The Lawless Podcast: Recent Episodes
Andrea Helleman
The Lawless podcast is my answer to unravelling drive, motivation and the forces that have brought about exceptional lives.
They are my curated conversations with people of interest who have pushed back from conventional business and are sharing stories and legacies in the making.
People who value innovation, sustainability, art and expression over a predetermined level of success.
Join me every week where I introduce people from start-ups, to artists, athletes, bureacrats, philanthropists to thriving business owners who have done it on their own terms.
I sat down with Celeste this spring, and then the world moved in all different directions, and I’m just getting this out now. My apologies, but it’s worth the wait, and I’m happy to report that I’m back for another batch of podcasting… hoping for a weekly installment. But we’ll see.
Celeste lives in Squamish, BC, where we recorded this, and I came into this conversation a bit hot on her Sailing ski trip in Norway because I had just watched ‘Wavy 2’ on YouTube.
It’s a ski documentary backed by her sponsor Black Crows, where she and Niko Schirmer sail to the northern Norwegian island of Svalbard and ski under arctic conditions.
You’ll want to see it… maybe watch it now so we don’t give away spoilers.
Celeste is an easy conversation, she has a lot of honesty, depth and an understanding of the world that I love, and we talk about her work doing her master’s in energy renewables, climate change, getting injured, how she pitches projects that get her fired up amongst other things.
She’s a four-season athlete, a scientist and good on bikes and skis, and I’m sure anything she puts her mind to.
Enjoy.
Juliette Pelchat is a force on a snowboard, but it was her work with RWK // Real Wild Kittens that touched me the most! A Girl Shred Movement to promote female involvement in male dominant sports.
Watching her and her sister empower girls on skateboards and in life makes me excited for the future.
I was very excited to see that she won the Sarah Burke scholarship this year. I know that Sarah would be proud …
She’s got a lot of insight and drive far behind her eighteen years and I think we can thank her parents for giving us Juliette. She’s incorporated a company, has her eyes set on the olympics, being a pilot, blowing up the backcountry and continuing to connect with every generation of snowboarding.
I look forward to following the sisters as they continue to challenge and propel eachother forward.
With dozens of overseas deployments in the wake of natural disasters, wars, and both underserviced and politically charged areas of the world.
One of the biggest takeaways from this interview comes from looking at people at a human or individual level, beyond their conditioning or current events. Empathy and compassion are two things we should embrace locally and globally.
I gained a lot of perspective about life and death beyond my very privileged existence, and I love how curious Ian is about people and learning. Plus, we talk about the multi-billion dollar industries that are fueling and creating a lot of these gaps in human rights.
We don’t solve the world's problems, but we talk about some of them, which is a beginning.
I hope this episode encourages you to broaden your worldview.
Claire and I were born in the same year, the year of the horse, and according to the Chinese zodiac, it symbolizes Power, beauty, and freedom—all qualities I see in Claire. I’ve been looking at Claire for two decades. We used to work on the same block in Whistler, and I’ve always thought of her as a gentle being. And I always thought she was gentle until she straddles a bike… but upon interviewing her, I realized that her true strength and longevity come from her smooth style. Claire is calculated and artful in how she lives, bikes and speaks.
She had a great amount of loss in her teenage years and channelled all of that into being a racer, biker, mentor and friend. I know adversity is what shapes us… but many of her stories break my heart a little. And I know that is life, and nobody exits with a fully intact heart.
This is an hour of real talk with Claire Buchar, and I feel we’re just scratching the surface. A second part is probably growing somewhere.
Enjoy.
By the time you listen to this, Chris Christie will be three weeks out from retirement as a career firefighter in West Vancouver. He’s 53 years old, has the fitness level of a man half his age, and is a talent behind the lens, and I’m excited to see what comes next as the pension kicks in.
From the outside looking in, he’s managed to almost seemingly merge an early life as an athlete into a first responder and then adventure photographer rooted in expeditions. These three things have allowed him to have longevity in his trajectory.
Being a first responder, you are witnessing society more deeply and helping people at the very lowest moments of their lives. I enjoyed hearing his empathetic approach to helping people in terrible situations and improving them slightly.
He’s very honest and humble, and one line he said that affected me was… “You cannot change the course of life.” This conversation has inspired me to have more conversations with our aging population.
He also talks a lot about vortexes.
I hope you enjoy going into the mind of a mountaineering action photographer that thrives in moments of adversity during expeditions.
Enjoy!
