S2, E17: Thayne Rich - From Utah Local to Professional Skier

A 40-hour scramble to Argentina with a dead computer and zero Spanish. A Japan train sprint with ski bags, closed ticket counters, and strangers translating “three stops” into pure stress. And back home in Utah, a kid getting towed into illegal jumps behind a Honda Civic because that is what ski culture looked like before everything was documented. This conversation with pro skier and ski builder Thayne Rich is a reminder that the highlight reel is never the whole story.

We start with Salt Lake City roots: growing up around Park City and Alta, learning fearlessness from older brothers, and taking the kind of youthful risks that shaped a generation of freestyle and big-mountain skiers. Thayne breaks down how style evolves from perfectly built park jumps to “janky” natural takeoffs, why Alta remains his favorite playground, and what it takes to progress when you are not the loudest person in the room.

From there, we get into ski filmmaking and the real mechanics of making it: sponsors, promo edits, crew dynamics, networking without ego, and the pressure of heli skiing when everything is bigger and steeper than it looks on camera. Then we go deep on the gear side, including how Thayne helped build skis at Forefront, prototyped shapes, and ended up with a pro model that started as a rogue experiment in the shop.

If you care about Utah skiing, backcountry culture, action sports careers, ski industry stories, or simply how to keep passion fun as you get older, you will find something here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who lives for winter, and leave a review with your favorite moment from Thayne’s travel chaos and ski-life lessons.

Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!

Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch

Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote

Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time 

Transcript

Backflip Dares And Early Jumps

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I'm gonna try a backflip.

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I don't think I want a snowboard anymore. Getting towed in by a little Honda Civic, going 40 miles an hour, the cops showed up. Well, we can't really tell you not hitting a dirty cliff when you're 12 years old because your brother says it's good to go lower flag staff by himself. I think MSP or someone was doing a shoot up there and they had like knocked half the jump down two and a half hours to get up to the ski hill. And by that time, I only had 45 minutes to ride. That's how much I love skiing. He could do this for a living. I like sold my laptop and a last-minute plane ticket was like $1,400 for some you know 17-year-old kid. I'm in the middle of nowhere, Argentina, and don't know a lika Spanish.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Yep, dying. She's freezing. Yeah. But thankfully it's like, I mean, when you're in a crowd and like everyone's there and you're like kind of motivated to be there, I mean have a beer or two, then hopefully it like warms up, but yeah, I mean still rather be in shorts and a t-shirt.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Yeah.

unknown 1:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

The artists that on Saturday that I really wanted to see were like people I was into in like middle school and high school, like clap your hands and say yeah, and Queller. And it's like just in alternative groups, and I like it was fun to see them.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

You know, well, it's like wild with like the Kilby lineup because like last year I had the same experience with Justice as I did this year with the XX. Because like with Justice, it was on Sunday, it was the last day. I was like exhausted, and I was like, uh, we'll see. Like, I can name a couple songs, but like it's so almost like high school, early college. We'll see. Yeah. And it ended up being the best set of the entire weekend. I was like, oh my god, I can't believe I almost missed that. Yeah. And then this weekend is the XX. I was like, all right, like I know the intro that everybody knows. I was in like every video on YouTube for like five years. And then they start playing, like, oh, and then I didn't realize. So actually, so the bassist Romney, like I when I was listening to this, like, I was like, oh, she would actually collab really well with one of my favorite music artists right now, Fred again. And then I get home, my girlfriend's like, she, and like she shows me her phone and it's like on her Instagram, and it's her and Fred again. I was like, wait, Romney. And then I pull up, like, oh, they've done like three or four songs together. Oh, really? And so just like one of those, like, of course, it's something I would know, like it that that I would enjoy. Yeah, yeah. And so, and but it's like cool too, because like the artists that are there, like people who experienced them when they were in their prime, are like, I mean, 10 years removed, so it's like easily like 30s or 40s, but then you have they're coming back around, so it's like relevant to younger people.

Kilby Festival Nostalgia And Surprises

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Like it was cool. I was sitting in um, I think it was Modest Mouse. I was behind this guy and his dad, or the dad and his son, I guess I should say. And he's kind of like talking to me. He's like, Hey, like, do you know, like, you know, kind of stand here, like stand your ground, like, don't just kind of like let people push you around, like yeah, sit in your space. And it was kind of just fun having this father-son moment, and then mom showed up with a beer, and like they were kind of laughing, and like I see dad, like kind of I could tell like the dad was just like in his moment of like my kid, my family's here, we're at a concert. So he pulls out his phone, he's like, Hey, like, honey, and like son, go take a picture. Like, give me your phone. Like, yeah, here we go. Like, and I'm someone who, if you give me your like, I'll always be on the like lookout for people who are like trying to take a picture. I'm like, give me your phone, like, yep, give it to me. Yeah, and so I was like, give it to me. Like, and I always try to take like good pictures, and so I take some, he's like, he looks, he's like, Oh, like actually, thank you. Like, these are these are good. I'm like, Yeah, yeah, of course, a great great moment for the family.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Let's yeah, let's do it. No, it was so fun seeing Ma's Mouse. I mean, yeah, just a band that you know we we listened to a bunch when we were younger, and you know, it still holds. Their music is so good, so yeah, just as good as it was. It's fun. I it like makes me a little envious of being a musician, you know. Like they're still doing tours, even though they're you know, they're probably like late 40s, 50s, you know.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Yeah, I don't know how old those guys are, but he's definitely I was trying to like because I was watching and I was like, Well, like I was trying to peg it too without looking it up, and I don't think I ever did because ADHD, but like definitely in his like late 40s, early 50s, I would say. Yeah, but still having the time of his life.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

Oh, it looked so fun, yeah. And like just to be able to like hit the road, and I was I it was crazy to for me to hear about how many people were flying out for for Kilby. I didn't know it was such a big scene. That was actually my first time going. Yeah, I went.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

This is my second year because like I always wanted to go, but I always talked myself out of them, like, oh, do I really want to pay X amount of hundred dollars for this? Blah blah blah. But I think they like partnered with SNS on it. And um, it was fun. Like, so my girlfriend was actually flying back from a conference in New Mexico this week, and she got was getting on the plane to come here, and there's someone in a Kilby shirt. She's like, Oh, are you going? She's like, Yeah, oh my gosh, like it's gonna be like an amazing festival. And so again, like I think of it so much of like the Salt Lake Festival, then like at Austin City Limits, or like I mean, some of these hallmark ones around the country that you know everybody travels for, yeah, but at the same time, you're like, Oh, like people are still doing this, and they put on a great show, and it's like a great time, and of course they would.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Yeah, and it's reasonable for a big three-day festival, yeah. You know, like it's really not that expensive.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

No, yeah, and it's like I don't know. I I love it. Like, it hit me this year when I was leaving on Sunday of like it's just so Salt Lake, and it like you couldn't make it more Salt Lake if you tried. Yeah, it's just like the vibes that are there, the people that are there, the music that's there, kind of like everybody there together. Like, I yeah, yeah, it's such a fun show. Yeah. Well, gee, Dane, I'm excited to talk to you because there's certain people I've had on the podcast that are, I mean, let's call it like I think you're probably of guess I've had the one I've known second longest. If you're trying to keep up with everything life throws at you work, workouts, long runs, rounds of golf, whatever it might be, having your nutrition dialed matters. That's why I use gnarly nutrition from supporting my recovery to fueling performance and helping me feel good no matter what I've got going on. And even better, they're located right here in Utah. Whether you're in the gym, on the trail, or just trying to get through your day, gnarly has you covered. Check them out through the link in the description to see why they've become part of my daily routine. And the other one's like the person who's like, I can't remember memories of that was John Darley, who I like in the avenues before I moved down to like the Harvard Yale area. Yep. And like with you, I mean, I've known you since I was 10 years old. And actually, you are part of the reason I went from skiing to snowboarding and then was like, eh, we need to go back to skiing.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

