The Powell Movement

Ryan Runke has an insane resume but his path to becoming a successful sports agent is as far from traditional as it gets.  Runke looks different, acts different, and has done things his way for a long time and it seems to be working.  On the podcast we talk his team sports days, transitioning to a dirtbag team manager and who morphed into a professional agent to the actin sports stars.  They don't...

Ben Ferguson is not your typical half pipe rider. In a world where riders used to ride every type of terrain, the athletes today seem more specialized, especially the competition athletes.  But Ben only competes because he can, He's a snowboarder first, who has the talent in the pipe that generates exposure, sponsorship dollars and everything else that goes along with being an Olympic level rider....

Pro Skier Sean Pettit's career started with a move from Quebec to Whistler.  From there, he became a child prodigy, the freeride kid who could do anything on his skis.  We pick up our conversation from 2016 (I include 10 minutes of our old conversation for background) and talk about his focus from skiing to snowboarding, injury, his lifestyle clothing brand and more.  Sean Pettit Show Notes 2:00: ...

Angel Collinson was born into the ski world.  She grew up in Snowbird employee housing, where she honed her race skills enough to barely not make the US Ski Team.  With racing over, college and big mountain skiing competitions took over.  Skiing won.  Over the years there have been a lot of women who have pushed the envelope on snow but Angel transcends gender….she's just a bad ass skier who charg...

Mike Yoshida's photography career started as a skateboard dirtbag in Alaska and then he made his way down to the Lower 48.  He's spent seasons riding Baker and getting to know the NW, the snowboard scene and the people involved in it.  His summers at Mt Hood turned into a photo gig at K2 he parlayed that into gigs with Snowboarder and Transworld.  Today, he is the Photo Editor of Snowboarder Magaz...

Mike Ranquet is part of a rare breed of athlete (for lack of better term) who's a legend in his sport but never became a household name.  His lack of filter when it came to sharing his opinions kept him out of the mainstream media, you only saw him in paid ads and video parts.  His style and attitude helped shape a sport and his story is a rollercoaster of awesome.  Do not miss this one. Mike Ranq...

Scott Gaffney is a Sherpa in the world of elite athletes.  He carries a 40 pound backpack through some of the more remote places in the world all in the name of "getting the shot".  Like many before him, the ski dream was only achieved through hardships that a lot of us don't know.  Sleeping in cars, taking showers in local sprinkler systems and doing whatever it takes to make it.  And for Scott,...

Giray Dadali spent his whole life in the shadow if his older brother, pro skier Ahmet Dadali.  While working to create a name for himself in the ski world, Giray realized he already had a name that everyone knew, Ahmet's Brother.  Fast forward to today and Giray has had 3 signature Ahmet's Brother Pro Model Skis and has finally stepped out from his brother's shadow, kind of.  On top of all that, G...

Ahmet Dadali knows -better than most- that to make it as a pro skier, coming from the East Coast, you have to have that one-track mind, the drive to push though the bs and make it happen for yourself.  Ahmet and his 'I hate NY Crew', not only came form the East but helped shape the game in the world of street skiing.  Ahmet is opinionated and has no problem saying what he's thinking.  Ahmet Dadali...

Eric Iberg grew up in Edina, MN, but there was no cake-eating in his life.  It was all about skiing and baseball...and baseball didn't work out.  This legendary filmmaker is also a true ski historian.  He's a creative who's also a people person that used film-making as his launch into the ski world.  Over the years, there were a lot of companies, movies and experiences…everything but a big payday...

Luke Aikins is a skydiver that is known to the masses as the guy who jumped out of a plane at 25,000 feet without a parachute and lived to tell the story.  That is only part of his story.  From personal tragedy to finding the dream sponsor that enabled him to have a career, Luke has always defied the "adrenaline junky" stereotype thrust upon skydivers of his caliber.  On the podcast, we talk about...

Bobby Whittaker was born into climbing royalty, his dad, Jim, was the first American to climb Everest and was the CEO of REI for many years.  Bobby didn't follow in his footsteps, he blazed his own trail through the emerging music scene in Seattle.  While having no musical background, Bobby had drive and a personality like no other.  He was able to parlay that charisma into a 30-year music career...