I learn a lot in this episode. I learn about myself, life, farming, Kitt (of course), routes I never even knew I wanted to tour, and the time I want to take for myself, and how not to skirt responsibilities but ultimately lean into them.
Kitt describes herself as an observer of life, which I can relate to... However, she takes a lot of action, and I think I’m more prone to being passive. Or lately, I have felt that way.
So, in addition to learning about myself, I was moved and inspired to take more action as I observe (and document) the world around me.
Kitt Redhead became an ACMG ski guide as a young mother. And then, as a single mother, she flipped homes in her off-seasons in different parts of BC. Currently, she is in the midst of creating a regenerative farm in Pemberton Meadows while raising her children alongside her husband Seth Wescott.
Meet Adam Campbell. Many of you will know him as an ultra-athlete, a man who has known great tragedy or simply a partner in the mountains. Tragedy was how I first learned of this man, but upon a few google searches, I uncovered his third culture upbringing in Africa. He was raised in Lagos, Nigeria, for much of his formative life, and I love hearing about what it was like growing up in Africa in the 80s… how he found his stride in running as a late teen and then how he has always followed a path towards great things.
He’s a lawyer, a writer and a very honest and vulnerable human being.
We don’t touch down on the origin of the interview and focus on his origin story.
An avalanche took his wife Laura’s life in January 2020. And, I thought it would have been too traumatic for me, honestly, to have unpacked in this episode. If you are interested in learning more about his journey through grief and healing you can listen to some other podcasts or the Sheraps film ‘to the hills and back’.
I loved this episode and how Adam has ultimately shaped his life and learned the hard lessons along the way. May we all have the courage to speak our truth.
Darcy is actually my hero but I kept it kind of cool when I was interviewing her. She’s an award-winning filmmaker, retired professional athlete, friend, wife and mother. She has captured and shared so many diverse topics (long before they caught the main streams) in her documentaries, commercial work and works of fiction.
I found the entire conversation to be illuminating and yet the most profound thing she said to me is that her inner child is intact. She spends her life and time creating and being a role model for women and men alike.
Darcy is doing the good work through her production house centred around representing women in a heavily dominated male industry. I look forward to watching more of her films and watching her trajectory continue to propel her forward into both fiction and documentary. I believe both are very large contributors to our progressive development as a society.
If you are not familiar with Darcy’s body of work you should either stop what you are doing and watch her films or bookmark them for later. www.darcyturenne.com
She is an optimist… and a BRIGHT LIGHT.
2022 was fast/slow and it has been 364 days since I put a new podcast out for the Lawless Podcast. And, this one is as good as it gets. Andréane Lanthier Nadeau or ALN for short is as much a force on her bike as she is armed with her knitting needles. She’s a transplant from Quebec and calls Squamish home.
She’s a member of the Rocky Mountain Race Face Enduro team and finished the world enduro series seated in eighth place. Of course, we talk about the love of mountain biking, and racing and how she found herself on this path and then we dive deep into real-life matters… knitting, drive, mentoring, motivation, death, trauma, counselling and the future. Embracing and creating change and as ALN says ‘the less change the older you grow’. Stepping into change and challenging yourself is the way forward for me and 2023.
Thank you ALN for being my first podcast! You are so open, honest and thought-provoking.
Mat the Alien had a life changing mountain bike crash in October of 2020 and he’s been on a wild road to recovery and adapting. We talk about becoming Mat the Alien, how he’s making more music than ever as well as how life looks a lot different when you are a six foot five man who finds himself in a wheelchair. Together with Mat and a bunch of his friends we are going to put together a REALLY GOOD FUNDRAISER to raise some funds to get Mat out of his Toyota Corolla and into a modified van so he can claim back his freedom.
On March 17th, 2013 Alain Duguay and his friends found themselves in the path of an avalanche that was classified as a size 3.5. They were in Cherry Bowl in Terrace BC and in terms of the avalanche’s destruction -- it’s right in between being able to bury a car, destroy a small building or break trees and being able to destroy a railway car.
It’s a happy ending as he and his friends were rescued by four Terrace locals and serves as a living testament to what it feels like to be buried alive and how a few extra turns ultimately put them in the path of the white dragon.
Meghaan is an internationally recognized Award-winning Northwest Coast Artist that travels the world as an artist, a student, a teacher, a keynote speaker and a snowboarder and yet I think her greatest work lies in the way she has woven together all facets of her life and remains rooted and connected to all parts of herself, her ancestors, culture, sport and beliefs.