And so, but then it's also these people who I have like this history and context with. There's kind of like this understanding of like this, like I see your story, like I see you posting, I see your clips, I see your sections, I see like the broad strokes, but I don't know like the details of it. And so it's fun to be able to sit down and be like, now hold on. Like I went to college and did like all these things. Meanwhile, like you're ripping, traveling the world, having time, making homies, and like chasing the dream. Yeah, yep. And so I'm I'm so so so for context, so so Thane and I grew up in kind of like the Harvard Yellow over by East High School. And I mean, I know him and his family, I used to spend so much time jumping on his tramp in the backyard, watching ski movies in his basement, going to the skate park on our rollerblades, going to, I mean, Fairmont to Park City tonight, like every single thing you can

Gnarly Nutrition Sponsor Message

SPEAKER_01 7:08

imagine. Yeah. And like the first memory I have of you is like when I first moved to that neighborhood after my parents split up. And I remember I think it was Brandon, because he was one of the first people I met. He's like, Hey, me and Thane are gonna go up to Bonneville golf course, and there's like this little jump, and we're just gonna hit on our skis. And I was like, Okay, and like I kind of like brought my snowboard, I was like kind of embarrassed. And then I remember you like before we left, you're like, I'm gonna try a backflip. And I was like, kind of like a he's gonna do it. And then it was like that day, I was like, I don't think I want to snowboard anymore. And but

Childhood Friends And Ski Roots

SPEAKER_01 7:36

then I mean it's all like it's weird, like it's Soly's always interesting because everybody skis, like yeah, people that move here is like, oh, I snowboard, like for now, yeah, and then next thing you know, they kind of move on.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Yeah, and it's kind of funny growing up, like it was like I mean, and I think there was more like hate from snowboarders to skiers back in the day, and you know, obviously um the older generation skiers like really dislike snowboarders, but I think for like kind of my generation, like it didn't really matter. We were all all out there just sliding down the snow having fun.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

Totally.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

But yeah, the Bonneville golf course days, like that that was a pretty freaking hilarious time, you know. We would anytime there was snow, we would just go up there, you know, 10 to 8 to you know, 14 years old. We would go build those jumps up there, and um yeah, I mean I just I I've have so many memories there. And hitting hitting those little like retaining walls off like number one T that are like yeah, 10 10 feet to flat, like dead flat, like just blowing out your blowing out your knees as a young kid. Like hurts me to think about how I know, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

Well, then it's like wild too, because like growing up in that time in that neighborhood was kind of crazy and the weird, like because do you remember when they would build the jumps like out front of the church and like they make these big jumps and like tow people in, and then they'd like to like cut them up in chainsaws and move them when they got in trouble. Yeah, it was just like this kind of like wild time of that, and like also up in like Donner Park, I think they would do the same.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Yeah, so that was all my older brother and his friends. That's what I was gonna ask.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

Cause because like you're the youngest of oh, the oldest sister, and then Colson, Eric, Jesse, and then you. Yeah, and I feel like it was always that, like, because they all ski to an extent, but you were like the little one keeping up, but like keeping up.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

Yeah, yeah. So I mean, I attribute like all my skiing to my brother Eric, honestly. Well, like obviously my parents get me started when I was two years old. Um, but my brother was the one that really pushed me to to kind of huck stuff and go for it. Um, but yeah, that was that was a fun era, you know. They weren't we I actually just came across their old like VHS from like when they were in high school and building all these jumps up Grizzly Gulch, but yeah, that that whole chart like church, um, big gap jump, getting towed in by a little Honda Civic, you know, like going 40 miles an hour and yeah, having to cut it down because they got in trouble and then they just moved it up to Donner. And you know, the cops showed up and they were like, Well, we can't really tell you not to like it's a park.

Church Gaps And Cops Showing Up

SPEAKER_00 10:16

Yeah, you know, like just don't like spray paint the speed bump sign, or like you know, they were concerned about us van them vandalizing, but I remember I wanted to hit that jump so bad, but my brother my my dad showed up and he was like, Nope. I mean, I was I was probably only like 11 or 12 years old, but watching my brother and his friends hit it, it looked so fun, you know, throwing a bunch of leaf bags on the back of the gap jump and it's safe. Yeah, yeah, safe-ish, you know? Yeah, but like just trying to like tag along with him and his friends growing up, like that was the biggest reason that got me into like extreme skiing.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

Are there any moments in particular then that you remember of being like I like I want I need to do this? Like, I want my brother to think I'm cool that you just you were just like doing it and like either like getting that approval from them or like landing something, you're like, all right, like yeah, I mean I I think it was that was kind of what I lived for back then.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Like my brother and his friends used to hang out at our house all the time, you know, jumping on the trampoline and you know, just doing silly, you know, games in the yard. Like I remember this one game, it was it was so silly looking back, but I loved it just because I got a lot of attention from my older brother and his friends. It was just called the tripping game, and they would just line up in two lines and I just run through the middle and it would just like trip the hell out of me. And it was just like fun because I was being cool with the cool guys, you know, the cool older brother and his friends. Amazing, yeah. But there was a lot of times in skiing where it was um, you know, like we would be skiing around and he'd be like, All right, I mean, hit this cliff. Like, you don't have to. And of course you're gonna be like, okay, see you the bottom, you know, like yeah, yeah, but like he would hit it and he's like, dude, it's good, like go for it. And like that's what got me like hitting big stuff when you're fearless, little kid, you know? Yeah. And you know, hitting a 30-foot cliff when you're 12 years old. Because your brother says it's good to go.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

Yeah, you're like, oh, if he said it's like yeah, it always reminds me, like, if someone were to tell

Older Brother Courage And Big Cliffs

SPEAKER_01 12:25

me, like, if I were to move to Utah today and it's wintertime, like, hey, just get a pass, like you'll figure it out, like go ski, I would be fucking terrified. I'll be like, oh, we're just gonna get off the top of this mountain and just go slide down on these, like like, but it's so fun of like growing up, like because my grandpa's saying was if you can walk, you can ski. And so, like, I was always in diapers, like just skiing, and like we were we just kind of just went because that's all we knew because our grandpa would just take us and go do it. Yeah, and then now it's like I have friends and they're like, Oh, I can't do this, isn't this? Because that's like, and then part of me is like, What do you mean? You just got like, what are you scared of? Just go. Yeah, and but I love that you have these brothers who like it's not like they didn't look out for you, it's not like they're like, Oh, let's see if we can get Dane to do this. Oh, we got hurt, like, uh, don't tell mom, you know, but it's like, hey, like you can like you can do this, yeah. And like like almost like this older brother's supportive love of like you you can do this, and then you did.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

