Nausicaa Cast

With projecting, you go from something that feels completely impossible...and you work on it...you spend time and effort and skin...it's this huge achievement and really rewarding. That is why people go through the labor. You go from feeling like something is impossible, to believing you can do something, to finally realizing it. -Colette McInerney On this special episode of Nausicaa Cast, I had the opportunity to talk with Colette McInerney the day before her new production company, Never Not Collective, raised 50,000 for their new all-female climbing movie. Colette, along with Shelma Jun, Julie Ellison, and Leslie Hittmeier must have set a record when they met their original goal in 5 days on kickstarter . This seems to not only be an indication of the need for more female climbing presence in the industry and the strength of the group as a whole, but also the generosity and support of the climbing community. Colette discusses this support as well as her nomadic path, her passion for photography, and #coletteing. The world is going to do what its going to do and it's your decision if you're going to be anxious about it or go with it. Bio After a decade of traveling the world as a professional climber, Colette started recording her adventures through photography and film in 2010. She found her passion at the intersection of photo, film, travel, and climbing, and since then she’s worked with companies like Red Bull, National Geographic, Prana, and New Balance to capture the story behind the biggest accomplishments. From summiting 14,000-foot peaks to scaling massive limestone walls, she can—and will—go anywhere to get the shot. Follow Colette Instagram Website Video Donate to Pretty Strong, Never Not Collective DONATE Never Not Collective    

“I’ve had some time where I’ve really had to dig my heels in. Take deep breaths. But throughout all of those things, I knew I was going to be okay. And skiing was such a part of that. It’s always made me know that everything was going to be awesome.” -Sierra Quitiquit Sierra Quitiquit has made a name for herself in two very different worlds. As a skier, she has appeared in Warren Miller and Sweetgrass ski films and produced her own documentary, How Did I Get Here. Meanwhile, Quitiquit’s career as a fashion model has included campaigns with global companies including American Eagle, Nike, and more. “I try to focus on the mantra of being limitless,” says the 28-year-old in the final episode of season one. Quitiquit certainly can’t be categorized into one box. Known for her role playing Ayla in Sweetgrass' Valhalla, and her segments in Warren Miller's No Turning Back and Ticket to Ride, she also uses her social media platform to bring light to issues such as climate change, legalizing marijuana, and women’s rights. Joining Nausicaa Cast right after she was in D.C. for the Climate March with Protect Our Winters, we talked at length about how she contributes to the causes she is most passionate about and how to balance the guilt of a skier’s lifestyle with productive ways to join the fight for improved environmental protection. While the Park City native’s life can seem carefree and desirable, she has gone through a series of tragedies; many of them are touched on in her film. But she has an unyielding sense of remaining positive throughout it all. Bio Born in the mountains, raised in the mountains and named after the mountains it's no wonder Sierra has a deep love for skiing. When Sierra's not out charging on skis she can likely be found in the surf, on a yoga mat, cruising on a skateboard or baking muffins. With a flair for mischief and fun Sierra is always seeking the next epic adventure. Follow Instagram Facebook Watch

"This is not anyone else's career. What are your goals, what can you challenge yourself with mentally? For me, it's going out there and starting to produce podiums and not just being satisfied with the fact that I can keep going and inspire people" -Resi Stiegler Resi Stiegler has been racing down slopes for almost 30 years since came on the scene donning her iconic tiger ears at the Torino Olympics. She has since ditched the ears, but has retained her fierceness; battling through multiple season-ending injuries, losing her spot on the US Ski Team, and family hardships—all while maintaining her ranking as the second fastest female American slalom skier. On this episode of Nausicaa Cast, Resi talks about her vulnerabilities, about training alongside Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, and her quest to find happiness every day Bio Olympian and daughter to Olympic gold medalist Pepi Stiegler, Resi (RAY-zee) Stiegler was born and grew up in prime ski country (Jackson Hole, WY and Lienz, Austria). She's represented the United States at every level of alpine ski racing—Topolino, Whistler Cup, Junior Worlds, World Cup, World Championships and the Olympics. She’s won Junior Worlds medals and U.S. titles and has stood on the World Cup podium. Stiegler may only be 30, but she has more experience than most people double her age. This U.S. Ski Team veteran entered the 2015 season as an independent, after not meeting criteria for the first time in her long career, but also with two consecutive injury-free seasons and full prep periods, which is something she had never experienced before. It paid off for Stiegler, who worked her way back to "A" team status for the 2016 season. Diving into a return-to-snow program with coach Bernd Brunner and teammates Thomas Biesemeyer (Keene, New York), Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) and Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA), fittingly dubbed “#teamresitommyryanANDerik,” Stiegler found comfort in a new family, and inspiration to fight. She battled back to what ended up being the best comeback season of her career, grabbing seven top-15 finishes, two top-10 finishes and was ranked 13th in the world in slalom. Next time you’re watching a World Cup race, keep a close eye on Stiegler in the finish. Whether in eighth or 25th, Stiegler comes through the finish and greets the crowd with a smile, throwing her arms up the air in celebration and laughing contagiously. The reaction? The crowd goes wild. This simple, pure act of joy is an example for all – whether it be her teammates or young competitors – to find joy in what you do for a living and share that joy with everyone around you. Follow Resi Instagram Facebook Watch