Darren Berrecloth's career started racing BMX and dirt jumping and he did both at a world class level.   He was established, making money and eventually, he left that segment of the bike world.  He took his bag of tricks to the world of mountain biking and helped change the sport.  The podcast is a little look into the life of a living legend. Darren Berrecloth Show Notes 2:00:  What is he up to l...

Jon Julio has done so much throughout his career, maybe more than anyone else.  Over the years he has built companies (Valo Skates, Dyna Wheels, Synergy Bearings, Runners Project, England Clothing), created and produced events (IMYTA, Blading Cup),  and helped develop a video game.  On top of all that, he had to deal with the bumps and bruises  of his successful  20-year rollerblading career.   No...

Aaron Feinberg won the X-Games on his 16th birthday and never looked back.  He was a skater with a park image who wasn't all about the park and felt the need to prove it.  The evolution of his skating, combined with some calculated sponsor choices, created the path for Aaron to become one of the most respected street skaters in the game.   These days the world is a different place for Aaron and we...

Derek Westerlund founded Freeride Entertainment and is known as an award-winning filmmaker who came up in the trailer parks of Kamloops, BC.  His tough childhood that taught Derek the hustle that he still has in him and a passion for skiing and biking.  He parlayed that passion into brief "pro" mountain bike career and then graduated to becoming the filmmaker who changed the look and feel of the m...

Aaron Grace's career in wakeboarding had an auspicious start, working as the janitor for Rusty.  One day after cleaning toilets, he was invited on the Rusty boat, they saw him ride and the rest is history.  Aaron ended up a sponsored rider and had a 24-month pro career before it was time to manage the athletes and eventually the marketing at Liquid Force.  I should also mention that he doesn't hol...

Daniel Grant is a prodigy on a wakeboard.  He's a 5 time 'Cable Park Rider of the Year' and he's only 20 years old.  He moved to Thailand at a young age and was an 8-year-old kid at the skatepark when he found out about the local cable park.  One day on a kneeboard  hooked him and he has become the one of the greatest cable park riders of our time.  He's been traveling the world on his own since h...

John Cardiel is a rare breed of skater who is known for a fast, loose, and powerful style that will never get old.  He was Thrasher Magazine's Skater of the Year at 19, had a long skate career, was paralyzed, amazed Dr's by moving again and now bikes like a madman. If you don't know about him, you should.  This is a story about a guy who puts everything he has into everything he does.  He goes one...

Mimi Knoop's skateboard career started in Cuba and her career path is a lot different than your traditional skateboarder. She was a collegiate soccer player, did a few post grad years in the wine business, and then migrated west to California where she found skateboarding again. In a few short years, Mimi was a "sponsored " woman in a world of men and became an advocate for change.. We talk about...

Dave Paine's life started as a team sports kid from Philly who got into skateboarding through his brothers. When he got into rollerblading, he sent the equivalent of a "sponsor me" edit to a video magazine, his footage was used and Dave somehow ended up running the video company. He did that until the bottom dropped out and moved to Fuel TV where he launched a network. Dave Paine Show Notes: 2:00:...

Based on his appearance, you may not guess that Chris Ortiz is the fixture that he is in the skateboard world.  It all started with high school photography class projects that he based around his passion, skateboarding.  Having a badass crew to skate and shoot with created opportunities for Chris to work in print when print mattered.   As his career grew, he helped revolutionize the media world wi...

If you are into the outdoors, you've most likely heard of Poler.  Their unique take on camping and adventure made the brand instantly  successful. All of it was started by Kharma Vella and his former best friend Benji.  Kharma is my guest this week and we talk coming up in the world of snowboarding, starting a brand, building it and watching the same brand destroy both his personal and professiona...

Chris Edwards lived more by the age of 20 than most people do in a lifetime.  He was a pro athlete at age 14, dropped out of high school a year later and became the face of the fastest growing sport on the planet.  Chris was in the movies, on TV, was the first to go big on ramps, first to grind a rail, and, as far as I know, the first to have 6 biological children and 4 wives.  Chris and I talk th...

At first look, there is nothing that stands out about Carson Storch.  He looks like an All-American kid fresh out of college figuring out what he is going to do with his life.  But that's not the case, in reality, Carson has been on the same career path since he was looked at as a dreamer when he was 16.  He's a pro Mountain Biker who finds himself at home on big mountains or riding slopestyle.  H...