Big Picture Skiing Podcast

I first met Alex Hackel in Austria filming a video where I taught him to improve his short turns, tracked by CARV, the digital ski coach. What struck me most was how good a learner he was — focused, determined, and genuinely humble. That’s a big part of why I wanted him on the podcast.Two-time X Games medalist Alex Hackel didn’t get here by being the most naturally talented kid on the mountain — he got here by getting rejected, picked last, and told by a coach he’d never make it pro.In this episode we go back to that moment at Sunday River, how he found the coach (Mike Hanley) who changed everything, the story behind his triple cork 1080, and how that same “figure it out and go again” mindset led him into filmmaking, freeride, co-founding his own ski company (1000 Skis), and starting a YouTube channel from scratch that’s since taken off.If you’ve ever felt written off before you even got started, this one’s for you.Get 20% off Big Picture Skiing membership with code PODCAST at bigpictureskiing.comChapters:00:00 Intro00:56 Why Alex is successful in so many different ways01:24 The Sunday River story — judged and picked last02:52 Growing up with idiopathic short stature04:23 What kept him from giving up06:29 Finding support in the terrain park (meeting Curtis)07:38 Convincing his parents to send him to Windells Academy09:03 Meeting coach Mike Hanley11:10 The triple cork 1080 story — a coach who believed in him first13:00 Advice on learning bigger spins and takeoffs16:16 Managing fear and nerves on big tricks18:08 How airbags changed trick progression19:04 Getting into filmmaking21:47 What it actually takes to grow a YouTube channel25:19 The “White Rush” video and why it stood out30:34 Why he started his own ski company, 1000 Skis37:41 Sleep, routine, and shifting to long-term thinking41:17 Final words and mutual respect42:34 Where to find Alex Hackel + 1000 SkisAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Are your ski boots holding you back from the performance your skis are capable of? In this episode I sit down with Master Boot Fitter Brent Amsbury to break down everything you need to know about plug boots — the type of ski boot most top level technical skiers are wearing.Brent is a Master Boot Fitter at Park City Ski Boot in Park City, Utah, where he sets up plug boots for racers, instructors, and high-performance skiers. If you’re chasing higher carve scores, driving race skis, or pushing toward your highest instructor certification, this conversation will save you a lot of trial and error.We cover: • What a plug boot actually is and who it’s really for • Why they’re called “plug” boots (the internal construction explained) • Forward lean, cuff height, and why these boots feel so much more powerful • Ramp angle adjustability and why most racers reduce it • The thick sole and torsional rigidity that sets plug boots apart • Why plug boots are a “project in a box” — not a boot you just heat mold and go • The best time of year to buy (and why waiting until the season starts is a mistake) • Pricing, and how to get into a great plug boot for a fraction of retail • Longevity — how many days you can actually get out of one • Brand-by-brand differences: Lange/Rossignol, Head, Atomic, Fischer, Nordica/Technica, Dalbello • Fitting advice for wide, low-arch, or fleshy feet • How to choose your flex (110 vs 130 vs 140+) • How manufacturers actually create different flex ratings • Junior and shorter-cuff options • Why heated socks or boot heaters are non-negotiable in these boots • Why the pain isn’t mandatory — proper fitting makes these boots comfortable • DIY boot work vs. working with a fitter⛷️ Enjoyed this podcast? Frustrated with staying at the same level of skiing for the past few years? To change your skiing you need a systematic approach that covers all aspects of skiing. That’s exactly why I built my learning platform, Big Picture Skiing. It’s not this YouTube channel, it’s where skiers go to find more than just tips. If you are ready to finally take your skiing to the next level go to www.bigpictureskiing.com Podcast listeners get 20% off using code PODCAST. So why wait when you could be getting started today. Chapters:0:00 Intro1:54 What is a plug boot & who's it for4:23 Why