“I think what worked in my favor the most was total ignorance, I moved there not thinking I was going to make my whole life skiing and climbing mountains.” -Hilaree O'Neil On this episode of the “Nausicaa Cast” podcast, presented by Powder Radio, host Hadley Hammer interviews ski mountaineer Hilaree O’Neill. One of the most adventurous women in the outdoor sphere, she has made first descents all over the world. In 1996, O’Neill headed to Chamonix with plans to stay a few months. Ultimately, she stayed for six years, competing in (and winning) some of the early freeskiing competitions and opening her eyes to an emerging world of skiing. “I think what worked in my favor the most was total ignorance,” says O’Neill. “I moved there not thinking I was going to make my whole life skiing and climbing mountains.” Bio She’s skied from the Himalayan summit of Cho Oyu in Tibet and climbed and skied several high peaks in Bolivia and Argentina. Elsewhere, she’s cut turns on remote volcanoes in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, in Mongolia, Pakistan, Lebanon, as well as many first descents in the tight couloirs of Baffin Island. Born and raised in the Northwest, Hilaree began skiing at age 3 at Steven’s Pass in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Eventually she moved to the Chamonix Valley of France where she learned most of what she needed to know in order to take her skiing skills to the next level- ski mountaineering. In addition to her travels as an athlete for The North Face, Hilaree is a mother to two young boys, and although they have changed her life dramatically, her passion for the mountains has not abated. Hilaree lives with her family in Telluride, Colorado and finds her sanity in the beautiful San Juan Mountains. Follow Hilaree Instagram Facebook Read

“I made an appointment and went in with my little tiny portfolio, which was so not anything to write home about… and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to shoot a lot this winter and I’d love to be at Alta,’ and they gave me a pass. It was my first pass. And I walked out of the office and called Billy and just started bawling… And all I could hear was him on the other line laughing.” -Rachael Burks On this episode of the “Nausicaa Cast” podcast, presented by Powder Radio, host Hadley Hammer interviews Rachael Burks, known for her big mountain skiing, massive backflips, and huge personality. The two talk about the late Billy Poole. The two lived, skied, and partied together. It was Poole who convinced Burks to first ask Alta for a free season pass. “I made an appointment and went in with my little tiny portfolio, which was so not anything to write home about… and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to shoot a lot this winter and I’d love to be at Alta,’ and they gave me a pass. It was my first pass. And I walked out of the office and called Billy and just started bawling… And all I could hear was him on the other line laughing.” Burks also discusses the glory days as a comp skier, and the frustrations of the womens’ judging. “There were a lot of instances where women were rewarded for just staying on their feet and not really jumping or doing anything particularly difficult,” she says, “but just skiing fluid and beautiful to the bottom. And that irked me. That really fueled my fire. I was so mad sometimes.” Bio: Rachael Burks is as much whirlwind as human, swirling with grand ideas, loud jokes, belly laughs, and big airs. (For reference, watch her get completely buried after hucking a 50-foot cliff in Light the Wick, an old TGR film.) Her no-holds-barred attitude belies her enduring dedication to introducing other women to the sport. Burks, 34, might be the most underrated female skier out there. Last year she was at the center of Pretty Faces, and now she can be seen in Warren Miller’s Chasing Shadows, setting a monoskiing, cliff-hucking, partying example and championing women’s skiing in a big way. -Skiing Mag Follow Rachael Instagram Watch

