Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. Today, we’ve got a great conversation with a great guest. There aren’t that many high profile skiers out there, who are as thoughtful and introspective as Mark Abma.  Mark is an inspiring athlete with a unique outlook on how to improve performance, training, and mindset. From keeping things in perspective when he’s on top of a mountain to hydrotherapy, Mark talks about what has shaped him as a skier and as a person. Mark Abma is a professional freeskier. From Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, he was born for the snow. He has a number of awards under his belt including the Powder Video Award for Best Male Performance in 2007 and 2005. He also won Best Natural Air in 2010, and Best Powder in 2009. He recently started an advocacy group called One Step with the goal of helping both ski resorts and skiers reduce their carbon footprints.  Topics: [02:11] How Mark started skiing [07:00] Mogul skiing helping with the transition [12:35] What Mark learned from his idols when he was a kid [16:28] How competing led to films [22:25] Mark’s mental game when he gets dropped off on a mountain   [25:45] A piece of advice Mark goes back to  [27:00] Recovery and hydrotherapy [33:50] Lactic training   [36:05] Lessons on the snow, transcending into everyday life Resources: Mark Abma on Twitter  Wagner Custom Skis

Next Level Skiing

Appreciation And Gratitude with Mark Abma

Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. Skiing is about more than just strapping on some equipment and hitting the slopes. Here at Next Level Skiing we want to focus on everything that can affect your ski game. In this episode, sports physiologist Dr. Allen Lim talks to us about how nutrition can affect how you ski. Dr. Lim covers a lot of ground, from fueling your body, to helping your body recover, to staying healthy all year long. Dr. Allen Lim is a sports physiologist, cycling coach, and a founder of Skratch Labs. Scratch Labs is a manufacturer of performance hydration mixes. He has worked with dozens of top American cyclists to improve their performance and nutrition. Today he is here to help skiers with the same type of information that he gives to cyclists. While cycling and skiing aren’t exactly the same in terms of what it requires of your body, they do have some overlap. Topics: [01:48] How Dr. Lim got started in athletic medicine and physiology [03:45] Unhealthy American food culture: Ethnocentric versus Technocentric [07:22] How to improve your skiing through nutrition [13:45] The type of food to eat after skiing [17:20] The importance of staying hydrated and listening to your thirst  [20:27] How to prepare your body for altitude changes [26:00] The nutritional approach to keeping our head in the game while on the snow [30:00] Hunger and exercise [34:32] A piece of advice that still resonates with Dr. Lim [38:14] Beer and skiing [40:15] Summary and last words Resources: Scratch Labs Wagner Custom Skis

Be Your Own Expert with Dr. Allen Lim

Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. Today we are talking with Alex Cohen. Not only is he a sports psychologist for the US Olympic and Paralympic Teams, he also has a lot to share with everyday skiers. In this episode, Alex talks about the importance of having a game plan, getting out of your own way, and the myths about flowstate. He talks about how Olympians get to where they are and how he got to where he is in life.  Alex has learned a lot over the years and shares some of that knowledge with you today. This is sure to be an episode with so many takeaways, you’ll have to listen to it more than once. Alex Cohen, the senior sports psychologist for the US Olympic and Paralympic Teams. Alex dives in deep with the team when it comes to mental strategies, mindfulness, and other skills that can transfer over to their daily lives.  Topics: [02:25] How Alex got into skiing and started working with Olympians [03:45] Sports psychology on the ski-lifts  [12:44] External focus cues in order to execute good technique [13:50] Getting out of your own way  [17:13] Training mindsets and flipping that switch  [19:15] Flowstate    [23:17] Recovery after injury [29:18] Alex’s personal skiing habits [29:49] A piece of advice that resonates through Alex’s life [33:20] Summary and conclusion Resources: Alex Cohen Twitter: @alexcohenphd “Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation” by Gabriele Oettingen Wagner Custom Skis

