool for this and tries to focus on the positive and impactful ways to utilize it rather than the anxiety inducing, superficial uses which are more prevalent. We also follow up with Ian about why he's hung up his wing suit, his opinions on why he thinks China will save the ski industry and what he has planned for the future. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Alex Beaulieu Marchand otherwise known as ABM has been skiing since he was in diapers. His parents would actually change them on the gondola in between laps. It seems like getting started at such an early age has done wonders for ABM. He tells us about being surprised with a spot as the only Canadian to compete in Slopestyle at the Sochi Olympics as a 19 year old and his outlook for the upcoming Games in Peyongchang, Korea. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

My old friend Chad Sayers has been a world traveller and adventurer for the better part of the last 2 decades. Known mainly for appearing in countless ski publications as well as Jordan Manley's fantastic, "A Skier's Journey" film series, Chad is currently compiling stories and photos from his lifetime of adventures for a new book he is writing. From this conversation, I gather that Chad seems to be in a constant search… maybe a struggle for balance in his life. He talks about the many goals and dreams that he has strived towards and the many challenges that have presented themselves along the way. Stories of taking behavioral altering medicines as a child, skiing through severe pain aqiured from compiling injuries, battling internal conflicts about who he is and stories of serendipidous success are all shared here. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcasthttps://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Seeking Nirvana. It's something we all should strive for. If you're having troubles finding it yourself, perhaps you should just watch these guys then. Pro skiers, Mike Henituik, Matt Margetts, Joe Schuster, Riley Leboe have known each other for a long time and all have years of individual success within the ski industry. The crew has been skiing for various film companies or competing in the Olympics for the better part of the last decade. Originally spawned from a project with a much bigger crew based in the Sea to Sky corridor called , "The Kids", Seeking Nirvana was a way for the guys to create something that they had full control of creatively and a financially. Within the conversation you'll hear none of the crew really have a specifically defined role within the project. When something needs to be addressed, whomever is available to do it at that moment steps in gets it done. I find it really impressive actually. I think its something that can only really be accomplished by a group of people who have known each other for a long time and have been through a lot together. In this episode we talk about their lastest installment of the Seeking Nirvana series, "Men Who Stare at Sheep". I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the skiing segment while it was being filmed at Temple Basin this past fall. Since I was there I had some additional insight into the project and was able to get the guys to tell me a bout the origins, the challenges, the ups and downs, and the in and outs of Seeking Nirvana. Enjoy! #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcasthttps://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Chris "Rooster" James and Geoff McDonald created, SKI THE EAST, the rally cry and East coast skiing's main identifier. The two friends met in college while creating a "Jackass" style show for the campus' TV station. After multiple citations and several threats of getting kicked of school filming stunts for "Meathead Films", the two took the energy they put into jeopardizing their education with filming college kids being idiots into filming skiers shredding the East Coast slopes. During the decade of filming and releasing ski movies, the Ski The East phrase came from scribble on a chalkboard one night at a local bar and stuck. It perfectly summed up what they were doing. After attaching the label to t-shirts that were used as promotional accompaniments to the films, they realized that the monicker was building it's own following and they decided to dive deeper into it. Fast forward a few years and SKI THE EAST has become a pillar of East Coast skiing culture that locals identify with.

It can't be measured what Jason Levinthal has done for the ski industry. He is an innovator. The steps he's taken his entire career, whether he is aware of it or not, has progressed our sport not only with the equipment we use but also with the way we do business.

