The Backcountry Podcast

Raised alongside the development of the snowboard industry, Seth Huot is a pro snowboarder turned videographer, and now he’s the Volcom Team Manager. Volcom is one of our favorite brands and Seth speaks to their brand story in inspiring fashion.  

 Nils digs into the process of becoming a pro snowboarder in the ‘90s, and Seth sheds new light on the social media era of snowboarding. Seth’s passion for snowboarding and the mountain sports community is infectious; listen to this episode to get psyched for the winter season! 

Watch Venture Beyond | Ep. 5 | Mind The Gap

Chapter Timestamps:   

 0:00 – Intro 
1:13 – Brighton Legend Status 
6:39 – Becoming A Pro In The ‘90s 
11:28 – Getting Started With Filming 
18:16 – Filming With Mack Dawg Productions 
25:45 – The Nature Of Filming 
28:24 – Staying Busy In The Summer 
31:03 – Capping Off The Film Career 
37:11 – Transitioning To A New Role 
42:37 – The Social Media Era 
53:33 – Volcom Team Manager Role 
58:48 – Outro 

Check out the featured products here:  

Everything Volcom
Everything Nitro
Everything Snowboard

 Backcountry Ski Apparel
Backcountry Snowboard Apparel 

 Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet 

 #venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
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• Facebook
• Explore Blog

Justin Clark, also known as J Stone in the greater Salt Lake snowboarding community, is the Snowboard Development Engineer at K2. He’s also a personal friend of our host Nils, which makes him the perfect candidate for us to pick his brain about snowboard tech. Justin is a University of Utah engineering graduate who grew up in Salt Lake City and he truly lives and breathes the snowboarding industry.  

In this episode, Nils and Justin dive into the process of becoming a snowboard designer. The pair talk about the snowboard culture in Salt Lake City and nerd out over some of K2’s top-selling snowboard models, including the Alchemist. You don’t want to miss this one! 

Watch Venture Beyond | Ep. 5 | Mind The Gap

Chapter Timestamps:   

0:00 – Intro 
0:58 – Summer Recap 
3:08 – Getting Started In The Snowboard Industry 
8:16 – Transitioning To Product Design 
15:09 – Justin's First Snowboard Design 
19:27 – Landing A Job At K2 
28:00 – Basic Snowboard Design 
35:15 – K2 Alchemist Snowboard Story 
46:13 – K2 Antidote & Passport Snowboards 
57:27 – What's Next 

Check out the featured products here:  

K2 Alchemist Snowboard
K2 Antidote Snowboard
K2 Passport Snowboard
K2 Snowboarding Gear

Salomon Super 8 Snowboard

Backcountry Ski Apparel
Backcountry Snowboard Apparel

Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

 #venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

Known in the freeskiing community for his signature style and rail skiing prowess, Tom Wallisch is someone we knew we had to invite onto the podcast. Nils gets into a wide-ranging conversation with Tom, covering everything from X-Games wins to inspiring the next generation of skiing.  

 Listen along to learn more about producing film projects and find out exactly what “afterbang” means. Tom’s influence on the freestyle skiing community is notably impactful, and his product innovations with Line Skis and K2 Ski Boots speak to his notoriety.  

Chapter Timestamps:   

0:00 – Intro 
3:13 – The Formation Of 4Bi9 Media 
11:36 – Style Means Everything 
16:23 – Transitioning To Contests 
23:32 – Breakout Win At Dew Tour 
26:18 – Solidifying The Wallisch Style 
32:11 – Transitioning Back To Film 
39:26 – Inspiring The Youth 
43:29 – Producing Personal Projects 
52:00 – The Importance Of Film Premieres 
55:45 – Advice For Aspiring Skiers 
59:03 – What's Next 

Check out the featured products here: 

 Tom’s Sponsors: 

 Line Tom Wallisch Pro Ski
K2 Revolver TW Ski Boot 

Shop The North Face
Shop Line Skis
Shop K2 Ski Boots
Shop Spy Optics

Backcountry Ski Apparel
Backcountry Snowboard Apparel

Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

 #venturebeyond #backcountry 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

As the face of the Utah Avalanche Center, Craig Gordon’s roots run deep in all things snow safety, powder skiing, and the Utah backcountry skiing community. From his time ski patrolling at Brighton to presenting snow safety to high school auditoriums, Craig has dedicated his life to spreading snow safety knowledge.  

Nils uses his own backcountry riding experience to probe Craig about how exactly the Utah Avalanche Center came to be what it is today. These two also cover some fascinating insights about the historic 2022–2023 snow year, and even dive into the 2023–2024 snowfall projection.  