Get Out Of Your Own Way with Alex Cohen

Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. Thinking through the fear with Julian Carr. One of the great things about skiing is that we can apply the lessons we’ve learned on snow and adapt them to our whole life. Today is no exception. Julian talks about how he gets air, how he got started, and what goes into finding the right conditions. As a natural talent, Julian has a unique and positive perspective on both skiing and life. We’ve all seen the pictures. X-Games GOLD Medalist Julian Carr is known as one of the skiers who gets the biggest air. It’s almost as if he’s out there to prove that flying and skiing aren’t two different things.  Julian’s lofty exploits have landed him in Warren Miller films. He’s also received “Photo of the Year” from Powder Magazine, the Sickbird Award on the Freeskiing World Tour, and holds two world records in cliff jumps. He’s an ambassador for Protect Our Winters and Climate Reality Project. He’s also a board member for the Lands Conservation Foundation. He founded Discrete Clothing. He also founded the Cirque Series, which is a mountain running series that’s in its fourth season.   Topics: [02:00] How Julian got started skiing and getting height [06:00] Being a natural skier and specific his skill set [08:10] Baby steps to getting air  [14:00] What goes into finding the right conditions  [24:25] Working through the fear [25:45] Patience and recognizing the gap between desire and ability  [29:30] How to know when you’re ready [31:10] Advice that still resonates [33:20] Summary and conclusion   Resources: Julian Carr Wagner Custom Skis

Think Past the Fear with Julian Carr

Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. Today, I’m chatting with Lorraine Huber, an Australian skier who has made a career off of making skiing look easy. She’s done it all, from big mountain skiing and competitions, to guiding and becoming a mental coach. And she doesn’t just teach the pros; she’s teaching everyone how to find poise and grace out on the slopes amidst all this chaos.  Lorraine is a professional skier from Lech am Arlberg. She is a freeride world champion and is now giving back to the skiing community by becoming a mental coach. She helps skiers become inspired and fall in love with the process. Listen in as she shares her insights on the mental games that occur on the snow, and how to turn our focus to the process of learning through visualization and meditation. Lorraine also offers suggestions on how we can find our flow state.  Topics: [01:30] How Lorraine got started in skiing [08:10] The transition process of big mountain skiing to mental coach [12:25] Strategies for quieting your mind [18:51] Finding your flow state [25:35] What to focus on: growing and learning the process [27:59] How to reprogram your brain [33:15] Internal versus extrinsic motivation [34:29] What can come to us when we’re in that flow state [37:27] Lorraine’s skiing buddies and how they helped her [40:00] A lesson that still resonates with Lorraine [42:00] Lorraine’s YouTube channel  [42:42] Summary of the big lessons from this episode Resources: Lorraine Huber Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck Lorraine Huber, YouTube Wagner Custom Skis

Skiing Is An Art Form with Lorraine Huber

Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. Today’s guest is a skiing veteran with amazing stories and lessons to share. I’m sure all of you know the name Chris Anthony. In this episode, Chris shares so many of his experiences and tips including how early he started skiing, hard ski lessons, how to ski with an injury, and stories from movie sets. From Warren Miller to Mt. Mangart, he is no stranger to film or the snow.  Chris also shares his opinions on how and why skiing has changed over the years. Has it been for the better? How have these technological changes helped injured skiers? Not to mention, we dive into the basics of skiing, because sometimes we need to be reminded that skiing isn’t about being the strongest. A lot of the challenge of skiing happens in your mind… and also on your knees. Is it possible to ski with a knee injury?  Chris Anthony does it all: award winning skier, ski personality, trainer, guide, and motivational speaker. Chris was also inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2018, is an award-winning documentary producer, director, writer, and editor, and was featured in 28 Warren Miller films.  Topics: [00:55] How Chris got into skiing [05:15] Evolving times for skiing and ski gear [09:10] Chris’ lessons from his movie career [12:00] On bad habits and trying to get rid of them  [14:25] Skiing while injured    [21:44] Knee replacement and returning to skiing   [26:09] Tips for skiing with knee pain [28:47] Ski gear that won’t bother your knees [31:33] Off the wall racing [35:05] Lasting advice from early in Chris’ career [36:11] Mission Mt. Mangart film and the history of skiing [41:56] Summary and thanks Resources: Chris Anthony Wagner Custom Skis  

