For the Love of Winter

This week, Kendra sits down with freestyle sit-skier Jay Rawe to explore the mindset that has carried him from a life-changing spinal cord injury to becoming one of the sport's biggest innovators. Together, they discuss overcoming fear, embracing failure as a catalyst for growth, and the power of vulnerability in the face of adversity. Jay also shares his vision for the future of adaptive ski...

This week, Kendra sits down with David Zorko, CEO of Newschoolers, the online community that helped shape modern freeski culture. David shares how a passion for skiing led him from being an active forum member in the platform's early days to eventually running the site himself. Together, they explore the evolution of freeskiing, the rise of social media, athlete branding, and the role NewScho...

This week, Kendra sits down with Nate Strauss, Vice President of Sales at Jack and Sage, the apparel brand known for creating unique, experience-driven merchandise for ski resorts, national parks, and outdoor destinations across North America. Nate shares the story behind the company's rapid growth, the role of retail tourism, and how Jack and Sage help visitors take home meaningful reminders...

This week, Kendra sits down with Chad Blain, co-founder of the Jamie Blain Memorial Foundation, also known as Snowboarding Saves, and the filmmaker behind Liam and Friends . Chad shares the deeply personal story of losing his son Jamie to addiction and how that loss inspired a foundation dedicated to supporting mental health and wellness in the snowboard community. He reflects on grief, healing, t...

This week, Kendra sat down with Mr. Slush Cup 2026, Eric Taylor, to talk about growing up ski racing in Alberta, spending over a decade with the Banff Alpine Racers, and finally getting his first chance to compete in Sunshine Village's iconic Slush Cup. Eric shares stories from his years on the race circuit, what it was like stepping away from competitive skiing after this season, and how the...

This week, Kendra sits down with Canadian Olympic snowboard cross athlete Liam Moffatt to talk about the journey that took him from the small hills of Nova Scotia to competing on the world stage. Liam reflects on falling in love with snowboarding as a kid at Ski Wentworth, moving west to chase his dream, and the sacrifices, setbacks, and community support that shaped his career along the way. From...

This week, Kendra sits down with designer and former mogul skier Michael Haid, who grew up in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and eventually built a life in the Canadian Rockies. He looks back on learning to ski on a small rope tow, which led him into freestyle moguls and a national-level competitive career as a “grinder,” always chasing snow across Western Canada. From there, he moved into ski and snowbo...

This week, Kendra sits down with Olympic freestyle skier Megan Oldham, fresh off a breakout performance at the Milano 2026 Winter Games, where she claimed gold in big air and bronze in slopestyle. She talks about arriving as an underdog and leaving as a double medalist, what that moment felt like, and why she chose to go for a new trick instead of playing it safe. From starting freestyle skiing at...

This week, Kendra sits down with Canadian para-alpine skier Michaela Gosselin, fresh off her Paralympic podium in Milano. She shares how everything shifted after a cancer diagnosis at 18, and what it looked like to find her way back to skiing after losing her shoulder blade. What started as a devastating and uncertain chapter slowly turned into something powerful, as she adapted, stayed connected...

This week, Kendra sits down with Bill Short from Ceramic Pro, whose journey into the ski industry started later in life when he learned to snowboard at 56, inspired by his son and a desire to reconnect with the mountains after decades away. What began as a personal challenge quickly turned into a love for the quiet, freedom, and perspective found on snow. Bill also shares how Ceramic Pro, original...

This week, Kendra sits down with Canadian ski cross athlete India Sherret to talk about her rapid rise in the sport and the challenges that followed. From discovering ski cross at 13 to finishing third overall in the world, India reflects on the momentum of her breakout season and what it felt like to suddenly be competing at the highest level. After a broken sternum and a devastating knee injury...

This week, Kendra sits down with lifelong snowcat enthusiast Andy Lindsey, a PistenBully sales manager whose career has taken him from a small ski hill to building courses for World Cups and the 2018 Winter Olympics. Andy shares how a chance opportunity at Homewood Ski Resort sparked his journey into snowcats, eventually leading him to South Korea to help build a downhill venue from the ground up....

