Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis.

I love watching Aaron Blunck ski the pipe. The Crested Butte native has spent 26 of his 27 years on skis and it shows, with amazing airs and unrivaled style. Earlier this season I got to see Aaron ski in the Copper pipe and he was throwing this ridiculously cool pipe-grinding, snow-spraying slash in the middle of his run, and the crowd loved it.

This is a fun chat with the three-time Olympian who grew up dreaming of competing in the X Games, which he won in 2017. He spent his younger years chasing his older brother Nolan around the steeps of Crested Butte Mtn Resort, where he honed his aerial prowess in gnarly cliffs and trees.

Listen and learn from one of Colorado's best as Aaron shares insights into bouncing back from injuries, the relentless pursuit of new challenges in skiing, celebrating every turn, and embracing gratitude on snow. Thanks for listening to Next Level Skiing.

Topics:

2:00 - Copper performance

4:49 - Skiing at 18 months

5:24 - Chasing his older brother

7:21 - Unlocking a new wave of younger rippers at Crested Butte

9:10 - Big mountain laps with pipe and terrain park to finish

11:00 - Still living the dream

13:40 - Not just skiing: hockey, baseball, soccer

17:25 - Pay to play: injuries and recovery

22:00 - Mind over matter to bounce back from injuries

24:24 - Overcoming the life-changing injury

26:00 - Why not go skiing?

28:00 - This is my purpose

30:00 - Never stop learning new things

32:00 - Little-kid cruising and embracing gratitude

Resources:

Aaron Blunck Instagram

Wagner Custom Skis