Finesse Over Power with Chris Anthony

Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. We have quite the treat for you today as our guest is the legendary–the most decorated American, male downhiller ever–Daron Rahlves. Four time Olympian. Twenty-eight world cup podiums. A dozen world cup victories. Seven national titles. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Daron is already helping out future generations of skiers with his Ski Tips with Daron Rahlves series on YouTube. Today he brings a few of those tips with him as well as some great advice and fantastic stories. There are so many takeaways from today’s episode, from tips on developing confidence, to technical advice about balance, and big lessons he’s learned from his journey to the top.  Topics: [01:00] Daron’s accolades and journey [02:20] From Ski-Tips to Mortal Tips [06:55] How do we develop confidence  [09:43] Technical tip about balance: “From the snow up” [13:00] The importance of knowing the line [19:55] Find a mentor and follow the good guys [22:10] How Daron adjusted his ski style for the film, Chasing the LIne [30:55] How skiing has developed over the years [35:00] How Red Bull treats the athletes they sponsor [41:50] The fastest time at Birds of Prey and other records [45:40] Advice from Daron’s youth which still resonates with him [47:50] Tips and warm-ups  [49:20] Summary of the episode Resources: Ski Tips with Daron Rahlves Wagner Custom Skis

Keep It Simple, with Daron Rahlves

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] Skylar’s transition from skiing to snowboarding. [04:45] Skylar’s priorities in his twenties. [06:01] Helping people achieve results and overcome fear. [10:00] The challenges of adjusting resort style to backcountry/heli-skiing. [13:50] Why it’s important to familiarize yourself with new gear before skiing. [16:45] Skylar’s excitement about showing people the ropes and helping them improve. [21:45] Differences and similarities between resort skiers and professional skiers. [23:38] How he handles giving advice to professionals. [25:53] Important turn advice. [31:54] The best way to communicate with someone who is struggling. [36:05] The most helpful advice Skylar has received. [37:50] The main talent of Silverton Mountain Guides. [38:40] The importance of trying new things. Resources: Silverton Mountain Guides Wagner Custom Skis

Skylar Holgate: Be The Water, Not The Rock

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 experience. Topics: [02:44] Tips for kicking off your ski vacation on the right foot. [06:05] Skiing with returning clients. [07:45] Why it’s important to show up with a basic level of fitness. [08:35] What separates a great skier from a great bowl skier. [11:33] Ted’s uphill clinics and who attends them. [13:46] Weekly social uphills at Buttermilk. [15:10] The appeal of backcountry skiing. [18:18] Easing people into backcountry skiing. [20:35] How boots can affect your footwork and the effort you have to exert. [23:12] Advanced uphill clinics and what they offer. [29:41] Picking your peaks. [32:15] Thinking back on the highlights of his career. [34:10] Ted’s parting advice to other skiers. Resources: Wagner Custom Skis

Ted Mahon: It's All Fancy Footwork

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 this fantastic program and Erik’s experiences as a mountain sport enthusiast. Topics: [03:15] Starting from scratch with a new reservation system to help keep numbers small. [05:45] Finding a middle ground between resort and backcountry skiing. [10:45] Figuring out how to make the program sustainable. [13:24] What makes Bluebird different from another mountain’s Backcountry 101. [14:15] Why people just beginning their backcountry journey are often not ready for Avalanche One. [21:10] The feedback from Aerie-certified instructors. [23:05] Formalizing the way people learn and grow. [24:35] Growing up as a skier in Upstate New York. [27:00] Who the Bluebird Backcountry clients are and why the demographics surprised Erik. [33:00] The different skills required for backcountry skiing. [34:26] Erik’s solid piece of backcountry advice. Resources: Bluebird Backcountry Wagner Custom Skis