“Just do what brings joy to you,”-Ingrid Backstrom On this episode of the “Nausicaa Cast” podcast, presented by Powder Radio, host Hadley Hammer interviews Ingrid Backstrom, the most decorated big mountain skier of all time. The two talk about how professional skiing has evolved, snow safety, and motherhood—Backstrom recently gave birth to a daughter. Backstrom also reflects on her career. “I’m still pretty amazed that somehow I’m still skiing for a living,” says Backstrom. “It still feels like yesterday that I wouldn’t even tell people I was a professional skier because I was so nervous it would all go away.” Bio: After graduating from Whitman College, the call of the mountains drew her to Squaw Valley, California, to put in what she thought would be a year-long stint as a ski bum. However, it only took a few freeskiing contests for Ingrid to realize that she had found her niche. Without doubt, she would be calling the mountains home for a long, long time. Since then, she placed top three in 13 of 16 freeskiing contests entered and has been awarded Breakthrough Performance in 2005, 5-time Best Female Performance, and ten-time Reader Poll winner for her roles in 9 Matchstick Productions films at the annual Powder Magazine Video Awards, in addition to appearing in the 2007 documentary Steep, All.I.Can and Into the Mind by Sherpas Cinema, six Warren Miller films, and 2015‘s The Great Siberian Traverse by Powder Magazine and Sherpas Cinema. Her travels with The North Face have allowed her to make first descents in Baffin Island, Greenland, and 20,000ft Reddomaine Peak in China, as well as a ski descent of Denali. She was named one of 50 most influential action sports athletes in 2013 by ESPN. When she’s not skiing, Ingrid still stays outside as much as possible in her home in Leavenworth, Washington, running, biking, and gardening to relax and keep fit. Ingrid is grateful for the opportunities that her sport brings her, especially getting to travel and ski with “amazing people around the world.” Follow Ingrid: Instagram Facebook Watch

You have to trust that if you are paying attention to the right things and your heart is in the right place and you’re taking the right steps forward, that you’ll be met halfway with the unforeseen unknown components that are the other half of things progressing forward….you can’t have too much fear about not knowing what the next step is, you just have to trust…. Angel Collinson I've spent a lot of time riding alongside Angel across the country, and every conversation we've had has been a powerful one (whether it's serious or not). Angel skis fast, but her accomplishments extend beyond the mountains that she plays in. She is kind, always thinking, and at the end of the day still loves to have a good time. In this cast, we talk face to face about why she skis, what she wants to do with her life, her fears and hopes, and why being a nice, kind person is the ultimate.   Bio: Angel was born July 13th 1990 and grew up in the employee housing at the Snowbird Ski Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon Utah where she and her brother shared a five by twelve foot bedroom. Her dad worked for the snow safety department and her mom made their lifestyle possible by teaching in a one-room home school every winter, teaching kindergarten through high school to Angel, her brother Johnny and a few other kids. "Snow days" were "powder days” and as a result, ignited Angel’s passion for skiing. In the summers her family traveled for months and explored the mountains around the west. They lived out of a 1979 blue ford van that they renovated to make a "luxurious" home, which became their mobile summer base camp until she turned 14. Angel ski raced until she was 18, and enjoyed a successful career of competing internationally. Eventually her enthusiasm for big mountain skiing got the best of her.  Her love for the mountains and being outside was instilled when she was young, and growing up in nature inspired her to protect what has given her so much.  Currently she attends the University of Utah, studying environmental law and competes on the Freeskiing World Tour. In the summer she looks for every way to maximize her time outdoors – she rock climbs, kayaks, and even serves as a raft guide in Glacier National Park. For the passions she has Angel couldn't imagine living anywhere better than Snowbird, and she looks forward to the experiences that being part of the amazing big mountain community brings. Follow Angel Instagram Facebook Watch

"I never learned anything from listening to myself talk...you are more powerful than you think you are, you just have to do the work and it will all work out" Emily was incredibly inspiring to talk to. What I gathered from our brief conversation is that Emily doesn't over think things. She wanted to become a doctor, so at age 39 she went to medical school. She has to get people up mountains, so she figures out how. She wants to help others, so she does it.   Bio: Emily started her climbing career by jubilantly summiting Glacier Peak when she was 13. She spent her teen years climbing in the North Cascades of Washington, and in Oregon and British Columbia. After college, she instructed for Outward Bound in Joshua Tree and Central Oregon, then began guiding on Mt. Rainier in 1989. Over the years she's also enjoyed guiding in the North Cascades, Alaska, Mexico, and the Himalayas. Adventure races, whitewater competitions, and personal travels have taken her to the rivers and mountains of every continent except Antarctica (it's on the list, but she'd rather go to the Space Station first!) Beyond her alpine life, she's lived/studied/worked in the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Thailand, France, New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Indonesia, DR Congo, Nepal, and Bhutan. Her training includes EMT-B-IV, Leave No Trace Trainer, AIARE Level 3 Avalanche Certification, and MD (FACEP). When she's away from mountain guiding, she works as a whitewater guide/instructor (Orion Expeditions), professional ski patroller at Stevens Pass, WA, and ER doc with an interest in high altitude medicine. She’s Emergency Department Director at Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth, WA, works for the US Army as an ER doc and Mountain Medicine (DIMM) course instructor, and is a clinical instructor for the University of Washington School of Medicine.  In all of her spare time, she enjoys backcountry skiing, writing, trail running, mountain biking, and the occasional refuge of silent meditation.   Women's adventure magazine Article