This week we have German Freeskier, Sven Kueenle. I connected with Sven while at the IF3 festival in Montreal. He was there to support the latest Legs of Steel film, "Same Difference". Sven spent more time travelling to the event than he was able to spend there having to go back to Germany for an appearance on a late night German sports show. Same Difference follows 3 different story lines and documents 3 different aspects and disciplines of skiing. L.o.S. portray the challenges and successes of an alpine racer competing on the circuit , freestyle skiers attempting to hit one biggest jumps ever built and freeriders tackling big lines in AK. The project plays like a film, not a traditional ski movie. It's full of suspense, emotion and great skiing and was rewarded with the Best Editing prize at the festival. Sven has a very diverse range of interests, buisnees and personal. He tells us about getting inspired by an Alaskan bush pilot to get his own pilot's licence. He owns a real estate company as well as a restaurant in Munich. Much of diverse success is a product of goal setting, and more importantly , writing them down. This was in part developed in Sven after a traumatic life altering accident in Alaska. He had a cornice break away from under him during a film trip and fortunately wasn't severely injured. Although he was physically ok, Sven went through a mental and psychological change where he started to look at life differently. He's accomplished a lot since then and goal setting is a large part of that. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Right off the bat we wanted to find out how Tatum got her start in skiing. She grew up in a family of skiers. Her Grandfather, originally from Chamonix, was a mountain man, her dad was a member of the Canadian Ski Team and the family business is, you guessed it, is a ski shop. She wasn't forced into it though. They let her decide when it was time. When that time came.... she decided to snowboard! In this episode Tatum discusses her thoughts on the state of progression in Women's skiing. She tells the story of having her entire online presence disrupted by a hacker based in Saudi Arabia which is somewhat resolved. I ask about the major injury she suffered at the end of last season. Having experienced a similar fate last year I was curious as to how she was progressing. She tells us that its definitely been a long, tough process. Not only is she getting help for the physical issues associated with this with from help doctors and physiotherapists but also utilizing advice from a councillor to keep her head right. It's easy to get depressed and down when dealing with a traumatic injury. I was very happy to hear her share this as mental health is a topic that needs to be given a bit more attention. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

In this episode we continue to highlight New Zealand Club Field ski culture. I've decided to zero in on one club in particular; Temple Basin. Back in 2003, I spent a season working there and its one of those places I needed to return. Temple Basin is really unique, not only in the way it operates but also for its unreal terrain. We timed our arrival perfectly and for the next 3 days we got to ski the best snow of the season. While I was there I spoke to the people that live, work and ski at Temple Basin. I wanted to offer you a well rounded summary of what life is like working and living in a remote lodge at a small club operated ski field located high in the mountains. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

I went to NZ to dive a little deeper into New Zealand Ski culture. Most people know about Wanaka and Queenstown and maybe Mt Hutt. These are the kinds of ski areas most of us are familiar with. Charlifts, snowmaking, groomed runs and big lodges full of coffee bars, pastries and inoffensive music. But there's another side of the Kiwi ski scene that you may not know about. The Club Fields. What's a Club Field? The Club Fields or Clubbies, as they are affectionately called, are small, non profit ski areas operated by membership groups. With many of them you can trace their origins back to the 1950's and some even earlier. They are the antithesis of the commercial resort. The amenities are basic but perfectly adequate, the vibe is relaxed and the skiing can be the best you've ever experienced. Keep this in mind. If think that basic means easy, you would be mistaken. You earn your turns on the club fields in every aspect. You earn them on the trip to the hill You earn them in lodge washing dishes, sweeping floors or cleaning toilets. You earn your turns bootpacking your lines. This episode is made up of of two conversations I had with long time Club Field skiers and old friends. I got them to give me their take on what the New Zealand ski scene is about. To finish the episode I spoke with Dion Newport and Sam Smoothy who were running a Freeride World Qualifier event at Mt Olympus.

James "Woodsy" Woods, has been travelling the world competing on the Slopestyle and Big Air circuit for the better part of a decade. He is still just as stoked about it now as he has ever been. While in Whistler, Woodsy came to the LPP Studios for a chat during his yearly visit to Momentum Ski Camps on the Horstman Glacier. Born and raised in Sheffield England, he may seem like a bit of an anomaly. How does one of the most consistent competition skiers get to his level coming from a snowless town in the middle of the UK? The answer? A Dry Slope. Sheffield Ski Village is where he caught the skiing bug even though he didn't touch snow for a couple years. Woodsy shares his journey about coming up and skiing dry slopes and about the "fantastic" scene surrounding it within his home nation. We chat about his Gyspy lifestyle, his unwavering and enduring love for skiing, the X Games vs Olympics debate as well as his activities away from skiing and his plans for the future. James is a great guy with positive, infectious energy. Soak it up! Enjoy!