Erik Lambert: Backcountry - More Than Just Avy Skills

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 mental game involved therein.  Topics: [03:52] Cody’s experience growing up in a football family. [04:22] How his family got him into skiing. [06:41] Critical skills he developed as a racer. [11:42] Cody’s experience as a heliskier and the ensuing transition to mountaineering. [12:07] Boredom and danger were catalysts to his shift. [15:54] The single most important skill in ski mountaineering. [19:15] Heading into his Fifty Project knowing he had a lot to learn. [24:25] Skiing the Sphinx in Alaska. [26:45] Perceptions of pro skiers vs. the reality. [29:05] The tendency to pull back when skiing intense steeps. [32:40] A basic drill that helps change your mindset on the steeps. [36:25] The experience that made him dream about skiing The Crack. [37:50] Drawing on past experiences to help you reach the next level. [39:40] Why skiing partners can affect your experience. [45:00] An article made Cody tear up. [46:35] A great piece of advice Cody received. Resources: The Fifty Project’ Wagner Custom Skis

Cody Townsend: Timing is Everything

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: The overlap between doctoring and skiing. A typical year on mountains, with a few months in hospitals. 5:50: “The big dinner conversation.” Honing aging bodies for skiing. Clients as patients. How to offset the 1% annual loss of muscle mass in men in their 50s, 60s and 70s.  7:15: The “easy” prescription to offset that muscle loss and even build muscle past age 50.  9:00: And even thwart the insidious weight gain of life after 50.  12:00: Advice for skiers looking to stay on skis deep into their 80s or even 90s: minimize the impacts.  12:35: People get injured for three reasons. Two of them are the fault of the guides.  14:20: Progressing “never-ever” Alaska helicopter skiers into steep, deep, sprawling terrain.  15:20: Second time's the charm.  18:30: Being “really spherical” when talking as a guide. 20:00: The photographic component of guiding. Tips for creating lifelong keepsakes.  23:40: Photos as “a great venue for people to review their skills.” 25:50: Building the ultimate guide ski for heavy-pack skiing in variable conditions in Alaska 28:00 The ultimate guide ski looks like this 32:00 The best advice he’s ever received: Movement is good. Stay in the flow. When people stay in the flow state, all the mechanics fall into place.

Wes Wylie: Skiing and Healing, How to Ski Forever

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 skiing a resort. It’s all about making the right decisions early. Liberal uphill policies at a growing number of ski resorts has enabled uphill skiing to thrive.  And that’s good as we head into the great unknown for the coming season. Doug saw sales at his Cripple Creek shops and website explode after resorts suddenly closed in mid-March. Could that be a clue of what we can expect for the upcoming ski season? Listen in as Doug riffs on the “out of order” alignment in backcountry skiing and avalanche education, how resorts embracing uphill is fostering the backcountry movement, how resort skiing can help your backcountry turns, the right ski for the right day and what he sees ahead as a ski season unlike any other unfolds.  4:30 — Avalanche education, it’s talked about out of order. Risk of life should not be your first concern when you are learning how to kickstep.  6:10 - Resort uphill policies are enabling the transition from touring to backcountry.  10:30 — “Find the worst snow possible.” Tips for honing backcountry skills while skiing off chairlifts. 13:20 — Is the boom in backcountry ski equipment sales in late March an indication of what’s to come?  18:00 — Trail running shoes, home gym equipment and bikes are hot commodities in the pandemic summer. Could uphill skis join that list this winter?  20:30 — Don’t necessarily think of touring as a better way to ski. “Think of it as a better way to hike in the winter and get outside and exercise in the winter.”  22:50 — Cripple Creek encourages all buyers to sit for a virtual consultation when buying an uphill kit.  24:10 — Light is right. “Know that you will eventually go lighter … 90% of the time you are going uphill.”  27:00 — Industry rollercoaster trends push the single-tool quiver but best bet it to have a resort ski and a backcountry ski.  31:10 — Best advice: Enjoy the whole day, the uphill and downhill as one journey in the mountains. 