And then yeah, he wasn't yeah, he was never like trying to get me to do something ridiculous, but um we definitely did some some rowdy stuff when I was maybe a little too young. I mean, whatever. I never got like seriously injured, but um, you know, we we had hit uh lower Flagstaff gap when I was like 13 years old.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Yeah, because like talk let's talk about that for a second, because growing up in that era of like the I mean Chad's gap and pyramid and flagstaff and like these huge jumps that like it was before really let's call it like the government or like people knew what was going on, so they could be like, hey, we're gonna destroy this, or like, hey, don't do this. Yeah, because most people are like, Yeah, we're just gonna go up Grizzly, like, don't ask any questions.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

I think it was yeah, just pre-social media, really. Yeah, like because you know, every year we would get all the ski films, and I would watch them religiously, yeah. And the access in Little Cottonwood Canyon is insane, and it's like you can see all these iconic jumps that you know you watch in every film of every year back then. Yeah, um but I remember when I was younger, I was like, all right, I want to go hit all these jumps, and there was this one afternoon we were just skiing up at Alta, and one of my brother's friends had gone up there and built um lower flag staff by himself. Okay. I think MSP or someone was doing a shoot up there and they had like knocked half the jump down. But he went up there and he he rebuilt it, and you know, and I it was always scary for me because you know, I was probably only weighing like a hundred pounds. And so like getting speed for these big jumps with you know all that wind drag and everything, but um yeah, we ended up like hitting it a few times, and like I remember just being it was the scariest thing, you know, by far the scariest thing ever. It's a hundred foot gap to the to the wall. Yeah, and it's a big goalie, you got an icy wall.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Um and you do not want to be short.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

No, no, yep. Um, and so you know, this guy had salted it, it was it was actually prepped really well, so um it went pretty smoothly, you know, like got 360 over it, and this is like pre us even like filming stuff.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Like, how old are you in that moment?

SPEAKER_00 15:38

I think I was 12 or 13.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

That's insane. Like, cause like I was always the key, because like I was always a park rat, especially in like high school and college. And like I was the kid who's like, oh yeah, I call 360 the jump, maybe five, maybe seven, but then it's like all right, like because I like my experience with skiing when I got older was so weird because it was I like one of my really good friends was Kai, and I'd go up to Park City on the weekends, I'd hang out with Park City kids, and I'd come back down and go to school and be kind of this like rinse and repeat. Yeah, but then like a lot of those guys, like I mean, there's X-Game Gold Medalists in there, there's Olympians in like is just such like a different caliber. And so I'd be like be like the jump down line in Park City and be like, oh, I can 360, like, yeah, I think I'm gonna do like a dub ten. I'm like, cool, like yeah, see at the bottom, yeah. Like yeah, um, but like to be the person where you're I mean you're I mean doing like spinning over huge gaps, yeah. Especially when you're like, oh, like this kid's pretty small. Yeah, hope like we hope he can make it.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Yeah, no, I mean it was I I mean, and I I um I feel pretty, you know, fortunate, you know, I was able it was so affordable here in Utah when we were younger to be able to get season pass multiple seasons.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

It's insane though.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

So, like, you know, I had a few years where I was like pretty much strictly Park City, you know, back in the day when King's Crown jumps were humongous and you'd see a lot of life lights out every weekend.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

I like and like that's the thing. Like, I always think back on it, and part of me is like, oh well, they weren't that big.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

I was just a kid and they looked big, but then I've like gone back on YouTube and seen some of them like those were huge, they were humongous, yeah, yeah. And they don't they don't build jumps like that for the public anymore. No, just too big of a liability. But um to have that for a few years, and I was definitely the black sheep up there, yeah. You know, I'd go skiing with my brother, but like all the kids that were kind of my age and like definitely park skiers and been doing it for longer than I had. Like they had baggy clothes. I was a pretty like hash little kid, you know. I had like tight pants and um, you know, wider skis, but um I really am you know fortunate that I was like able to like go and like learn all these tricks on those big jumps, perfect park jumps, when I was young, and it didn't, you know, not so much consequence if you crash.

SPEAKER_01 17:56

I always like that's always eye-opening to me because like whenever someone who like big backcountry, big mountain skier, I mean again, used to hitting big jumps in the backcountry where your inruns kind of sketchy, especially like, and then you're like, oh, I'm trying to like go switch off this. You're like, that's even sketchier, and we just built this jump, and maybe we've hit it two or three times because there's really only so many times you can hit it. Yeah, and to being like, okay, cool, like I like, and we need to get a clip, so it's like I guess I'm gonna like do something after doing maybe a 360 once, like a straight air, and then be like, all right, cool, like then go do something, yeah. And then they come into the park, they're like it's so nice just to have a perfectly made jump and a perfect landing, and I know exactly how fast to go and just enjoy it.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

And it's funny now, like, because I my brother started working up at Alta, they used to have a train park. Um and so once he started working up there, I kind of made the full switch, skiing Alta full time. Like I still had a park city pass, but like Alta is such a fun freestyle mountain with so many like hidden features, and like it's really playful. Um, I kind of stopped skiing park so much. Like I I you know, I I still um we'll get a few park days pretty much every season. Yep, but I have a harder time now with a perfectly manicured jump. Like I want it to be a little janky or a little, you know, like a little shitty on the takeoff, and for some reason I'm more comfortable. That's wild to me. I know it's so weird.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

I guess I mean take the devil you know or the devil you don't. Yeah. But okay, so you start to really like lean into the I mean, like, and that was a nice thing too, going back to like passes, is I remember growing up in like high school, I would have a Park City pass and an Alta Pass because each were like maybe a hundred bucks. And it's like, oh, if it's not a powder day, we'll go to Park City, we'll just go do laps all day, go do a couple groomers, go get lunch at Mid Mountain, some celery, salt fries, and like yeah, you're happy as could be. Yeah. But then you and then it's like, oh, it snowed, like mom's picking up at Alta today. Can your mom drop off? Like, and it was so fun, like when you saw the storms really coming in, and like that's those were the powder days. Yeah, but then there's so many people that are just like, yeah, you know, like I don't necessarily like park as much, but go do that. And then it's the people that just like rip around Alta, have a great time, and it's like so fun.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

So so you start going to Alta more. I mean, at what point were you because like there had to be a point where you're like, oh, like I can kind of do something with this, like I'm I know what I'm doing, and people like look at me, follow me, appreciate me.

SPEAKER_00 20:25

Yeah. Um, I think it was I mean, at first it was just my full pat. Like I I live for skiing. Like in middle school, I think I started to really like get a lot better. And you were you filming a lot then, or was it mostly just not really like we were filming? I there's gotta be so much footage floating around of like old, you know, young D tips here and there. Yeah, just like I don't know what ever happened to a lot of that footage, but um, you know, I was trying to make like promo videos every year because like I had buddies like Karsten, Oliver, and like Jordan Selden, and um people that were down to like go build jumps in the backcountry, like not just my brother. And I was trying to make like little promo videos every year, and I would I you know I'd had a lot of help from from friends because I'm pretty bad with computers and editing software and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

So um but every crew like it and especially in that time, like every like it's like that weird time of new schoolers where there's like kind of like these like crews that got established, yeah. And then every crew would have like the film and videographer, like an editor, yeah. And it was kind of like you're not like even thinking about um and the the one that comes to mind is like four by nine and Evan um Evan Heath Evan Heath, like he was the guy, yeah. And you would just see Evan Heath in a way, like at Park City doing laughs with them, you're like, Yeah, yeah, he's the film and editor.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Yep. And I didn't really have that. Like there was this crew up at Alta, they were around my same age, but um, they kind of had a Establish their crew already, like they had grown up together, and I kind of liked rolling with my brother and his friends and like kind of an older crowd, anyways. Yeah. Um, but yeah, so we started in and so in middle school, I had you you know Mr. Young, eighth grade science, like classic. So I had him uh for TA and uh for science class, like after lunch. And so I talked to him, you know, he's he's such a good guy, you know.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

He he's like a like listen, I'm gonna go skiing, yeah, and you're gonna act like this didn't happen.

