Holmlands Adventure Podcast

Closing out the first season of the Holmlands Adventure Podcast, we are joined in conversation by professional skier, adventurer and entrepreneur, Cody Townsend as he speaks with host Cameron Hall about his life and times in skiing to date.

When it comes to free skiing, Cody, 37, is not only one of the most awarded athletes in the history of the sport but also one of the most likable.

Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California - a town famous for it's surfing and skateboarding culture - Cody moved to Lake Tahoe at the age of sixteen to pursue his passion for skiing and hasn't looked back since.

From a successful alpine ski racing career in his early years, to becoming a Hollywood stunt double for Vin Diesel, and to going viral by skiing the “most insane line ever” Cody has enjoyed a colorful and illustrious career pursuing his passion in the sport he loves as he candidly shares his story.

An athlete always keen to learn and progress, his current project "The Fifty" sees Cody take on the challenge of ski mountaineering North America’s “Fifty Most Classic Ski Descents”, documenting each peak in his own YouTube series - with the aim of giving a raw insight into the world of back country skiing. At the time of recording, 27 summits have been successfully completed so far - as Cody teases a special episode as part of the project set to be released in November 2020.

Off the mountain, Cody is also a proud entrepreneur, as he discusses the creation of Arcade Belts, a business he Co-Founded in 2010 and continues to go from strength to strength.

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Benjamin Alexander, 37, is a former international DJ turned professional skier, aiming to become the first ever alpine ski racer to represent Jamaica at the Winter Olympic Games.

Growing up in Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom, to an English mother and a Jamaican father, Benjamin discovered a passion for music as a teenager, which led to him playing records as part of the thriving London pirate radio scene in the early 2000's - before turning his love for music into a career that enabled him to travel, playing at some of the biggest and best music festivals around the world.

It wasn't until 2015, when a friend from within the music industry invited Benjamin to join him on a trip to a heli ski lodge in British Columbia, Canada, that he first discovered skiing at the age of 32. With no skiing experience, he was bound to the lodge but was determined to return to be able to enjoy the snow on skis next time around.

Instantly absorbed by the sport, Benjamin took his first lesson the following winter and hasn't looked back since, spending as much time on snow as possible and learning from some former ski racing stars on how to turn himself into an Olympic standard GS racer.

After retiring as a DJ in 2018, Benjamin paid a visit to South Korea to watch the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and found himself disappointed by the lack of representation from the Caribbean - a region with a huge Olympic history.

Inspired by the story of the story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team, fighting the odds to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics, as featured in the film "Cool Runnings", Benjamin wants to empower people around the world through his own journey that no matter your age, experience, background or ethnicity - if you have a "can do" attitude - anything is possible.

Speaking with Holmlands Founder and Director Cameron Hall, Benjamin talks about his journey so far, the challenges ahead, his hopes and ambitions in his 2020 Winter Olympic bid and more ...

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When is comes to ski movies, Scott Gaffney has been a leading force in genre for the best part of three decades.

Speaking with Holmlands Founder and Director, Cameron Hall in this special episode - Scott discusses his journey from growing up in a small town in New York State and graduating from Ithaca College in the late 1980's with a degree in filmmaking before following his passion to make his own ski films.

After graduating, Scott followed his brother Rob to Colorado, where he would meet and start filming with a young pizza delivery guy and upcoming ski talent; Shane McConkey - who would not only go on to become the face of freeskiing but become one of Scott's best friends, before his tragic passing in 2009.

In the early 90's Scott made the move to Squaw Valley, California; which has been his home ever since - teaming up with the ski movie powerhouse Matchstick Productions in 1996 - a company he is still making ski films with to this day.

Synonymous with Scott's last name is the game of G.N.A.R - something which began with Scott, Shane and Rob in Squaw Valley as a way to have fun with skiing, and not take the sport too seriously.

The game has since become a phenomenon in ski areas around the world - with the name literally standing for "Gaffney's Numerical Assessment of Radness".