I encourage you to check out her website Meghaan Obrien.com and read about her thoughts on fast fashion, indigenous fashion and ancient couture, the connection between snowboarding and northwest coast art… and of course to see her works of art and slashing powder in her happy place, the remote back country areas of British Columbia.
So this is a short little interview with Zoya Lynch the director of the film Motherload.
This film is near and dear to my heart because it was directed by Zoya who was episode 45 of the Lawless Podcast. But also, because it is a film about two Strong single Moms Izzy Lynch and Tessa Treadway. Tessa Treadway has always taken up residence in my heart. I loved her as soon as I met her through her late husband Dave Treadway who passed away in a skiing accident in April of 2019.
You can watch it as part of @thevimff Fall Series between Nov 20-29th! And Zoya // breaks down the other four films that are a part of the snow series. Enjoy my friends.
Dr. Amber Kirk // is a chiropractor and a force of nature. She’s helping me on my path to wellness and I think by the time you finish this episode you’ll be in a different path or atleast looking towards one. She is the bridge between science, spiritualism and two-stroke therapies. A real Squamish lady who has so much of the knowledge but has someone how found the truth that binds it all together and is able to deliver that to clients as she improves our human performance. Excited and honoured to have interviewed Amber. What a legend.
Amalia ‘Billy’ Pelchat is on her way to becoming a legit pro snowboarder but I love how she inspires girls to get on their skateboards by hosting girls skateboard camps where everyone feels comfortable to put themselves out there.
I think Whistler is proud to have born and bred this young lady who is gracious, focused, kind, goal driven, positive, passionate and all around inspirational human. Plus she is very good at explaining complex things like tik tok and making lava cakes.
Jon Roth… he’s a very honest, humble, compassionate, man who has good style and a family many would envy. His wife Tasha is a deeply layered woman of wisdom and their son Kai Ocean is the cutest and rocks an extra chromosome. Jon was a pro skateboarder and snowboarder in his teens and made quite a name for himself and then the pendulum swung the other way and he found himself in a chair.. apprenticing to become a barber, he now owns a chain of barber shops all over Canada and spills out in Hawaii. He is very generous, and I would say that he is quickly becoming an advocate for the Down Syndrome / T21 Community.
This podcast begins with Kevin telling me about his new diagnosis of life with thyroid cancer, a tumour in-between his heart and lungs and complications with his liver. And I think that puts this conversation into such perspective. He’s a man of so much positivity, wisdom and is someone I’ve been lucky to call a friend for upwards of 8 years now.
Plus he’s a real force as an athlete, photographer and has a real passion for oceanography and explaining it to me in layman terms.
Thank-you Kevin McHugh for being such an incredible human and I know that you were born on the beaches of San Diego but I’m glad you made your way to the Pacific North West.
In the words of my next guest, he has no agenda aside from living a good life. He has been on the forefront of sport in our mountains and we take a nice little tour in the early days of life travelling and cruising around Alaska with tokens that took you to any peak you wanted. And he has carved out a life for himself and his family in Whistler, BC.
Tobin Sea Gull is a gem. He’s smart, strategic and might appear to be the complete package. As he balances work, the environment, sport, giving back and agreeing to do my podcast. WE really chat it up here as we go into the young Tobin days right up until present day, I now, know his routine before he goes to bed and what he and his girlfriend are doing fo their summer vacay. He is a sponsored skier and a biologist that began his professional life as an athlete via Sport Climbing in his teens. Being both an athlete and holding a masters in environmental studies it makes sense that his passions met with POW, protect our winners and he was an integral part in realizing the Canadian contingent. We recorded this on May 26th. So literally days before George Floyd was killed and all the protests but just at the beginning of phase two of Covid here in British Columbia. And I think Tobin inspired me to pick a few objectives and get back on google earth for next winter.
I’ve always known Chad Chomlack to be a very agreeable man. He always has a quick smile and after this podcast I now know that he is a man of great integrity and depth and man he really did dive into the podcast with so much honesty and truth… which I suppose is the same as honesty.
And I learnt a lot more about him, Young Chad on a mission… and how valuable he is for our community and our larger community of humans.
I think this weeks podcast has me thinking a little deeper on how I can contribute more or do things that really matter. And create deeper meaning even within this podcast…
What to say about Mike Douglas he has dedicated himself to doing more for skiing than anybody, literally shaping the sport of freeskiing. He produces a lot of film and short pieces that push the narrative of action sports and blend it with meaning and purpuse. He continually pushes forward in all areas of his life. Notably, his work with Protect our Winters Canada is what has captured my heart as of late. Enjoy one of Whistler's favourite people.