Go out and ski what looks fun to you, and push yourself. Go through the finish line and have fun-Crystal Wright What do barrel racing and big mountain skiing have in common-in this week's episode I ask Wyoming native Crystal Wright what the commonalities between horses and big mountain ski lines. Crystal shares her thoughts about her athletic careers as well as what it's like to start your own business, a non-profit, and running women's ski camps. Thanks for listening!   Bio: I was born in Jackson Hole Wyoming in 1982, my parents had moved to Jackson to be ski bums in the 70’s and have resided there ever since. I remember skiing on wooden skis down my driveway when I was 2 years old. When I was five years old my family took a managing position at Big Sandy Ranch in Pinedale, WY right at the base of the Wind River Mountain range. The ranch was 2 hours from Jackson, 50 miles from the closest town and had no electricity. So I would spend my summers on a ranch and my winters in Jackson, I felt very lucky to live in two such beautiful places. I started showing horses, barrel racing and roping when I was nine years old, that is how I would spend my summers. Having the Wind River and Teton mountain ranges in my back yard has also opened me up to the world of rock climbing and mountain biking which I love almost as much as skiing. I started ski racing with the Jackson Hole Ski Club when I was nine and worked my way up the ranks of ski racing. I became a member of the Western Region Elite Ski Team when I was 15 and later traveled with U.S. Ski Team through Europe and South America until I was 20 years old. In 2002 I was chosen to forerun the Women’s Olympic downhill in Snowbasin Utah and was the first person to ski the course. It was one of the best experiences of my life being able to compete with the best women skiers in the world. I also had many top 5 results in various downhill Nor-Ams and raced Europa Cup downhills. I then went on to college where I had to transfer my talent to the technical events and raced NCAA skiing at Montana State University. I also was a member of the Rodeo team as well, so I traveled much during the fall and winter months of college. During my racing career I never lost my love for freeskiing and skiing  the Jackson Hole backcountry. I couldn’t wait until my racing career was over and I would be able to compete and ski on the big mountain circuit. Through all my years of racing the one thing that kept me competing at such a high level for so long was being able to go ski powder and steeps with my friends and family. After spending 9 years competing on the Freeskiing and Freeride World Tours I have now retired from following the tour. I won the Freeskiing World  tour in 2009 and 2012 and was on the podium 22 times. I am still pushing myself in the skiing through skiing more in the mountains and doing a competition or two every season. I own my own gym Wright Training www.jhwrighttraining.com that works with bringing people back from injury and getting people to perform at their best in the mountains. I cofounded the Jackson Hole Babe Force www.jhbabeforce.com in 2012 which brings ladies together to share their passions in the mountains and push themselves out of their comfort zones. I am also starting to coach women’s camps in Jackson Hole and had my first annual women’s camp in Chamonix, France last year 2015! Follow Crystal: Train with Crystal Facebook Instagram Photo Credit: Fred Marmsater

Bio: Amie Engerbretson is more than a pretty face. Born in Tahoe and raised on the slopes of Squaw during the post-Hot Dog: The Movie era, Amie spent her first day on snow at 10 months old and has been skiing for the camera (and for fun!) ever since. Following in the footsteps of her former pro skier father, Jeff Engerbretson, Amie developed a unique set of skills and deep knowledge of the mountains. She’s been featured in motion and print advertising campaigns and published in international media outlets.  From skiing to mountain biking to paddle boarding, Amie’s warm personality, infectious smile, and passion for exploration are present on her many adventures. She has a bachelor’s degree in Media Management from Columbia College of Chicago and has done sports modeling for various outdoor companies. She is sponsored by K2 Skis, Smith Optics, Marker Bindings, Dalbello Boots and Discrete Headwear. Follow Amie: Twitter Instagram Facebook Website Photo: Will Wissman