SPEAKER_00 22:37

Exactly. And he was that he was such a nice guy, and he could tell how passionate I was for skiing. And I was a good student, you know, so like I would make up for it before you know I'd I'd skip out on class, but I lived up the road, like I don't know, maybe a mile, like up on foothill, mile and a half. So I would sprint home, like as soon as lunch hit, I would sprint home, get all my ski stuff, come down a foothill, take the bus, I'd have to transfer two times, and it would, you know, I'd get up there, but it would take me two and a half, you know, close to two and a half hours to to get up to the ski hill. And by that time, I only had 45 minutes to ride, and so I had two and a half hours home. Like that's how much I love skiing. What a grind. And and because I did that, I think it got me to a level, you know, freshman sophomore year where we were having family dinner, and my brother's like, Can you lay off of him? Because I I started getting shortened schedule in high school, and my brother Eric was like, he could do this for a living. And he's like, Do you ever regret like not doing 100% your passion?

Skipping Class To Chase Ski Laps

SPEAKER_00 23:49

And so my parents kind of like you know, let me do that. Because like your parents are awesome, like oh, my parents are are gems, they're the best people. Um, and they were after that, they were like pretty supportive. They were like, Okay, like, you know, by you know, and I I was a good student, like I said, like I would if I was that in class, like I would be there a hundred percent, I would focus, you know. I had like a 3.9 at the end of high school, yeah. And with like some A A P classes and it's hard if you're a parent, it's not like you're like, well, the reason you can't do this because you're doing bad here, it's like, well, until the wheels come off, like yeah, yeah. And the thing was is that like I mean, I've I feel like high school, it's not that hard. You know, if you've if you show up and pay attention and assert yourself, like it was pretty easy for me to like keep keep up good grades and make it so that my parents weren't pissed, you know, getting shortened schedules. And so like by junior and senior year, I was skiing almost every afternoon.

SPEAKER_01 24:54

Yeah, yeah. And I mean at what point did it start to really come together, whether it be I mean, you working on these promo videos and getting like calls back or or people reaching out to you, or even just like community validation and be like, oh, you're Thane, right? Like, oh sick.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Yeah, I mean, that's about all I had was community validate, you know. I think if there's a community to get validated in, it's like that one. Yep. No, and I just remember like, you know, skiing with Sage, Catabriga Losa growing up, and like Pep Fugis, and um, you know, a lot of these pro skiers that live here in Utah. And when they were, you know, giving me validation, and you know, I I was getting I I got sponsored and was getting free skis. Who's your first sponsor? Uh Surface. Okay. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Um the surface days were great too.

SPEAKER_00 25:45

Yeah, I I I liked the owners a lot and I I liked those skis. I just I the the product wasn't quite there.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

The only ski I've blown an entire binding out of after like two months.

SPEAKER_00 25:56

Anyway, that's a whole other topic.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

Um, but yeah, so I was sponsored and I was like going on some little trips with um Jordan Selden and Blake Nyman. Um, but I never like I would just film with whoever and then I would like get all the footage and have like my my cousin Warner or Warner knows what he's doing. He was yeah, yeah. Um or Michael Brown was a a huge help growing up as well. Um, but then when I was 17, I kind of went on my first big ski trip. Where was that to you? Tell me about that. Uh that was Argentina.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

How'd you get the invite? Or like what was the what was the buildup to like, hey, here's your boarding pass, see you on this day.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Yeah, no, it was it was fully like Michael Brown. So Michael Brown is he's a he's a um part owner and um filmer, director, producer for uh Sweetgrass Productions. Okay. So they're we were shooting for Solitude. Um the that was the name of the film. Okay, I was um yeah, yeah, no. So it was it was down in Argentina, and he calls me super last minute and he's like, hey, we need an athlete down in Bar Loche, like over the weekend. Like, can you make it happen? And I was like, here's my green light, you know, and like so I like sold my laptop. I like you know, got rid of a lot of stuff so that I could, I mean, the last minute playing ticket was like $1,400 on some you know 17-year-old kid. So I got down there and it was you know such a last-minute ticket. I actually it was a 40-hour flight. So I flew to LA, nine-hour layover, and then flew to JFK, and then down to Buenos Aires, and then I had a 15-hour bus ride from there. And so it was a lot. I'd never really we'd we'd done a couple like little Mexico trips, like right over the border with my family, but I'd never traveled alone. How old were you again? I was 17. That's insane.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Yeah, it was like

Argentina Alone With No Spanish

SPEAKER_01 28:01

even me as like a 35-year-old adult to be like, all right, you're gonna go travel to Argentina alone. I'd be like, I know I can do it, but like I'm a little apprehensive to be like, oh, pre smartphones, pre-like a lot of things. All right, well, hopefully you end up there and don't die.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

Yep. And I just remember like I was just like, all right, well, I'm going to meet up with Michael, someone who I, you know, he's not messing around, and you know, but he was actually in Chile at the time. So I was gonna show up and like someone from the crew was gonna pick me up at the bus station. So I fly down there, you know, I was crazy long travel day, two days, you know, almost two and a half days, and I get to the bus station and I just hoping something's like I don't have yeah, I don't have any sort of like my you know, my cell phone doesn't work down there, my computer, like I have the info on there of like who's coming to pick me up or like what hostel we're staying in, but my computer's dead and I don't have an adapter because the difference is down there, and so I'm just like alright, I'm just gonna like sit and wait. And I wait a couple hours and I'm starting to get a little nervous because I'm in the middle of nowhere, Argentina, and don't know a lick of Spanish, and I uh asked the guy at the station, like, is there a list of like all the hostels? And you know, he gives me this list. There's there's gotta be like 40 hostels on here. I think I see one that like looks familiar, and I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna like go for it. Start loading up on this taxi, and this this um sweet lady like comes up and she speaks English and she's like, Do you know where you're going? Like, you seem like you're stressed out, you don't and she's like, You shouldn't, if you're not a hundred percent certain that's a hostel, you shouldn't go. So I take all my stuff off, and then I'm waiting for like another hour, and sure enough, someone comes in and was just like, Hey, are you thane? And so we load up my stuff, and it was a completely different hostel.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

So I would have been like across town without and like not meeting that guy, not having a way to connect, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 30:10

So, um, yeah, I mean that was a huge, huge trip for me. Like this the snow actually ended up not being very good, but like the mountains were super beautiful. We like toured back to this like really epic Rifugio, like little cabin in the backcountry. Um, and then like I just turned 18 while I was down there, so it's like pretty fun to go to like the bars down there and you know have some you know little like bar scene vibes um for the first time. Um, but yeah, that was like the first big trip. Nothing really happened about it, but um were you like who are the other athletes there?