In this episode, Scott talks about the game, his friend Shane's legacy, the influence of his brother Rob and the best pro skier call out he's ever heard...

Ultimately, Scott knows more about ski movies than perhaps anyone else in the world, he has won countless awards and his passion for the sport of skiing, combined with his camera skills and editing capabilities, has led Scott to become a renowned legend in the ski film world - working with the best freeskiers on the planet.

Together with Matchstick Productions, Scott has helped to produce, shoot, and edit over 100 TV episodes and nearly 20 feature-length movies - with title including "There's Something About McConkey", "Claim", "Days of My Youth". "Drop Everything" and "McConkey".

His latest film with Matchstick "Huck Yeah!" is set to be released this autumn, with more female skiers than ever before ... a film Holmlands are proud to be hosting the UK Premiere of at the Soho Hotel in London on Friday 2nd October, 2020.

Having been fans of Scott's work for many year's and with Holmlands being the exclusive UK Licence Holder for Matchstick Productions since 2014, we hope you enjoy listening to this special episode of the Holmlands Adventure Podcast.

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Big mountain professional skier, Ian McIntosh joined Holmlands Founder and Director, Cameron Hall, in conversation for episode seven of the Holmlands Adventure Podcast.

Born in the interior of British Columbia, Canada, Ian started skiing at the age of two, just two months after learning to walk.

Having grown up in the ski racing world he moved to Whistler to pursue his dreams of skiing powder, after tasting success in the World Heli Challenge in New Zealand in the early 2000's.

Ian has since gone on to compete in the Freeride World Tour, and is a familiar face in many of Teton Gravity Research's groundbreaking movies; building a formidable reputation as a skier who loves to charge.

Ian chats about his career so far; not being afraid to fail; the importance of checking his ego and his current work with UThrive Ski Retreats and Protect Our Winters Canada.

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It was our pleasure to be joined for episode six of the Holmlands Adventure Podcast by the man commonly known as the "Godfather of Freeskiing" Mike Douglas - well regarded as one of the most influential freeskiers of all time.

Along with the members of a crew known as the "New Canadian Air Force", Mike pioneered modern freestyle skiing and developed the first high-performance twin tip ski with Salomon back in 1997.

After helping Salomon develop the "1080", the New Canadian Air Force began jumping and filming in traditionally snowboarder dominated terrain parks - pushing and creating new boundaries for the sport.

Since that time Mike has won dozens of awards for his skiing, and has more recently added film making to his resume. Based in Whistler, British Columbia, his company -Switchback Entertainment - produces multi award winning documentary adventure films; and are the team behind the hit web series Salomon TV.

Mike chats with Holmlands Founder Cameron Hall about his incredible career on and off the slopes; sharing some personal memories of friends he's lost along the way; as well as discussing his current role as Chair of the Board of Directors for climate change group, Protect Our Winters Canada.

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We caught up with Holmlands client and Winter Paralympic hero Chris Lloyd for episode five of the Holmlands Adventure Podcast.

Chris's story starts in September 2011 when he was involved in a rally car accident; breaking his back, damaging his neck and crushing his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed from the neck down.

He was told he would never be able to ski or race race a rally car again - two of his biggest passions.

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Following the accident, Chris understood the challenge he faced, but he was determined that his body had the capability to heal itself - setting himself the target of competing at the Paralympic Games. 

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Chris shares the story of how he reinvented himself through meditation, self hypnosis and positive visualisation, as he became relentless in pushing his body to recover.

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Six years after being told he would never ski again, he received a call in January 2018 to advise he had been selected to compete for Great Britain at the Winter Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Two months later raced on the world's biggest stage in the Men's Downhill and Super G events, finishing 20th and 25th respectively - fulfilling a once impossible dream.

Chris discusses his long and difficult journey with Holmlands Founder and Director Cameron Hall in an open interview about his physical and mental battles.

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In episode four of the Holmlands Adventure Podcast, we speak with British adventure athlete, author and speaker Laura Kennington.