This week, Kendra sits down with entrepreneur Irfhan Rawji, who shares how he returned to skiing at 39 after moving to Calgary and wanting his children to grow up embracing winter. What started as a family decision quickly became a passion, with Sunshine Village becoming their second home. Beyond skiing, Irfhan discusses his work bringing global tech talent to Canada through MobSquad and how getti...

This week, Kendra sits down with three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist Isabelle Weidemann, fresh off her final Games. She reflects on finding her way into speed skating without ever really seeing sport as a clear path growing up, and what it looked like to stay in it when it wasn’t always accessible. What followed wasn’t a straight path, just years of showing up and slowly figuring it out...

This week, Kendra catches up with Brendan Mackay after his Olympic bronze medal in Italy, where a pressure-free mindset and a last-run comeback led to one of the best performances of his career. From decompressing in Portugal before the Games to trusting his strengths in the pipe, Brendan reflects on choosing confidence over risk, managing fear in a high-stakes sport, and staying grounded as the l...

This week, Kendra sits down with longtime Banff local Matt Widmer, founder and CEO of Wildlife Distillery in Canmore. Born and raised in Banff, Matt reflects on growing up in a small mountain community shaped by skiing, backcountry adventures, and his family’s longtime restaurant in town. The conversation explores how those early roots eventually led him to craft distilling, building Wildlife arou...

This week, Kendra sits down with longtime Bow Valley local and art dealer Doug Maclean, whose connection to Sunshine stretches back to a solo train ride west at just ten years old. From Trapper’s Lodge ski weeks in the early 60s to decades spent carving morning laps before heading into the gallery world, Doug reflects on how the mountains shaped both his life and his eye. The conversation moves fr...

This week, Kendra sits down with Aviva Kohen from Tourism Calgary to explore why the city is so much more than its old “Cowtown” reputation. Aviva shares how Calgary has evolved into a diverse, creative destination that blends big city energy with easy access to the Rockies, supported by a growing international visitor base. Together, they dive into Calgary’s standout food and craft drink scene, u...

This week, Kendra sits down with Courtney Hinrichs, Director of Engagement and Social at Backbone Media, to talk about how influencer marketing has shifted and why athletes deserve to show up online as their full, authentic selves. Courtney reflects on her path into the outdoor industry, what really goes on behind the scenes of brand partnerships, and how representation, trust, and creative freedo...

This week, Kendra sits down with Canadian bobsleigh athlete Kristen Bonowski to talk about the long, winding road that led her to one of the fastest sports on ice. Kristen shares how early Olympic dreams, injury, burnout, and mental health challenges eventually pushed her away from sport before drawing her back through bobsleigh, a discipline that rewards persistence and late starts. She reflects...

This week, Kendra sits down with David Legg, Mount Royal University professor and longtime advocate for disability sport, for a wide-ranging conversation about inclusion, innovation, and the power of winter sports to foster a sense of belonging. David reflects on how his personal experiences and career in adapted physical activity and the Paralympic movement shaped his belief that accessibility st...

This week, Kendra sits down with Pieter Sneep, a Level 4 CASI snowboard instructor at Sunshine Village whose path to the mountains began in the Netherlands. Pieter shares how early trips to Austria sparked a lifelong love for snowboarding, eventually leading him to chase winters around the world and build a life in the Canadian Rockies. From the creativity and freedom found in the park and on the...

This week, Kendra sits down with Jared Anderson, a longtime leader in Alberta’s snowboard community and the driving force behind Riders On Board. Jared reflects on how the club grew from a small family-run program into a province-wide snowboard community, creating pathways for riders of all ages and abilities. From first mountain laps to Olympic dreams, the conversation explores how snowboarding b...

This week, Kendra sits down with Katie Brinton, senior editor at SAM Magazine and a PSIA-AASI alpine examiner, to explore a lifelong relationship with winter. What began as childhood ski school days in Vermont evolved into a career rooted in instruction, education, and industry storytelling. Katie reflects on how early family ski trips shaped her love for sliding on snow, how a winding path throug...

This week, Kendra sits down with Jenn Harper, founder of Cheekbone Beauty, for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about identity, resilience, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Jenn shares the story behind building the only Indigenous-founded beauty brands carried by Sephora worldwide. Reflecting on sobriety, generational trauma, and how reconnecting with her Ojibwe roots shaped both he...