Jamie Crane-Mauzy who heils from Utah, USA. She was a freestyle skier who landed the first double back flip in competition at the X-games in 2013. And then in 2015 she crashed on a slopestyle run in Whistler BC and almost lost her life. She had a traumatic brain injury and was bleeding from 8 different parts of her brain. But, she is so much more than a survivor. Her determination to excellence keeps pushing her as she pivots in life but remains a force of positivity and hope. We talk about her accident, her drive and inspiration, having a million sisters and what life looks like post TBI. She messaged me after this interview and said she was on the brink of tears for much of this interview … and I think it’s because she truly left it all on the table. Nothing was left unearthed.
If I could chat with her for a few days I would. Jessa Gilbert is a very accomplished artist, snowboarder, adventurer and human. She lives in Nelson, BC where we chatted remotely from. She’s got a lot to say about life and I think it comes down to her passionate pursuit of living a good life.
I love how she seamlessly moves through life in pencil, pen or paintbrush in hand… she synthesizes so many aspects of life that wouldn’t normally go together and I think that is felt in all of her pieces.
This chat is full of life, Covid times, Architecture, life of an artist, pursuing guiding, process, getting amongst in the mountains and marrying your greatest passions together to live a real rich and full life. Plus she really does make the most of everyday…
Enjoy friends, I sure did.
And Jessa thank-you for the chat, I look forward to our next one.
My next guest is SUCH a talent. She's not scared of getting deep in our talks and we chat about everything. She's a skier, a photographer, a filmmaker, a story-teller, a dreamer, a doer and my new favourite. I love her approach to life and how she says 'yes' to what comes her way and then makes it happen.
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Her body of work is prolific, award-winning and captures life in these perfect light-filled moments. ⠀
In the wake of the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic I decided I would like to chat with different people from different industries to hear how everybody is doing. This lady Maralise caught my attention for the on-line auction she started to support Canadian Retailers. Her retail agency MAKE GOOD AGENCY only works with brands that give back and do more than just sell. Heart Centered Businesses for the win.
At 33 years of age, Grete Eliassen seems to have lived a million lives. Having grown up in both the United States of America and Norway, was a Red Bull athlete, competed at a world stage (and podiumed in all of these disciplines of skiing) in Slalom, Super G, Halfpipe, Hip Jump (which I’ve never even heard of), Slopestyle, Freeskiing Comps. She is a Mother of two boys (two and three years old), a wife, was the president of the Women’s Sport Foundation, a University Graduate and was a pseudo little sister to our mutual friend, the late Sarah Burke. I love her. She’s inspiring and I didn’t even look at her accolades before this interview… And now I’m floored. What a force in the brightest packaging.
Robin is a force both on and off of a snowboard. She’s known for ripping big lines in the backcountry, but I think her true talent lies in her incessant positivity. We chat with her while she’s in her apocalyptic property on Vancouver Island. And now I want to live off grid.
This is the first (of many – I am sure) of a new series I am calling THE QUARANTINE SESSIONS – tales from our cribs. And I’m delighted that my first guest in the series is Chris Rubens of Revelstoke, British Columbia (where we are chatting from remotely).
Chris is a very solid, woke individual that gives a lot to his sport, the community and the world. He grew up in Canmore, BC with another favourite Eric Hjorleifson (#ep23).
If there was one thing I took away from this podcast is that what we do as an individual has an impact on the world (timely as well). He’s a POW (protect our winters) ambassador and we touch on a lot of these things blended throughout a few ski chats and our little dip into the old days.
Before you listen maybe you should watch ‘Guilt Trip’ by Salomon TV – I’m going to watch it now. I wish I had of watched it prior to the interview… but the interview got me fired up to watch it.
Murray Siple is an artist from North Vancouver. In his early twenties he was on top of the world as an emerging filmmaker in the snowboard and skateboard world and then a few events resulted in him finding his way into a wheelchair. He is driven, passionate, insightful and has a lot of wisdom and inspiration that he shares in this podcast. Thank-you Murray.
