The Powell Movement

 Josh Loubek is a pioneer of the new school freeskiing movement. After graduating from moguls and aerials, Josh quit that path for a new direction in the sport. While people thought he was crazy, it all worked out. In part 1 of the podcast, we talk about a team sports guy in Seattle, the switch to skiing, Freeze Magazine, PBP, MSP, Sponsorship, money, and more. The Jerk, aka Mark Epstein, asks the...

Micah Evangelista isn't a household name in the ski world, almost by choice. Micah is the underground, soul-skier type whose love of being in the mountains comes from growing up in the shadow of Mt Baker in Glacier, WA.  Micah is such a talent; I've always wondered why he hasn't blown up in the ski world. The podcast was the perfect platform to figure out why…we talk about getting into video early...

Phil Sifferman's life is full of stories you can't make up. From Kenny Loggins to Jimi Hendrix, to hitchhiking to ski, to becoming a pro skier, to traveling the world skiing and making movies, Phil carved out a path for himself in a unique way that included not following the rules. On the podcast, we talk about the beginning and end of hot dog skiing, Phil's pro career, some amazing stories, selli...

Steven Nyman is one of the most accomplished ski racers I've had on the podcast. In a sport where racers can go a whole career without making a podium, Steven stood on podiums around the world 11 times and has three world cup wins to his credit. He's had an incredible race career, and at almost 41, Steven is still going. On the podcast, we talk about not having the advantages of everyone else, tal...

Grete Eliassen is a true legend of Freeskiing, and in part 2 of her podcast, we dive into how women were treated in skiing back when she was in her prime. Grete is a 6x X Games medalist, a 4x US Open Champion, and a World Champion with many Powder Awards to her credit. On the show, we talk sponsors, money, the Olympics, her movie "Say My Name," being President of the Women's Sports Foundation, and...

Grete Eliassen is a true legend of Freeskiing. Not only did she win the first ever X Games Gold Medal for a female skier, but she's also a six-time X Games Medalist and World Champion who started dominating halfpipe podiums before moving on to the slopestyle course. On top of that, Grete's a two-time winner of the coveted 'Female Performer of the Year' at the Powder Awards. When she's not filming...

Lhotse Merriam Hawk's huge role in organizing the sport of big mountain skiing and beyond cannot be ignored or understated. As the Vice President of the International Freeskiers Association, an organization she helped co-found with Shane McConkey, she was a 1-woman band creating the infrastructure for the future of ski contests outside of what fell under FIS control. And go figure, this year, the...

It's part 2 with me, your host Mike Powell. I'm going to end the year catching you up on my life and times and a lot of industry talk with the founder of the High Fives Foundation, Roy Tuscany. Topics include Tanner Hall, Gus Kenworthy, best podcasts, worst podcasts, what's happening in snow media, who's doing it best, and so much more. It's a fun holiday and birthday episode with a great friend....

Adrian Ballinger is a machine for managing risk in the big mountains. Whether he's leading adventures with his Alpenglow Expeditions, summiting Everest or K2 without supplemental oxygen, or just living his rad Tahoe life, there never seems to be a chill moment in Adrian's life. On the podcast, we talk about the three critical mentors to his success in the mountains, performance-enhancing drugs in...

Izzy Lynch's ski career was made by her unique childhood. She was an up-and-coming ski racer who spent her free time at the backcountry lodge her parents built. This combination of racing and time spent in the backcountry created scary experiences and a solid foundation for a skier known for always pinning it. On the podcast, we talk about the above, University, coaching, competing, gender filming...

Peter Line is the legendary snowboarder responsible for the iconic Four Square and Forum brands. While these brands had a huge impact, they were rider owned, and having an impact and success, in the long run, isn't the same thing. Eventually, Burton Saved the brands from going under, ran them for a decade, and then shut them down. Ten years after that, Peter Line, Jeremy Jones, and Mack Dawg are b...

Pete Moran has been a lot of things: ski instructor, snowshoe mountain marketing manager, 'People Magazine's "Most Eligible Bachelor," Red Bull marketing manager, agent, and entrepreneur. But really, Pete is a people person, and his natural ability to build relationships has helped him create an incredible life. On the podcast, we talk about all of the above and some great athlete stories revolvin...