SPEAKER_01 30:50

Were there people that like wasn't another one of those like like big brother moments where you're like oh shit, I'm filling with so-and-so and so-and-so?

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Like, yeah, it actually was it was just I'm pretty sure athlete-wise, it was just me and uh this this guy Aiden Sheehan, who's from Colorado. Okay, and he ended up being like a super fun kid. Like we we were about the same age, and so like we were going out and like you know, like we we were trying to get stuff done out there, but the snow was like actually really terrible. There's only so much you can do with it. But we were like getting up doing early morning tours, we were building these jumps into crappy snow, and but it I mean it was just an awesome trip, you know? Yeah, um, yeah, and then that kind of rolled into they I mean, sweetgrass is probably most one of their most famous films, like uh Valhalla. I was able to get in with them, um, basically mainly shooting like up in British Columbia. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Um so you I mean, imagine you got some clips there enough. They're like, hey, like we're going up to Whistler or Vancouver somewhere, or like Wanna come tag along. You're like, yeah, it's just like can we maybe travel together or like help me out a little bit?

SPEAKER_00 32:01

Yeah, no, I mean it wasn't as bad on the way back. I think I was traveling back with Aiden, um, which made it way more mellow, but I remember just being like pretty overwhelmed, you know, just as a kid, never traveling together and or like traveling alone, and yeah, um, but yeah, that was kind of the the whole start of it. And then um right out of high school, I got sponsored by Forefront, and they used to make a film every year, and um, so I was filming with them a bunch, which was nice.

SPEAKER_01 32:32

What was your first like feature film part that you're like it well, it's not just like okay, here's like the montage clips of thane. It's like all right, time to plan for a whole section.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

I think that like I I felt pretty privileged to like be a part of that Valhalla movie. They they worked super hard, and I you know, I definitely had a lot of good clips, but I think it wasn't till I I had some good forefront years too, um, where we went pretty hard just

Film Crews Heli Days And No Ego

SPEAKER_00 33:03

for their film. Yeah, but I think the first year was when I was 24. Um I'd been traveling around a little bit with like Carl Fosfett, John Ware, Tim Mechesny, um and um they Tom Wallace started Good Company, yeah. I was gonna say that's about it. And um, you know, I was with that kind of backcountry crew while they were doing like more street stuff, like Tom and them. Um but I got invited to do like a full winter filming with Good Company. And the deal was is that I brought like I didn't have sponsors paying, so I brought on a second filmer, but the filmer actually bailed, and we were going up to Canada, and Carl was just like, dude, screw it, just come up here, we'll get like footage, and like if they don't want to put it in the film, they don't, but like you'll get the footage so that you can use it or whatever. Yeah, but I ended up having you know, we had a killer season, we had perfect snow everywhere we went, um just unreal conditions, and so I was posted up in my buddy's camper in the Revel Stoke parking lot for like a month and a half. Amazing, and and then I ended up getting invited to go heli skiing with level one while I was up there. Someone had gotten injured, and they're like, Hey, we need to fill a seat, and like, Thane, do you want to come? And so last minute invite, but I was already up there, so it was convenient, and then I just had like two of the scariest but most epic days of skiing of my life, and that opened the door for level one, and then so I was shooting with both those productions, like for level one, it was like six years the last six films I was filming with them.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

Yeah, yeah. Cause I mean that was like the I mean, those years of skiing like that creme de la creme of like where I mean Tom Wallace and like four by nine guys have like went from hey, we're gonna we're these guys from the east that are just mobbing around Park City and like doing things that people like haven't seen before in ways that no one ever does, to them getting like all of this industry validation, and then all of a sudden they become like one of like Tom's like, Hey, I'm gonna just do my own ski production thing. Everyone's like, Yeah, of course you are, and makes sense. So, like to have all of these things come together around that, and then I mean, level one is level one, and like yeah, like to have all those things come together. But I'm I'm it's uh also so interesting to hear because like I feel like you keep having this experience from the beginning of I mean, your ski career till then, where it's almost like this little brother, big brother relationship where it's like, hey, like we had someone back out, do you want to come? Or hey, like we have space for here, can you make it work? Or just show up and like being invited and being like, hey, like if I like as long as I can get onto the stage and actually have a chance to show myself, I can do this. And it just kind of keeps building this bridge to the next opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

Yeah, I mean, I feel like um a lot of my career and success just kind of came from just like being out there and doing doing it all the time. Yeah. And meeting the right people and kind of just um making friends with everyone. I think that's such a big part of, you know, especially the ski community. I feel like I've you know run into people and have have friends that you know they they're really talented, but they just like have a little ego, you know, a little too much ego, and they just like very you know, self-absorbed, and it's just like people don't want to be around that, yeah, you know, and it's like if you're just out there having fun, and when it gets too serious, like it's not fun anymore, and you don't ski as well. And you know, there are times where it gets you know hairy and you know, like on like LE skiing to me is kind of it's it's such a novelty. Like I've always wanted to do it my whole life, but it's like more scary than fun.

SPEAKER_01 37:13

And then very high stakes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:16

And but by at the end of the day, like after you've had like great conditions, whatever, it's it's kind of like the most relaxed, epic feeling ever. Um but I just think that like my career didn't it wasn't just luck, it was just networking and like becoming friends with a lot of the people in the community.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

Yeah, and it's like one of those things where I mean if you're stuck in Revelstoke for a month and a half in a camper or a week in Argentina or wherever you find yourself, like skiing is only a small percentage of the time that you're actually doing stuff, and then the sun goes down, it's like, hey, like, do you want to hang out? Yeah, and no one wants to be stuck in a refugio with like someone they don't want to be with. Yeah. Like the joke, I was golfing with a friend the other week and they were kind of complaining because they were playing bad. And I was like, listen, shut the fuck up. I would like it's it's harder for me to find someone I want to spend four or four and a half hours with than someone who's good at golf.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

And so as long as you're here like having a good time, I want to spend time with you, then we're good. Yeah. And like obviously with skiing, like you still have to like clip up and like like make the trip work, so to speak. For sure. But you also like if there's the dude who's like has this huge ego of like, I'm gonna clip you, I'm gonna everything you, whatever, yeah, and there's the dude who's still gonna do the same clips as them, but like you want to hang out with him, you're like, Yeah, I know who I don't want with me.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

Yeah, yeah, and I think, yeah, and that's that's hilarious about golf. Like, I catch myself sometimes like playing like crap, and I'm just like, you paid to be out here, dude. Just relax. Yeah, we're having like just have fun. Yeah, it's not that serious, and that's the same thing with skiing, like it's not that serious. If you're crashing and you're just like not skiing well that day, just hang out for a little bit, take a breath, hang out, grab some food, you know, just watch every watch the rest of the session. Like, that's the thing too, is like when you have a dynamic crew that you're like getting out there filming with, sometimes it's not your feature, and you're with other people, like someone's gonna get a clip on it, and it doesn't always have to be you, you know.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

Well, and like that's the thing that always blows my mind about like big backcountry hits is like all right, let's say there's like three people skiing, like maybe at most, each everyone will get like three clips, yeah, which is like okay, cool. So we just got 30 to 50 seconds of of like clips for a movie, and like we gotta go do like it again somewhere. Yeah, but it I mean again, like it's some days don't work, sometimes it's not your feature, and don't force things.