 Watch our Avalanche Safety video

Chapter Timestamps:   

0:00 – Intro 
2:33 – Moving From New Jersey To Utah 
5:50 – Ski Patrolling 
7:37 – Avalanche Forecasting Initiation 
15:42 – The Utah Snow Safety Community 
23:43 – Getting Involved With UAC 
30:28 – Transitioning To Education 
36:57 – Partnering With Backcountry.com & TGR 
39:13 – The First Education Classes 
46:13 – Evolution Of The Curriculum 
57:09 – Greater UAC Community 
1:01:17 – The 2022–2023 Winter 
1:06:06 – Craig's 2024 Forecast 
1:08:53 – Outro 

Check out the featured products here:  

 Avalanche Safety Gear

 Backcountry Men’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Jacket
Backcountry Men’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Bib Pant
Backcountry Women’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Jacket
Backcountry Women’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Bib Pant

 Backcountry Men’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Jacket
Backcountry Men’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Bib Pant
Backcountry Women’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Jacket
Backcountry Women’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Bib Pant 

Backcountry Ski Apparel
Backcountry Snowboard Apparel
Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

 #venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

Seeing as we’re the exclusive retailer of Shaun White’s snowboarding brand, WHITESPACE, it’s no surprise that we’re big fans of the guy. We figured it was about time to invite him on the podcast to talk about snowboarding’s history and the story of WHITESPACE.  

 Nils probes Shaun about his relationship with skateboarding and his early start on a professional snowboarding career. Shaun touches on pivotal moments in his career, like inventing new tricks and leaving Burton Snowboards. Check out the chapter timestamps below to jump around the conversation.  

Watch our Mind The Gap Venture Beyond Episode

Chapter Timestamps:   

0:00 – Intro 
1:34 – Snowboarding vs. Skating 
12:18 – Bike Life 
14:43 – The White Album 
26:40 – The Shaun White Era 
37:36 – Overcoming Adversity 
44:52 – Formative Influences 
55:19 – Forming WHITESPACE 
1:05:47 – The WHITESPACE Line 
1:11:07 – Final Thoughts 

Check out the featured products here:  

Everything WHITESPACE
WHITESPACE Freestyle Shaun White Pro Snowboard
WHITESPACE Men’s Performance 3L Jacket
WHITESPACE Men’s Performance 3L Pant 

 Gear Up At Backcountry:  

Backcountry Snowboarding Gear
Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

 #venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

Torstein Horgmo is a veteran in the pro snowboarding community whose career isn’t slowing down anytime soon. From X Games gold medals to his close involvement in Shred Bots content and countless video parts, he’s definitely earned his epic reputation.  
Nils chats with Torstein about his path to becoming a pro snowboarder, and the two bond over the challenges of frequently traveling solo at such a young age. Torstein touches on his passion for making music and digs into his relationship with Norrona—one of our favorite brands.  

Watch our Mind The Gap Venture Beyond Episode

Chapters With Times: 

0:00 – Intro 
2:11 – Norwegian Roots 
10:17 – Starting To Compete 
13:15 – Transitioning To Winter School 
16:03 – Traveling For Events 
20:53 – Facing Your Fears 
26:38 – Staying Ahead Of Trends 
31:14 – Balancing Competition & Film 
37:21 – Gravitating Towards Film 
41:50 – Mastering The Session 
53:56 – Making Music 
58:01 – Working With Norrona 
1:05:57 – What's Next 

Check out the featured products here:  

Torstein’s Sponsors: 

Everything Norrona
Everything Oakley
Everything Capita
Everything Union
Everything Coal Headwear

 Gear Up At Backcountry:  

 Backcountry Snowboarding Gear
Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

 #venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

Karel Sabbe recently set out to break the supported running record for the Pacific Crest Trail, and we made a film to document his journey. Pacing The Pacific covers the entire journey from Mexico to Canada, highlighting Karel and his support crew along the way.  

We invited Karel and two of his crew members, Kobe and Anna, on the podcast to chat with Sunn and Caleb, the videographers who captured the film. They dig into Karel’s training regimen, his mindset, and all of the details that we couldn’t fit into the film.  

Watch The Film
Everything Venture Beyond

Chapters With Times: 

0:00 – Intro 
2:45 – Pacing The Pacific 
6:27 – Karel's Training & Prep 
11:44 – PCT Crew Dynamics 
21:56 – Henry, Crew Leader 
30:15 – Karel's Mindset 
34:22 – PCT Thru-Hikers  
37:35 – Washington Wildfires 
44:38 – Shoutout To Emma 
49:16 – Final Thoughts 

Check out the featured products here:  

 Karel’s Shoes of Choice: 
Cloudmonster Running Shoe
Cloudultra 2 Trail Running Shoe
Cloudsurfer Running Shoe
Running Gear from On
Backcountry Performance Wear
Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

#venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

With Lexi Dupont joining the team as a Backcountry athlete, it made perfect sense to pull her into the HQ for a podcast episode to welcome her aboard! Lexi talks us through her big mountain skiing journey, both in competition and for film.  