Jeremy Jones is a busy guy: between writing and illustrating his new book, "The Art of Shralpinism," running Jones Snowboards, being the face and founder of Protect Our Winters, riding 28 days a month, and spending time with his family, it's amazing he even has time to do things like record this podcast and the Alpenglow Speaker Series. But Jeremy makes it happen, and on the podcast, we talk about...

Chris Beresford's young life was tough; he lost his mom young, then he's raised by an alcoholic dad, then the family loses everything, and at the age of 13, Chris is responsible for things like his own food. While things could have turned dark, Chris didn't end up dancing on stage 3; he was on the podium at all his moto races and then found family and community through snowboarding. At 20, he land...

Connery Lundin's ski career should be as prolific as he's manufactured it to be. This is a kid from Oakland who was so burnt out on ski racing that he decided at 18 that he would never ski. That all changed with the right roommates, who got Connery back into skiing on his terms…and once Connery fell back in love with the sport, he went all in on becoming a pro skier. But, to make things harder for...

Davey Smidt is a chameleon; he's a nice Jewish boy who's god given gift is being an amazing communicator. Davey is just as comfortable talking to Travis Rice as he is a CEO, a professor, an intern, and a kid at the skatepark. He's one of those people that gets along with everyone, and while nice guys finish last, that's not the case with Davey. On the podcast, we talk about his South African roots...

Bruce Edgerly or "Edge" as he's fondly known is one of the only ski entrepreneurs I know to sell his company, get rich, and still be involved in the day-to-day of the business. I haven't had anyone on the podcast with that type of story and Edge is also the only Ivy League guy I've had on the show. But Edge is just a dirtbag kayaker and skier who parlayed the contacts he made while writing for Pow...

Gus Kenworthy is so much more than an Olympic and X Games Medalist. He's more than an AFP or Dew Tour Overall Champion. Really, Gus is so much more than just a skier. He's a humanitarian who risked everything to ride pipe (and slopestyle) like no-one before him. Gus is also the first professional athlete come out in the prime of his career. This is a story about bravery, feelings, and freedom. It'...

Brant Moles is a living legend, a World Extreme Champion who filmed with all the heavy hitters and is now back for part 2 of his podcast. The second half of his career is way more exciting than the race years; we talk about the extreme comp circuit, his role in forming the IFSA, MSP, TGR WM, IMAX, fat skis, injuries sponsorship, McConkey, and so much more. This is the first time Brant has shared a...

Drew Petersen's life and times have been defined by highs and lows from the time he was a little kid. On one hand, he lived in Colorado and developed a passion for skiing young. While that passion grows, so does depression and bipolar disorder, which is not diagnosed until much later in life. Combining that with a life of winning ski contests on the weekends and then returning to school as the sma...

Mike Styskal, aka Styk, has lived his life as a creative force in snowboard design, but Styk is so much more than that. He's one of those people that exudes effortless cool: he always has a different unique look, and his sense of style is always on point. It's a characteristic that helped this Nebraska farm boy go from the small-town USA to the progressive city of Seattle and thrive. On the podcas...

Brant Moles is one of those legends that have zero ego. While he's a quiet guy, he's not afraid to share what happened with his career…and in the first part of his career, he was a Wisconsin-based ski racer who went to an east coast academy with the goal of making the US Ski Team…but with all stories like Brant's, politics play a role. When that happens, it usually doesn't work out. The good thing...

Michelle Parker has made a name for herself in the big mountains, but her roots go all over the board when it comes to sports and skiing. An elite soccer player with a big future, Michelle was forced to choose between soccer and ski racing at a young age. She chose ski racing, became a Junior Olympic Champion, and then quit racing in favor of the park and skiing powder. While Michelle competed for...

Ethan Stone Fortier is a force in the world of snowboard media. He's one of the hosts of the wildly successful Bomb Hole Podcast, he's been a snowboard photographer for over 20 years, and he's personally responsible for one of the more iconic brands in snowboard history, Technine. On the podcast, we talk all things Bomb Hole, coming up in Vermont, the VTSP, starting brands, working with investors,...

Eric Schrijn is a street skater with legendary status and infinite wisdom. He was the winner of the first ever IMYTA street contest, he's had timeless video sections, magazine covers, pro model products and  X Games hardware. While he was making this happen, he was also dealing with a family suicide, a diagnosis of bi-polar and managing all of that. Throughout it all, Eric has been on the forefron...