James Buehler on Riding the Ribbon, Devil’s Castle

Last week on social media, many of us were blown away by some pretty terrifying footage of a snowboarder negotiating the Ribbon on Devil’s Castle at Alta. So we talked to the rider, James Buehler, about his first descent with Alex Gavic of the Ribbon on a snowboard, and James walks us through the technical aspects of the route; his preparation for the line; the mental and physical demands it imposes; encountering multiple cruxes; the “Ronald McDonald Grin”; and what’s next on his list. (You can also see photos of the route in the show notes to this episode on our website.) TOPICS & TIMES:Alter Egos & Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (2:20)The history / backstory of Ciochetti’s Ribbon (7:55)What’s the most scared you’ve ever been on a line? (13:41)Doing heavy lines on a surfy, playful powder board?? (18:45)The Approach (22:30)The Traverse (26:07)The Crux — and the ‘Ronald McDonald Grin’ (27:53)Unexpected Crux #2 & #3 (40:18)The Descent (39:41)How does the Ribbon compare to other objectives? (51:40)James' other near-term objectives & dream objective (59:05)James' YouTube channel, Wild Lines (1:01:13) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.