Nils and Lexi reconnect after being on the Freeride World Tour together in years past. The pair dive into Lexi’s passion for spending time in the ocean, and her family’s rich history in aviation. They conclude their conversation by deciding the best dog breed of all time—you don’t want to miss this episode! 

 Check out Sister Summit

Chapters With Times: 

0:00 – Intro 
0:44 – Freeride World Tour 
5:43 – Balancing Skiing With Life 
8:11 – Time On The Water 
17:44 – Recharging From The Ocean 
23:11 – Growing Up With Active Parents 
28:54 – Friction Creates Fire 
31:02 – Aviation  
34:47 – Facing Fear In The Mountains 
41:15 – Shutting Down The Runway Story 
45:33 – English Springer Spaniels 
47:13 – What's Next 

Check out the featured products here:  

Backcountry Women’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Jacket
Backcountry Women’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Bib Pant
Backcountry Men’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Jacket
Backcountry Men’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Bib Pant

 Shop K2 Ski
Shop FP Movement

Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

 #venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

Salomon is one of our top brands for skiing and snowboarding, so we invited Category Manager Lauren Samuels on the podcast to dive into the Salomon world. Our host Nils rides Salomon snowboards, so the pair had lots to discuss, from competing in snowsports at a young age to product development and more. 

 Lauren’s experience as a ski racer prepared her well for working with ski products because she’s very performance-oriented. She specifically manages the hardgoods sector, and she’s very closely involved with Salomon’s new S/Pro Supra line of boots which features the new BOA fit system.  

Check out our Ski Size Chart

Chapters With Times: 

0:00 – Intro 
1:34 – Growing Up In Minnesota 
8:26 – US Ski Development Team 
14:24 – Moving To Utah 
17:25 – Education & Career Path 
21:07 – Getting Into Product 
24:05 – Starting At Salomon 
28:48 – Making Skis & Boards For All Abilities 
34:15 – QST ECHO 106 Ski  
42:51 – Supra BOA Ski Boots 
47:37 – What's Next 

Check out the featured products here:  

Salomon QST Echo 106 Ski
Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA 130 GW Ski Boot
Salomon Women’s S/Pro Supra BOA 105 GW Ski Boot
All Salomon Skis
All Salomon Ski Boots
Salomon S/Lab Shift MNC 13 Alpine Touring Binding
All Skis
All Ski Boots
Salomon Snowboarding
Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

#venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog

Parkin Costain, Jake Hopfinger, McRae Williams, and Colter Hinchliffe are all Backcountry athletes featured in this year’s Teton Gravity Research film, Legend Has It. Between their stacked athlete roster and killer film premieres, TGR sets the standard for annual ski flicks—we couldn’t be more stoked to be involved! 

 Nils gets the latest from the TGR crew, covering everything from Legend Has It to staying safe in the backcountry. What’s your favorite TGR movie? Let us know in the comments! 

Read our Avalanche Safety article
Watch Must Be Nice

Chapters With Times: 

0:00 – Intro 
1:57 – Legend Has It 
6:11 – Colter The TGR Vet 
10:07 – Parkin & Jake’s Backstory 
13:10 – McRae's Journey To TGR 
19:44 – Ins & Outs Of Film Logistics 
25:25 – Chad's Gap 
32:34 – Jump Building Technique 
39:26 – International Pro Rider Workshop 
43:47 – The Epic 2023 Season 
51:31 – Alaska 
55:34 – Closing Out The Season 
1:00:21 – Summer Activities 
1:10:01 – TGR Film Premieres 
1:12:38 – What's Next 

Check out the featured products here:  

Backcountry Men’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Jacket
Backcountry Men’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Bib Pant
Backcountry Men’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Jacket
Backcountry Men’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Bib Pant
Backcountry Men’s Down Insulated Jacket
Backcountry Women’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Jacket
Backcountry Women’s Cardiac GORE-TEX PRO Bib Pant
Backcountry Women’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Jacket
Backcountry Women’s Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Bib Pant
Backcountry Women’s Down Insulated Jacket
Shop The World’s Biggest Gear Closet

#venturebeyond 

Connect with a Gearhead: Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat with us online.

What makes Backcountry the best place to gear up? One-on-one Gearhead expertise. The greatest selection of outdoor gear, apparel, and accessories out there. And the tools to elevate your entire outdoor experience, from training smarter and sending harder to toasting at après. Harnessing the insights of our Gearhead® Experts, we also build our own products for ski, camp, MTB, fly fish, and more pursuits, including exclusive collabs with industry leaders. Backcountry is the place to Venture Beyond.

Follow Along for More Content!

• Backcountry Bulletin
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Explore Blog