SPEAKER_00 39:44

And that's and that's the thing, like when you're traveling around with your your crew, it's like you know, if you're in an area with a lot of options, it's nice to be able to be like, oh, I'll help you with this feature if you'll help me with this for a feature for me, you know, where it's just me hitting it, you can just hit this one, but I'll help you build it. Yeah, and I think that's just the crew dynamic is like the most important thing in the backcountry. Yeah. Uh making sure everyone's like safe and aware, and also just there to like help each other out. It doesn't matter if you're getting the most footage or whatever, it's about like being a team.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

Yeah, yeah. So thinking about I mean, your dream heli skiing rotation, or if like if you could be like, all right, guys, I've got a trip, it's all paid for, I've got three to five spots. Who would you want to take with you?

SPEAKER_00 40:38

Oh, that's so hard. There's so many people, but um, I think like honestly, like Tim and Chesney, him and I are like we we still ski together all the time. Um, he's one of my best best buds. Um John Ware. Um would probably have to throw Ton in there too. He he is a fun, he's a riot to be out in the backcountry. Um, and then uh Carl Fosvette. Yeah, yeah. Sounds like a dream crew, I think. And probably like, you know, we would get a little rowdy, but I I would like to just go like client heliski. Yeah. Just once, you know, like it's it's really fun to push the limits and like get out there, but some that just want to enjoy it and be taking care of it. Like, dude, I want to like, you know, the lodge guests there, just getting like the the best food and you know, like obviously they're paying a lot. This is if I had a million bucks, but um, but like just being a client there would be super fun. Totally, yeah. And obviously we'd get a little sporty, but um, I feel like every time I've been heli skiing, it's like we hop right into it, and it's like, all right, we were sitting around for four days, like waiting for the weather. When weather now it's here, now you're on the top of the mountain.

SPEAKER_01 41:55

There's your line, like yep, yeah, like green light go. It's just like, oh shit, okay. Yeah, yeah, because like I mean, and that's like my ignorance of I mean, watching ski movies, especially like a lot of like big mountain, like backcountry skiing, like, I could do that, like that's fine, that's just like skiing powder. Yeah, but then like it wasn't until like you see like the POV and a lot of like GoPro footer, you're like, I take it all back, like that is and especially to be like you have like one, maybe two shots at this, don't blow it.

SPEAKER_00 42:24

Yeah, and I mean I think that it's like it's I mean, everything on camera looks smaller. Um in real life, it's it's just so much bigger and so much higher con, like so much steeper, so much gnarlier. And it's like Red Bull Rampage. I don't know if you've ever been down to that, but like that stuff is incredible to watch on film. Like on TV, it's it's epic to watch it, but being down there and being next to some of these features, you're like, oh, this is way gnarlier.

SPEAKER_01 42:57

Yeah, that's a hundred-foot cliff to rocks, yeah. And they're just gonna like flip over it and then sure. Yeah. And there's like a hit feature right after it.

SPEAKER_00 43:04

Yep. And I remember just the first time heli skiing, and I was like, Oh yeah, just like ski these like five foot like runners down to this like 30-foot cliff, and I get in the runnels, and like from the helicopter, you're so far away that everything looks like way smaller than it actually is. So you're skiing down these runners, and like you're like, Oh, these are 15 feet tall. What size of cliff am I going into here? And he just like my first few runs, like, I just got played, like played so hard that first time Heli Skin for for pleasure level ones film. And uh the I think it was like the second or third lap, I tomahawked so hard I lost my mittens. Oh geez. Yeah, like it was it was terrible. Um so it's it's just a whole different it's a whole different game. And like you said, like watching on TV, you're like, oh, that'd be so sick. But it's just like it's more scary than it is fun until the end of the day, and then you're like, that was fun.

SPEAKER_01 44:06

That was epic. Now that I know I'm safe and it's over, that was a great time. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:10

So what were some of your favorite places you've bit looking back at it?

SPEAKER_00 44:14

Um, I mean, they I mean Argentina was epic just for like the culture and like doing it for the first time. British Columbia has a special place in my heart, whether it be Whistler, you know, Revel Stoke, or you know, the the backcountry skiing up there is pretty unmatched.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

Yeah, like the Canadian Rockies, like yeah, because I mean growing up in Salt Lake, like cool, you look at the Rockies, you understand it, but it wasn't until I went to Banff where I was like, oh, this is different. Like it's just that, but like that much more.

SPEAKER_00 44:46

Yeah, it's it's just way bigger. And it's honestly like one of these things where it's like I don't know, the the scale is just huge. The mountains are so big up there, the the backcountry's so vast, like the glaciers are humongous, and you can just like take your sled so far back. And it does add that like level of like, oh shit, like are all of our machines running well, like we gotta make sure we're all dialed. Um, because if something bad happens, it's you know, it's a life light, or you know, you gotta hely your I had to have my sled helied out in Whistler one year. Wild. Yeah. Blew a motor and um but yeah, I mean uh India. I got to go to on this trip to India that was super random. Um this guy, um Mark

Favorite Places Japan Travel Chaos

SPEAKER_00 45:41

Kogelman, he was he was he was a wild one, but he was a great dude. He was starting a production company and he sponsored all of us to go out to India and try and make a film. Cause um the mountains that you were in the Himalayas, like the Himalayan mountains, like it was kind of the most epic scenery. You get up on top of these mountains, and he's like, the guide's like, Oh yeah, that's the ninth tallest mountain in the world. And so it was it was an awesome trip, and the whole culture, like we we actually spent a few extra days like going to the Taj Mahal, and we went to Dal Lake, and like we really got to experience the culture. Um but this last year I did my second Japan trip, and that's just like the culture there is just so awesome.

SPEAKER_01 46:31

I've I've yet to hear a bad thing about Japao and just Japan winter skiing, and just I mean, because it's like always snowing, there's always powder, and it's just magical.

SPEAKER_00 46:42

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's it's an epic place. The culture there's so nice. The whole like the culture there, like not so much like right in Tokyo, they're a little more aggressive just because you you gotta be a little aggressive. Yeah, it's a city spread of like 28 million people or whatever. Yeah. Um, but yeah, and I've had a crazy travel story with Japan too. Like, first time I went out there, my bags got lost, the rest of the crew showed up. And I'm like, okay, like they didn't make my my set my second leg of the flight, so I'll just I'll stay the night here and I'll meet you guys out there. Like, all right, we'll bring the shuttle. Because we were on the main island, but um just further north. So I'm like, okay, like I'll just pick up the shuttle, get picked up from the shuttle just right here tomorrow, same time. He's like, Yeah. And I'm like waiting around, I got my bags, and then I ended up like waiting there for like an hour, and I'm like, dude, it's starting to get like late. Um, and so I'm trying to like read the train stations, trying to figure out how to get where I need to go. And I ended up calling my friend who like lived in Japan growing up. His dad was a mission president named. Oh, it's like Jeff Evans. Jeff Evans. Yeah. And shout out Jeff. Like, he he like fully did a screenshot of like all this all the trains that I had to get. He's like, just heads up, like to make all these, you have to make every train. Because it was like four transfers, I think. Yeah. Or like th three transfers, four trains. And I'm just like running. All your ski gear, like okay, like cool. Huge ski bag, huge guffle, got my ski boots like clanking around. And I ride the train to the Tokyo station, and it's just packed in there, and it's like, you know, deck 320. And I'm like, okay, that's gotta be on the you know, third floor. And I go up and it's on the sixth floor, and I'm just like, yeah, you know, just running around, and I don't know. Same thing, like no smartphone, like I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Yeah, um, and then by the last transfer, I had to make all of like the kiosk to buy tickets were closed, or like the little counters, and so I had to go to like a kiosk, and it was only in Japanese. And luckily, this guy just like fully came and helped me out. Like, I was like, I need to go to Miyoko, and he not a lick of English, and so I'm just like Miyoko Kogan. Uh he's like, yeah, and just like, yeah, I just like give him money, and then like it's just me, him, and two other people on this train, and then the other two people get off, and then he it's just him and me, and and then he has to get off, and he's like, three, three, you know, he's just doing three, and I'm like, wait, like three stops from now, or starting, you know, like next one yeah, this one, like yeah, it was such a nightmare, and I ended up just like getting off on the like the light the last one, it was the last stop, and like no taxi. I thought I was gonna have to sleep in my ski bag, like and finally a taxi shows up, and it was just I don't know, just the the runaround, the riff raff of ski travel. Yeah, I've had I've had a lot of crazy, crazy stories.