Having quit her office job five years ago, Laura carries a passion for the endurance capability of the human body.

From kayaking the length of the Volga River in Russia; to running 100 miles across Fuerteventura; to cycling the North Coast 500 in Scotland and many more - Laura shares the stories of her adventures to date - in an honest conversation, discussing how not everything in life always goes to plan.

Today, Laura is on a mission through her adventures to help others unlock their own potential and hopes to encourage everyone to think a little bigger, in something she calls "Project Kairos".

"Kairos" also being the name of her first book, is a compelling account of Laura's journey to find out what she's really capable of and what it means to redefine your limits - and your life. Signed copies available to purchase via www.laurakairos.com/kairos

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Episode three of the Holmlands Adventure Podcast features Lindsey Cole - a cold water swimmer,cyclist, adventurer, environmentalist, writer and speaker.

Lindsey has taken on multiple self propelled challenges from swimming the River Thames dressed as a mermaid to help shine a spotlight on plastic pollution; to cycling the length of Africa to watch the World Cup; and retracing an incredible journey along Australia's Rabbit Proof Fence.

With a background in journalism and documentary film making, topped with a lust for travel and wandering, Lindsey travels wherever her curious nature takes her - sharing her stories of adventure with Holmlands Founder and Director Cameron Hall.

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The Holmlands Adventure Podcast "Conversations in Isolation" limited series continues - as we speak with some of our favourite athletes from the world of adventure sports during the global Coronavirus lockdown.

In our second episode, Holmlands Founder Cameron Hall chats with Professional Skier and Programme Coordinator for Protect Our Winters Canada, Izzy Lynch ...

Izzy grew up in the city of Calgary - but it was the mountains that raised her, as she developed a thirst for ski racing at a young age.

The eldest of four siblings, her parents built a backcountry ski cabin as a family getaway when she was growing up - the Amiskwi Lodge.

She spent the first nineteen years of her life travelling the world as a competitive ski racer, and after highschool was drawn away from the gates and into the backcountry for good.

Having attended the University of Calgary, receiving a BA in Communications and Culture in 2008, Izzy has gone on to work and ski with sponsors such as Arcteryx, Atomic Skis and Revelstoke Mountain Resort - whilst filming with production companies such as Sherpas Cinema, Unicorn Picnic, B4 Apres and Ride Guide Television - featuring in acclaimed films such as "Into the Mind".

In 2018, Izzy and her sister Zoya teamed up to produce their first short film "Kindred" - the story of their family backcountry lodge, and how it provided them with a lifetime of learning and adventure in the stunning Canadian Rockies - inspiring viewers to consider their own leaps-of-faith and how they may have defined their lives.

Izzy also discuses her role with Protect Our Winter Canada - helping to fight in the battle against climate change on a global and local level.

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We kick start the Holmlands Adventure Podcast with our "Conversations in Isolation" limited series - speaking with some of our favourite athletes from the world of adventure sports during the global Coronavirus lockdown.

First up, Holmlands Founder Cameron Hall chats with Professional Skier, Producer and Writer Nat Segal ...

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Nat spent six years travelling the world as a top competitor in freeride skiing events taking podiums on both the Freeride and Freeskiing World Tours while based out of the USA and Chamonix Mont-Blanc.

Nat's career progressed from freeride into backcountry skiing, where she also gained an appetite for creative and impactful content, developing and combining her passion for skiing with her film production and writing skills.

In 2016 she teamed up with her sister, Anna Segal and adventure filmmaker, Bjarne Salén to produce Finding The Line (2018). A documentary film that uses skiing as a vehicle to explore fear and how we as humans deal with this emotion - a film Holmlands at the pleasure to host the UK Premiere of in London in 2019.

Today, Nat lives in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada - where she is progressing her skills in all types of mountain terrain and producing more female driven content in the same vein as Finding The Line - with the aim of discussing topical issues that speak to an audience wider than just sports fans.

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