it's called a "plug" boot5:33 Forward lean, cuff height & power vs. freeride boots7:01 Ramp angle & boot board adjustability8:05 Thick sole, torsional rigidity & weight9:45 Plastic type & retail price ($1,000-$1,300)10:26 It's a "project in a box"12:53 Checking flatness out of the box13:32 Cuff canting, liners & fine-tuning15:42 Best time of year to buy17:18 Pricing & buying older/discounted models20:21 Lifespan, durability & upgrading liners21:06 Brand differences (Lange, Rossignol, Head, Atomic, Fischer, Nordica, Technica, Dalbello)25:01 Fitting for low arch or wider feet27:04 Grinding, shaping & sizing tips28:56 Choosing your flex (110 vs 130 vs 140+)30:15 How flex ratings are actually made31:50 Junior & shorter-cuff options32:44 Wrap-up: which route to take33:19 Heated socks & boot heaters34:16 Plug boots don't have to be painful35:03 DIY boot work vs. going to a fitter36:26 Find Brent / Park City Ski Boot37:17 Leave your local boot fitter recommendation38:19 OutroAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If moguls intimidate you this episode is going to change that. You’ll learn a clear, repeatable method for going from avoiding bumps entirely to skiing 60 in a row with control and actually enjoying it. Expect practical handholds: how to control your speed and direction, why “just get small and absorb” quietly sabotages most people, and the mindset shift that turns a scary bump field into a series of solvable problems.My guest is Geri Tumbasz — Hungarian-born, Austria-based, and one of the most highly certified ski coaches in the world. What makes him the right person for this is that he wasn’t a natural at moguls either. He struggled, got frustrated, went looking for answers, and reverse-engineered a progression that now gets terrified skiers skiing bump lines in a single camp.Here’s what we cover:✅ The full beginner-to-confident progression — wedge-parallel turns in a corridor, then building a real mogul line with gates✅ Why you find the round line before the direct line (and how that kills the fear)✅ The “just get small and absorb” myth — and what to do instead✅ The heel-up / hamstring-as-a-hinge move for releasing your tail in steep zipper lines✅ Where pole-plant timing actually wins you control✅ The mindset shift: hunting for the solution instead of staring at the problem✅ Geri’s bouncy low transition and where his style comes from✅ The ideas he stole from Japanese and Korean technical skiers✅ Why he deliberately overdoes a movement to find its limits✅ How telemark transformed his feel for pressure and dorsiflexion in alpine skiing⛷️ Geri’s online Mogul course (founder/lifetime access offer mentioned in the episode): https://www.snowsportsgeri.com/offers/m7hSgEVq/checkout🌐 Geri’s Ski Camps: www.snowsportsgeri.com🏕️ Geri’s Cold Candy ski school: www.cold-candy.comFor everything I do on carving, short turns, body prep, mobility and mogul skiing, it’s all in one place:👉 https://bigpictureskiing.com (use code PODCAST for 20% off any membership)🎿 Ski camps with me: https://skicoachcollective.com⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Intro – why moguls scare people01:20 How Geri became the go-to mogul coach05:30 Where the progression starts: the wedge & corridor drill13:00 Moving from groomers into real bumps15:00 The "get small and absorb" myth16:20 Finding the round line before the direct line21:30 Reading the line & looking for solutions, not problems25:00 Steep, long bumps and over-skied lines32:15 The steep rut line: the heel-up hamstring release40:30 Pole plant: timing, prep & targeting the next bump45:40 What he learned from World Cup mogul skiers51:40 Mogul waves: the easy way in54:50 Who the camps are for & "booking your line"57:15 Moguls and your knees01:00:45 What makes Geri tick: the low position & overdoing movements01:09:00 Japanese & Korean inspiration + favourite drills01:14:30 Telemark: what it taught him about alpine skiing01:24:15 How to ski with Geri – camps & course01:29:20 Wrap-up🎧 Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.👍 Enjoyed it? Subscribe and tell me — what trips you up most in the bumps?