SPEAKER_01 50:04

Yeah, and I love that there's like the common theme thrill out of your like late skiing is like forefront. I mean, I feel like they've supported you so much of your journey and and then through it all. But I mean, I I can't imagine what it's like to have a company be like, hey, it's like time for your pro model. I mean, talk to me how that conversation went and like the ski that you wanted to build.

SPEAKER_00 50:25

Yeah, so forefront's just been like my number one sponsor support. Um and so I started skiing for them when I was yeah, 18, just out of high school, and um they got me right on the program, they were fired up. They they they didn't pay me the first year, but you know, I could get the skis that I needed. And I actually picked up um my summer job working for them building skis. Cool, and that was a dream, you know. I was like, oh sick. Even when I can't ski, I'm still skiing. Yeah, yep. And so I was doing that in the summer, and then like they were supporting me through that. They were they were you know shelling out like um some film budget to to get me out there and film with you know filmers and the crew and uh get me in their films every year. And I feel like I was just like a bit under like undiscovered at that point too. And so they like just at least having like some sort of segment to be able to like post about it or the internet could see. Yep. Um, and then after

Building Forefront Skis And A Pro Model

SPEAKER_00 51:36

a few years of like building skis there, I became like the production manager. So I was building every ski that came out of the white room. And there was one year where so we had we were producing the the Wiley, Wiley Miller's Pro model, um, and then the Devastator, and then the Renegade. Okay, and so those were the three skis that I would get. But the Wiley, I never really loved that ski. Um I mean it it served its per like it was a it was a good ski. But just not for you the the Devastator came out and it was super fun being a part of the the RD, you know, like building all these prototypes, go out and try them, and it was so cool to like be on the side of like, oh, you can build a bunch of skis and then go test them and then like especially to know like oh it was built this way because I built it.

SPEAKER_01 52:30

Yep, that's why it feels this way.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

Yep, got it. Um and the Devastator I really liked, but it was just like kind of an in-between size for me, like it was a 184 and then a 194, and it wasn't quite as wide as I wanted, but I loved that ski. And then the renegade was just like an ultimate pow slayer, but it didn't have a twin tip, and I like to land backwards a lot. Yeah, so there was the start of one season, and we had some leftover renegade cores, and that was a ski that I was building in-house, and I had just put an old tip block from an old EHP on the renegade, you know, as the tail, and built this. I called it the Renathane at first. And it was kind of funny because Matt was out of the owner, was out of town, Matt Stirben's, um, and it he came, he came back, and I was I was riding him up at Alta, and he looks down because we had some devastator top sheets laying around, and he's like, That's not a hell are those. Like, those aren't devastators, and I was like, Yeah, I might have made a ski while you were gone. And he was like, Do you like them? And I was like, dude, they're sick. Like, they're they're the best ski for me. And he's like, dude, let's run them as production. So it's more so like asking for forgiveness than asking if I can get one. I love that. Um, and so we it went into production that next year, and we did that, you know, the renthane. It we called it the end thane, but it was pretty much a renegade with a twin tit. Cool. Um, but during the second year, um I started designing my my own full, like like fully my own pro model. Cool. And at that time we were uh we were selling the company and Jason Leventhal, who started Line Skiis and um Jay. Yeah, Jay Skis. Jay skis, he acquired Forefront, and as I'm building this ski, he's like seeing all the drawings, and he's like, dude, what the hell is a ski? And I was like, dude, I promise you, like, just let me build this. Like, if the samples suck, like we can talk about it and we can go a different direction. And I loved him, he didn't get to ski the samples very much, but we just like put them in production. And then I think it was two years later we were at uh free skier test in Aspen, and we were on like the the big free, you know, the big free ride line. Yep. So we were skiing my ski, every ski in that category. And I was skiing with Jason, and he was like, dude, this ski is awesome, you know, and so it's fun to like see that kind of come full circle too. But um especially have a ski like that.

SPEAKER_01 55:25

I mean, it's one thing to be like, oh, cool, like you're a pro like the skier, we'll give you a ski, we'll like that conversation being like, okay, so I actually had a ski that I really wanted to build and I knew that I wanted, so I did it, and then everybody also liked it, yeah, and then it's also gonna have my name on it too. Yeah, I mean that's gotta be such a cool like chain of events to like, and then also have that validation where oh we're gonna put a head to head against everything in Aspen, and people are like, Oh, actually, like this thing rips, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:50

No, it was it was it was such a fun, like honestly, building skis was like a dream of mine, and then like being able to have my own ski and build it in-house, and like it was it was just it was a dream, right? Um, and like at the free skier test, like it won um you know, ski of the year for like three years in a row in its category, so that was like huge for me. Well, um, and a lot of the other skis that I was building at the time, and so it was like you know, it was fun to make like a really good product, and I had a great great crew that we were working with in the summer. Um, but when Jason bought it, um the production that I was doing moved to his his factory up in uh Quebec. Okay. Yep. Wow. Yeah. But it was cool to like go up there and see see the factory up there because it's an old mining town and they don't mine up there anymore. And so like this ski manufacturer, ski and snowboard manufacturer up there, they like I'm pretty sure they employ like more than like majority of the town. Yeah, it's kind of skis of the yeah. You go in there and there's like you know, older ladies like grinding skis, and it's like such a cool scene.

SPEAKER_01 57:08

That's awesome, yeah. So, I mean, obviously you've been like an Alta ripper ever since I mean, forever. What are your favorite places to mob around on a good powder day?

SPEAKER_00 57:18

At Alta? Yeah. You'll have to keep an eye out for me. Everywhere, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:23

No, and that's what makes Alta great. It's like, oh, we're done here, we're done. Catherine's cool, let's go over to Wildcat. Oh, let's go back over here, let's go over there, and it's it's hard to hate. Wildcat's my favorite lift. Wildcat does always remind me of you every time I'm on it. Yeah. Because there was one day I can't think of the name of the jump, but it's like the one, you know, the one that's like it's off to the left, like it's like through the trees. And there's another one of those moments where, oh, I'll do a three over here, like I'll do a switch road five. I'm like, okay, it's sick. Sounds great.

