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The premier podcast and YouTube show for ski mountaineering interviews and analysis. Explore the high-altitude, high-stakes world of skimo as elite athletes prepare for Olympic competition and beyond. From the World Cup podium to the local skintrack, SKIMO GOLD is THE podcast for smooth-gliding, quick-transitioning, lung-burning, kick-turning beta on training, racing, gear, fueling, mindset, and–most importantly–FUN! Join hosts Travis Macy and Cam Smith regularly for novel conversations with the world’s best athletes, coaches, organizers, and skimo aficionados plus just-in-time race analysis. Produced for all podcast players by Palm Tree Pod Co.
46 Episodes
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Ski mountaineering has officially made its Olympic debut and the sprint race delivered drama, chaos, and history. In this Olympic Dispatch episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy is joined by former U.S. National Team coach Joe Howdyshell and U.S. athlete rep Rory Kelly to break down the first-ever Olympic Skimo medals. They analyze: Marianne Fatton and Oriol Cardona Coll’s gold medal performancesThe impact of heavy snowfall and ultra-dynamic conditionsKey transition mistakes that changed podium o...
Germany’s Tatjana Paller didn’t start in skimo — she came up through alpine skiing and later raced for Germany’s national cycling team on the road and track before realizing she was missing the mountains. In this Olympic Dispatch episode of Skimo Gold, Tatjana shares what pulled her away from cycling, how quickly skimo clicked when she made the switch in her mid-20s, and why the sport finally felt like home. We talk about her World Championship bronze medal, what elite skimo training actually...
Racing starts tomorrow. Ahead of the Olympic skimo sprint, this episode tells the story of Team USA — how the team got here, who these athletes are, and why the U.S. skimo community is so fired up right now. This is a narrative episode built from standout moments across the Skimo Gold archives, brought together to introduce the people behind Team USA. You’ll hear from Cam Smith before the Olympic picture was fully real, reflecting on injuries, staying grounded, and the values that drive him. ...
The Olympics are here—and skimo is finally on the biggest stage. Catie Friend is back on Skimo Gold to help us set the table for what you’re about to watch in Bormio: the Sprint (Feb 19) and the Mixed Relay (Feb 21). We break down the formats in plain English (yes, including the transitions, the boot/binding chaos, and that “800m-lactic-acid-then-technical-downhill” feeling), and then we zoom out: this is just a taster of a much bigger sport. Whether you’re here for the head-to-head chaos or ...
On today's Olympic Dispatch, Marianna Jagerčíková (Team Slovakia) joins Travis to talk about her preparation for skimo’s Olympic debut and what it’s taken to stay competitive into her 40s in one of the most demanding disciplines in endurance sport. They get into how Marianna structures her training now compared to earlier in her career, what she learned from overtraining, and why durability, recovery, and nervous system management have become non-negotiables for her. She shares what a typical...
On today's Olympic Dispatch episode, Italian skimo standout Alba De Silvestro joins Travis Macy for a deep dive into what it really takes to prepare for skimo’s Olympic moment. Racing for Italy since she was just 17, Alba has lived through the evolution of the sport. From long, grueling endurance races to today’s short, explosive sprint and mixed relay formats. They talk about how training changes when races go from 90 minutes to just a few minutes, why transitions have become one of the bigg...
In this episode of Skimo Gold’s Olympic Dispatch, Travis Macy sits down with two members of Team Australia Skimo: Phil Bellingham and Lara Hamilton—right in the middle of the chaos leading into the first-ever Olympic ski mountaineering races. Phil is heading into his fourth Olympic Games (after three Olympics in cross-country skiing) and shares what it’s like to step into a brand-new Olympic sport, manage the pressure cooker of the Olympic environment, and stay grounded through years of elite...
Emily Harrop has a British last name, a hint of an English accent, and a very French skimo story: raised in the Alps, shaped by alpine ski racing, and ultimately pulled into ski mountaineering by curiosity, adventure, and the sheer love of training. In this Olympic Dispatch episode, Travis Macy and Cam Smith sit down with the three-time overall World Cup champion to talk about the path from “late to skimo” to the very top of the sport—and what it takes to stay there. Emily shares how the Fren...
In this Olympic Dispatch episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with two people who embody the idea that performance is never solo: Belgian sprint podium contender Max Drion and his on-snow coach/supporter Pablo Ruiz de Almirón. Max shares how he’s approached this Olympic year differently—prioritizing quality, recovery, altitude, and especially cleaner transitions—plus the mindset work that’s helping him carry confidence into the biggest start line of his life. Then Pablo breaks down th...