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mark Sedgwick finished this winter as #1 on the CARV global leaderboard for short turns, with a Ski IQ of 180 — the highest recorded this season. In this episode, I sit down with Mark to find out exactly how he got there.Mark is an Australian-born ski professional who started at age 10 and never looked back. He's worked through the APSI, CSIA, and Austrian instructor systems, raced in Europe, ran ski resorts, and now plays a senior role in the PSIC (Professional Ski Instructors of Canada) — including integrating CARV data into Level 4 certification exams.This is one of the most practical, data-rich ski improvement conversations I've had on the show. We cover:→ The difference between play, purposeful practice, and deliberate practice→ Why just trying harder keeps you stuck at the same score→ The #1 and #2 metrics that drive short turn Ski IQ→ Mark's philosophy: make something exist before you make it better→ Turn-by-turn breakdowns of parallel, carving, short turns, and moguls→ Why function before form is reshaping how ski instructors are trained→ A live coaching session using my real CARV data→ How Mark used AI to reverse-engineer the CARV scoring algorithm→ The future of CARV: stivets, one-ski skiing, and community featuresWhether you're a recreational skier trying to level up or a ski professional looking for a new lens on performance, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.——————————————————————————🎿 FREE SKIING VIDEOGet a premium level Big Picture Skiing Tutorial here:https://bigpictureskiing.com/get/perpendicular📱 DOWNLOAD CARVTry CARV for yourself:https://getcarv.com🌐 BIG PICTURE SKIINGWebsite: https://bigpictureskiing.com——————————————————————————⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 How Mark Hit Ski IQ 1803:15 Meet Mark Sedgwick5:14 From Aussie Kid to Ski Pro7:52 The Austrian Influence12:56 Why Most Practice Doesn't Work23:55 The Ugly Skiing Breakthrough32:39 Function Over Form37:12 Style Still Matters 45:50 Make It Exist, Then Make It Better54:48 How to Improve Your Parallel Score1:04:45 Parallel — The Most Overlooked Turn Type1:13:42 Carving: The Metrics That Actually Matter1:27:44 Ski Sharpening & The Pole Secret1:31:25 Short Turns — How to Break Your Ceiling1:45:43 Moguls, Tempo & Keeping the JoyAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Another season done. And like always, by the time the lifts close Demelza and I find ourselves deep in conversation about what we actually learned out there — not just what we taught, but what shifted in our own thinking.This episode is that conversation. We each had a big coaching theme this season that we kept coming back to with clients, and in this one we unpack both of them — plus a few other things that came up along the way.We get into turn shape and why it’s the foundation everything else is built on, ankle and knee mechanics and where they actually belong in the turn, the push vs pull debate and what’s really happening with pressure, why a “stable upper body” is honestly an optical illusion, and what it means to unfreeze — and why loose is actually stable.There’s also a moment where Demelza highsides herself at about 3 feet in the air at Hintertux while I’m watching from the bottom. That one’s worth it alone.If you’re a skier who wants to understand the why behind good technique, this one’s for you.Interested in joining Tom’s upcoming Deep Dive Webinars? See below 📅 Big Picture Skiing upcoming webinars → https://bigpictureskiing.com/programs/deep-dive-3Want to join a ski camps with Tom, Demelza and Jason? Checkout 🎿 Ski camps with Tom & Demelza → https://www.skicoachcollective.comWant a free deep dive on a concept that will improve linking of your ski turns?🎥 Free video → https://bigpictureskiing.com/get/perpendicularChapters:00:00:00 Introduction to Skiing Insights00:01:13 Exploring Turn Shape00:02:53 Coaching Themes for the Season00:06:55 Understanding Turn Dynamics00:08:38 The Joy of Speed in Skiing00:12:14 Engaging Advanced Skiers00:17:04 The Push-Pull Concept00:28:28 Balancing Between Techniques00:31:35 The Importance of Timing00:38:05 Skiing for Fun vs. Competition00:46:21 Reflecting on Personal Growth00:59:23 Enhancing Skiing Techniques01:06:37 The Journey of Unfreezing Movements01:16:01 Preparing for Future Topics01:28:52 Conclusion and Future ConversationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy