The Fifty Episodes in Review | Scott Kessler | E50
In the wake of a Thanksgiving bomb cyclone that walloped Northern California with rain and snow, the boys celebrate reaching 50 episodes with superfan #1, Scott Kessler. In addition to recapping their personal favorite episodes and the most listened to ones, the three amigos chat about chasing pow in Mammoth and Lakes Basin, telemark skiing versus splitboarding versus pow surfing, Scott’s days as a chain installer on Interstate 80 and building his business, Truckee Overhead Door, his European mountain bike vacations and opening up about the loss of his first wife, Kathy Kessler, in the 2002 British Columbia avalanche that also took the life of Craig Kelly and five others. Also, are the BOA lacing system, fat bikes and Cody Townsend’s 50+ project Dope or Derp?
The Darkest White | Eric Blehm | E35
“Snow is blissful, it’s pure, it’s white, it’s serene, it’s a siren call. But it’s also very dark, it’s death. The darkest white is the perfect analogy for an avalanche,” said New York Times bestselling author Eric Blehm on Episode 35 about his latest book, The Darkest White, chronicling the life and untimely passing of legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly. Widely regarded as the Michael Jordan of snowboarding, Kelly was a pioneer in this uniquely American sport, and in his book, Blehm dives deep in to Kelly’s life and his pivotal role in the history of snowboarding and splitboarding. Blehm also goes into remarkable detail about the 2003 La Traviata avalanche in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, where Kelly and six other skiers lost their lives, including Truckee local Kathy Kessler. Our chat with Blehm covers a bit of the history here in Lake Tahoe, a bit about Kelly and an insightful discussion around the human factors involved in the tragic avalanche. Learn more about Blehm and purchase his award-winning non-fiction books at ericblehm.com.