SPEAKER_00 57:48

Yeah, I mean, there there's so many, like, I I you know, depending on the snow year, I totally I can find new hits every year, and I've been skiing there for for you know two decades. Yeah. And I just I that place has a like special place in my heart and always will. And I love Snowbird to death, but Alpha's got my heart for sure.

SPEAKER_01 58:09

No, I totally agree.

SPEAKER_00 58:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:11

Oh man, it's cool to see. I mean, especially such like a hometown hero, like continue like still doing the thing, still have all the validation, not even just from like skiing perfection perspective, but also making ski perspective. It's like it's it's cool to see how much skiing has enveloped your life, but you've been able to love and champion all of it and come out like on top of all of it. Yeah. So it's it's it's cool to see, and like especially hearing more of the story and how it's it's kind of like all worked out, but it's all also been of you showing up, whether you have to go through

Why Alta Still Has His Heart

SPEAKER_01 58:41

random Japanese train stations or Argentinian airports to get it in.

SPEAKER_00 58:45

It's been a long shit show for sure. Um and I think that I just like when social media like kind of took over, yeah, in a sense, like I I realized like, okay, like I don't want this to like become my personality. Like skiing was my like that's what I lived for, but as I grew older, it's like I don't want to just promote myself all the time on social media. I've never been that way, and that's when I kind of started to shift into like um being becoming an arborist. Yeah. And so it's like I still have tons of fun doing it in the winter, but like I'm good to just like hang it up and you know, get Jones in for next year.

SPEAKER_01 59:31

Yeah. Yeah. It's still, I mean, it's still a joy and a passion. It like, and it's it's it's fun to talk to so many people who have gone through like the motions of like a skier. And even it reminds me of my conversation with Julian Carr where he was he got to the point where he really he like saw people exiting the game, realized they couldn't do it forever. He's like, Oh, what's next? Like, because it can't be this, so what is it? And like thankfully, he's like I mean did the whole I mean discrete thing, he's done his Bronco stuff, he's done the Circ stuff, and like just done really well. But it's those people that kind of realize like this isn't something that can last forever, yeah, but there's something else that needs that. But it can also but it'll always be part of you, like oh it's not like you're not gonna get an alta pass this year.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:06

Oh, for sure. No, I'll I'll I'll at see, and I can't wait to to be the cool dad that's still chucking backies and yeah, showing the kids, showing

Life Balance Social Media And Arborist Work

SPEAKER_00 1:00:16

the kids the the big hits.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:18

Who are some of the skiers you either watch the most, ski with the most, or kind of like this up and coming generation that you're soaked for?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:26

Um, there's there's so many. Um they like this kid Tristan Lilly, he's he's an Alta kid, he's a mayored, he's such got such a good head on his shoulders and such a good skier. And um, you know, him and his girlfriend Piper won Kings and Queens of Corbett's last year. Wow. Yeah. Um, yeah, that was a party after that one. Um they're great. I mean, it's just good to see like you know, people keeping the culture alive. Yeah and Andrew Byrd, um uh Jazz Vital. He he runs this thing called Drink Butter. Yeah, yeah. Where yeah, and he started doing magazine and like a film. Um Michael Churchill, um, his kid Max. Like there, it's it's just a good vibe up there, and I think that it's like skiing's in a good place. Can't say that I love like the parachute pants, but um, but you know, fashion, yeah, fashion fad will come and go.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:27

Yeah, it's it's fun to see like those moments where you were once like that up-and-coming kid, or you were the ones, the ones like these kids are wearing skinny pants now? What is this? Or like, but it's fun to see how it like just keeps continually going. Like, yeah, where one person is like, ah, you know, like that's not me. Like, I'm still gonna be on Wildcat every weekend, but I'm not flying into Japan and Argentina and Revelstoke. But you then you see the kids, it's like, oh, guess what, dude? I just got my first trip to here. You're like, make sure you get your train tickets figured out, make sure you have your travel, and like it's just kind of this process that keeps going.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:58

Yeah, and I think with the with like where we're at with technology now, it makes it a lot easier. Like, yeah, we went to Japan this last year with my wife Mallory and um big group of friends, and it was like, oh, you can just like when you have Wi-Fi, just like Google maps every train you need to hit and when it's gonna be there, and you know, instead of like trying to like translate through through everyone else, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:21

Asking random strangers and hope they can maybe understand you and they so they hit you with like a three in like three, what?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:27

Yeah, oh well, yeah, but it's been I mean, it's been an awesome ride, you know. I like I met so many cool people, and like I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it's like dude, like starting this new venture of starting my own arborist company has been like a huge growing point for me. And like it's funny because like I'm weirdly afraid of heights, and the older I get, like the worse it gets, but like I've had to like just overcome that fear, but it's like me just like following adrenaline, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:00

Yeah, as long as you follow the adrenaline, that's like that's the path that you know, whether it's on top of a tree or on top of a cliff or on top of a or just dropped off of a heli.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:08

Yep, yeah. I mean, and it's uh it's always been like skateboarding, rollerblading. Like I've you know, kind of done it all.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:17

Always always a junkie for it, yeah. Well, thing before we wrap up, want to ask you the two questions I always ask everybody at the end of each episode. Number one, if you could have someone on the small lake city podcast and hear more of their story and what they're up to, who would you want to hear from?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:32

Oh man. Um, I think my brother Jesse would be a pretty good one.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:38

Yeah. No, I I've actually I've been talking to him. I know that sounds like clean shape.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:43

Shout out my brother, but he's got another crazy story just in a different realm.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:47

Well, and like that's the wild thing too, because like I I know Jesse very well, and it was fun to see him go down this like ultra trail running, nutrition, coaching avenue, and like I like didn't really get it for a while, but my girlfriend's a big runner, like very active in the running community, and so it's like brought me into it more, and like now it's made him appreciate more. So it's like I've had a couple called like DM conversations, I'm like, let's do it. And he's like, Oh, well, does this work? And then like, so I can get Jesse on you.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:14

Yeah, Jesse. I mean, my whole family is they're all pretty unique, yeah. My siblings trying to think of someone else um outside of my family circle. But I mean, my brother is a pianist, artist, general contractor. He he has that piano bike that's down at um farmer's market every my other brother's a welder, my sister is like a river guide for 11 years, and such cool thing. I just feel like I was so fortunate to to grow up, but I think like the world could hear about a little more about the Rich family.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:47

Oh, there's there's so many unique stories and so many good people.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:50

Yeah.

Guest Picks And Where To Find Him

SPEAKER_01 1:04:51

And then lastly, if people want to follow you more or hear what you're up to, or if they need some help with their trees, what's the best place to find you?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:58

Um, you can find me at Alta uh in the wintertime. Yeah. Um, I ski up there every time I every day I'm around. Um but social media, just thin rich and uh rooted tree and stump uh SLC is my my arborist um page on Instagram, but just rooted tree and stump. And if you need your trees look looked at, I do free free estimates and um just uh give me a call.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:30

Give me a text. If you need any tree help, if you see this guy ripping around Alta, go buy him a beer. Yeah, but let's take a lap.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:39

Let's freaking do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:41

Oh yeah. No, thanks, Dane. Yeah, fun to hear your story. Keep crushing, new phase of life, but proud of you.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:47

Keep crushing it. Thanks, Eric.