Cam Smith is heading to Europe for the Olympics—and before he goes, we’re digging into the mental side of performance with one of the best in the game: Dr. Pete Kadushin (“Dr. K”), Manager of Learning & Development for the Chicago Blackhawks and longtime mental performance coach for athletes and leaders. This conversation is part of our Olympic Dispatch coverage, but the tools go way beyond skimo. Dr. K breaks down three practical foundations for building an “Olympic mindset” in sport, bu...
Today on Skimo Gold's Olympic Dispatch, Travis Macy sits down with Spanish skimo star Oriol Cardona, one of the fastest and most consistent athletes in the world in the sprint and mixed relay disciplines and now an Olympic qualifier. Oriol shares his journey from growing up in Banyoles, Catalonia, to moving into the Pyrenees to fully commit to ski mountaineering. We talk about his early background in cross country running, the influence of athletes like Kilian Jornet, and how Spain’s strong y...
In this Olympic Dispatch episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with Max Valverde—skimo’s ultimate hype man, content creator, and now an NBC Olympic ski mountaineering commentator. Max shares the full arc: from building a startup that scaled to hundreds of employees (and eventually selling to Booking.com), to moving to Park City, discovering skimo, and launching his “dad bod goes pro” experiment—training like an athlete with the time and freedom to go all-in. Along the way, he realized ...
As part of the Skimo Gold Olympic Dispatch series, Travis Macy sits down with one of the true legends of ski mountaineering: Matteo Eydallin. Matteo has spent decades at the very top of skimo—winning iconic team races like Pierra Menta, Mezzalama, and Patrouille des Glaciers—yet his approach to training and racing couldn’t be more grounded. Instead of rigid programs and obsession with metrics, Matteo shares how he’s built longevity by listening to his body, training by feel, and staying conne...
On this episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with Italian World Cup standout Giulia Murada for a wide-ranging conversation about growing up in the Italian Alps, the deep cultural roots of ski mountaineering in Valtellina, and what it means to race toward the Olympics in her own backyard. Giulia shares what it was like to grow up watching her dad compete in skimo, how she joined the Italian national team as a teenager, and how her perspective on the sport has evolved as skimo moves ont...
What is skimo…and why on earth are these people skiing uphill instead of taking the lift? Today we're kicking off Skimo Gold's Olympic Dispatch with Travis Macy and Andrew Vontz (host of Choose the Hard Way and co-host of Beyond the Peloton) for a rapid-fire, beginner-friendly breakdown of ski mountaineering—built for the skimo-curious and anyone watching the sport hit the Olympic stage. Travis unpacks the two Olympic disciplines—the Sprint and the Mixed Relay—and explains what makes them so ...
Two major World Cup weekends. One deep dive into what actually mattered. On this episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy is joined by longtime ski mountaineering commentator Catie Friend to break down the Andorra Vertical World Cup and the Boí Taüll Sprint and Mixed Relay. Together, they analyze the results, the racing dynamics, and the small moments that decided big outcomes—especially in the sprints and mixed relay, where transitions, downhill skiing, and tactical positioning made all the differ...
This week on Skimo Gold, we're diving deep into one of the most ambitious and soulful ski mountaineering races in North America: the Kulshan Randonnée. Think European-style grand course racing—but fully untamed. Glaciers, rope work, teams of three, real consequence, and an active volcano (Mount Baker) as the backdrop. Kulshan isn’t about groomers or convenience. It’s about wild mountain skiing, partnership, craft, and respect for the landscape. Co-host, Travis Macy is joined by race organizer...
Getting into skimo can feel overwhelming — the gear, the races, the rules, the learning curve. So where do you actually start? On this episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with Mark Koob, race director, coach, educator, and the driving force behind Rocky Mountain Skimo, to break it all down. Mark shares his path from Idaho snowboarder to Colorado skimo lifer, what it really takes to organize and grow races, and how the sport is evolving in the U.S. They talk through beginner-friendly ...
With Milano Cortina 2026 fast approaching, the Skimo Gold team dives into the latest action from the Courchevel World Cup and what it means for the Olympic picture. Catie Friend and Travis Macy break down the standout performances, rising stars, and surprising shake-ups across the individual, vertical, and sprint events. They analyze who's peaking at the right time, how different countries are positioning themselves for Olympic success, and why this year’s World Cup scene is more competitive ...
Join hosts Travis Macy and Cam Smith on Skimo Gold as they welcome special guest, Sage Canaday—elite runner, mountain athlete, and YouTuber for an exciting dual sport conversation! Sage shares his evolution from running prodigy and ultra-marathon champion to embracing the learning curve of ski mountaineering in Colorado. Discover how running and skimo complement each other, the role of gear and training at altitude, and strategies for balancing backcountry adventure with safety and performanc...
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