Doug Stenclik: Entering The Backcountry, The Gear and The Tips

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 training programs for CMH’s powder masters, enabling skiers in their 80s and even 90s to stay on skis. And he’s able to break down the techniques required to rip pow into bite-sized morsels revolving around the notion of up-and-down movement, creating a solid platform in soft snow, focusing on angulation of joints and eliminating bad habits.  2:45: Skied to school as a 3-year-old in Austria’s Tirol. 3:50: Injury as a ski racer pushed him into coaching.  4:45: Coaching for the Austrian ski team from 1986 to 1989.  6:02: Decides to stay with CMH 8:14: Powder is an interesting medium, with all ranges of shapes, weights and feels.  9:00: Subtle difference between skiing hard pack and skiing powder “Build your own platform.” 10:00: Dispelling the myth that skiing powder is for experts. Experts can ski chopped powder. Untrammeled powder is for everyone.  12:15: Equally weighted versus weighting each ski.  14:20: Overcoming intimidation by “seeing obstacles as friends.” 15:30: Give people the feeling they are in control and "the scary things aren’t so scary any more.” 16:40: Balancing the need for speed and control in powder. 20:00: Motion is lotion. Don’t be static on skis.  20:25: Vertical movement is the heartbeat of skiing.  21:50: But keep vertical movement in a range. Not too high. Not too low. 22:12: Handling the “fall-line effect.” 24:20: Use small, linked turns to control speed in powder and maintain equal weight on both skis.  26:50: Use bone structure to weight and unweight skis.  28:30: Effective up-and-down movement using bone structure and momentum.  31:00 Building CMH’s “Powder Masters Program” to help veteran clients in their 80s keep skiing into their 90s.  34:40: Best advice is to think about angulation in shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.  36:30: Every learning process begins with destruction.  38:10: Learn the soft hockey stop to butter through sketchy terrain and variable snow. 

Roko Koell: Powder Skiing Is for Everyone

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 known as the New Canadian Air Force. Their FIS-dissing trickery chafed against international rules that forbid mogul skiers from getting inverted.  Douglas and his crew designed their perfect ski, which became the Salomon 1080 and changed skiing.  Douglas has spent his life exploring skiing from the perspective of athlete, coach, ski designer, instructor and filmmaker. Tune in as the Godfather holds court. 3:57: Moving to Whistler for a quick year before university, Douglas signs up for moguls contests and ends the season ranked third in British Columbia.  5:00: Making a run for the Lillehammer Games in 1994, Douglas works with the Canadian Freestyle Team. 5:25: Bad habits plagued his early skiing. The worst? The heavy head. “The world slows down the farther you look.” 8:00: Started coaching in Whistler Blackcomb, teaching the next generation of mogul skiers. 9:15: Top athletes were grating under the strictures of FIS mogul skiing. Snowboarding was blowing up. Skiers wondered why they couldn’t do that same tricks as snowboarders. 10:30: Back then, if you wanted to change a trick, it took two years to win FIS approval. “Meanwhile we were watching snowboarders innovating every week.” 11:10: Douglas and top bumpers started poaching the snowboard-only terrain parks after moguls practice. 12:04: The skills from mogul skiing transferred to the park. Balanced at speed.  13:20: Trial-and-error skill development in the park predated trampolines and airbags. 14:32:: The creation of the Salomon 1080. “We knew we needed a ski that was different.” 19:45: Absorbing the fire he sparked in freeskiing. “Every day I see something ridiculous that melts  my brain.” 22:18: Longevity on skis comes from a drive to keep moving and keep improving.  27:10: Almost every day on the same skis and boots. 29:44: The technology that enabled the one-ski quiver. 31:35: Lessons from 18 years teaching at Chile’s Superstars Camp. 33:35: Three most basic principles of skiing. Simple is better. “If you can do those three things you can ski well anywhere." 36:16: Seeking the secret to longevity and “The Fountain of Youth” in Japan with Everest skier Yuichiro Miura and his son Gota.   39:50: Step by step. “You got to have a goal.” 42:28: Notching wins for the climate as a driving force behind Protect Our Winters Canada. Motivating skiers to write 23,000 letters to the government, forcing a coal mine expansion to undergo intensive environmental review. “We may have saved 15 million tons of carbon dioxide from going into the air every year.” 

Mike Douglas: The Godfather of Freeskiing

Next Level Skiing is a podcast about skiing. Your skiing. Longtime ski journalist Jason Blevins talks 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 by searching for “Next Level Skiing.” Learn more at wagnerskis.com/nextlevel.

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Next Level Skiing

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