Chris Logan has spent most of the winter travelling around BC with Parker White and the Big Picture crew. While in Whistler, as all skiers should, he stopped by the LPP Studios for a chat. Logan, a native of Long Island NY, tells us about going to "ski" school at Mt. Snow in Vermont. It's not what you're thinking. He went to a ski high school where he attended classes some of the time and went skiing the rest of the time. We cover a range of topics such as his big family of skiers including his sister, Sochi silver medalist Devin Logan and his big bro Sean Logan the filmer / editor MVP of their Big Picture crew. We talk sports, motivational books and my favourite, crock pots!! #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Swedish photographer, Daniel Rönnbäck stopped in at the LPP Studios while in Whistler to compete in the Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown at the World Ski and Snowboard festival. He decided to accept the invitation to the contest because it happened to coincide perfectly with the JP Auclair Memorial event. Daniel talks about shooting with JP as well as Andreas Fransson who happened to be a heavy influence in Daniel's career trajectory. Daniel spends 300+ days on the road shooting and working. He tells us about how he was forced to learn how to pack for big ski trips, how spending time in nature is where he is most comfortable and how he "doesn't really know anything about cameras. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Colter Hinchliffe made his way to Whistler this spring from his home in Aspen Colorado. We talk about his love for Aspen and the difference of types of skiing each of the mountains there have to offer. Colter explains his, "clean line", stance on backcountry safety and personal responsibility when travelling outside of ski area boundaries as well as climbing, summer jobs and much more. Enjoy!

Wiley Miller is originally from Billings, Montana and has found himself relocating frequently in the last few years. He's lived in Salt Lake City, Revelstoke and is now currently in Pemberton BC. The topic of overcrowding and affordability within ski towns and their mountains is covered here as you can imagine. In this episode we talk about Wiley's foray into acupuncture for recovery as well as the dangers of prescription pain killers. He, like many of the past guests on this show is big into surfing in the off seasons and tells us about his desire to improve his Spanish speaking abilities. I also ask him about the YLE, his pro model ski with 4FRNT, specifically how he plans on changing the design, if at all, as his own skiing style changes throughout his career.

Hadley Hammer is a skier and a podcaster from Jackson Hole Wyoming. She produces and hosts the Nausicaa-cast which features female athletes from non-stick and ball sports. Hadley wanted a way to not only engage herself intellectually but be able to present female athletes through a platform where their stories and personalities could show through. We speak with Hadley about joining POW (Protect Our Winters) as an ambassador. She tells us about the learning curve associated with learning how to "get the shot" when filming for TGR and trying to understand the nuances of light, angles and line choices. Outside of skiing, Hadley grew up figure skating and she lived in Washington, D.C. studying wine in a hospitality / Hotel Management program. Like most of us, she's doing her best to figure out the housing dilemma facing the majority of people living an working in ski resorts. #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

KC Deane tells a story of having an entire film's footage stolen and the mission to retrieve it.

KC Deane, originally from Sandpoint, Idaho and raised on the slopes of Schweitzer Mountain, tells us how he eventually ended up in Whistler BC and his thoughts on trying to obtain a Canadian residency permit. He's been sledding since he was nine and shares some funny, stories from some of our favourite skier friends while they fail at trying to ride theirs. We also talk about his various film projects with Level 1, the Blank movie and the upcoming Whistler Blackcomb feature "Magnetic". KC's a good guy and has great stories to tell. Enjoy this episode! #LISTENTOSKIING - https://linktr.ee/LowPressurePodcast

Logan Pehota is here talking about his season on the Freeride World Tour, Heli Logging as summer job, his goal to backflip his snowmobile and filming for the upcoming film Numinous.