Joel Loverin is my absolute Favourite. Pretty much since the first time I met him. And then I went out in the mountains with him and realized he’s an absolute boss on his board, on his sled, on a rope swing, in a fishing boat and now on a Mountain Bike. He’s got an unparalleled passion and love for life. He tells great tales, a lot of them from the mountains around us and in Alaska. I hope you enjoy this podcast and get inspired to learn more about ropes and pursuing your passion.
Delaney Zayak // is a man of the seasons. He’s an organic farmer who likes to get gnarly. He lives on a 5 acre farm in Pemberton with his wife, two kids and his dog Coco(a). He rolls with a crew of Adventure Dads that get after it, like none I’ve seen before. He’s smart, he’s scientific and he’s reflective. I learnt a lot during the course of this podcast and got fired up to commit more to growing my own veggies, sourcing good veggies and generally being a better human.
Martin Gallant has earned the name the Godfather. My favourite part about interviewing him (well maybe my second favourite part) was when he told me he tries to pass on all of his knowledge like people did for him, he rides from the heart and he tries to live a generous life because BC taught him that. My favourite part of this interview was that we recorded it in a hot sauna and then did three cold plunges over the course of an hour. He’s been shaping snowboarding since the 90’s and his life is led in pursuit of DA LAUNCH and DA SLASH and luckily DA SAUNA. He’s resourceful, wants people to be real… and I’m proud to count him amongst my friends.
Melissa Schneiderova is an incredible human and she has one of the craziest stories. And the thing that is most inspiring is that for all that she has gone through she has maintained a very positive outlook on life. She’s fierce and feminine which is one of my favourite combos… after recording this podcast I realized that she could probably take me down in one punch…. Because she owns a title in boxing, she’s an ironman and she has experienced more loss than almost anyone I know and yet she still burns very brightly and has the most generous heart.
Anna is an Olympian, X-Games Medalist, She’s my first Australian Guest, she lives in Pemberton British Columbia, she was on track to be an lawyer… but I’m glad her love and motivation for the pow has kept her in British Columbia.
We talk about fear, mind sets, Grizzly, Sleds, my sister, her sister and a lot of other interesting things.
After you listen to this podcast you’ll probably start visualizing.
Taylor Godber is the best. She's the real deal and such a force on a mountain, a wave, when she puts her pen to paper or cuts up food and makes it taste as good as it looks. Oh and she's an artist. Anyways I love her and if you listen to this podcast episode, you too will fall in love.
Chris Winter is a real delight.
When I first moved to Whistler in the early 2000’s All I knew about Chris Winter is that he was a pro skier and he started a charity… zero ceiling and at that point in my life… it blew my mind.
So I would think this interview/chat is long overdue … for he is someone that I have always had a certain amount of awe mixing with respect with and now I can add gracious and humble to his list of attributes.
I won’t go into too much more. But rest assured that Chris Winter is the real deal.
And we recorded this podcast in Whistler, BC where he lives with his wife and two children and is always getting after it.
Ian Millar is a lifelong explorer, snowboarder, product designer, father, photographer and one of the deepest thinkers I know. He founded the adventure camera bag company Shimoda Designs that I fan out on. He’s always thinking progression. He lives in Hakuba, Japan and this is my first remote podcast. A true visionary.
Micayla Gatto is a free ride Mountain Biking champ. And by champion I mean she champions life, and she did podium on the world Downhill tour before her career shapeshifted. She’s quite a force and is in constant pursuit of her personal best. She’s all that you would expect from a lady of British Columbia -- an artist, a musician, a mountain biker, funny as … but the real reason I wanted to interview her was because of the way I felt when I watched her Ferda Girls Parody of Kendrick Lamar’s Be Humble with her all female cast that really pumps you up through her spin on her own narrative. If you haven’t watched it … do it before you listen. Go to youtube and typer in Ferda girls that f-e-r-d-a girls.. It’ll get you in the exact frame of mind to listen to this podcast that took place at her home in Squamish, BC on a Fall day in 2019.
Scott Serfas is a very well respected man in his field of action photography. He’s award winning and has travelled the world with the best snowboarders out there. He lives in Whistler, BC with his wife and two kids. And he’s been in the action sports game since film and has influenced snowboarding in his portrayal of the sport through his lens.
He’s an award winning cinematographer, director and editor and on top of that he makes some of the Best Snowboards that are hand made by machines in Pemberton, BC.
He loves snowboarding. Core Snowboarding in his own words.
Mason Mashon // he’s some wild hybrid of athlete, personality, photographer, adventurer, artist… who captures imagery in the realm of skis, snowboard, mountain bikes, planes, surf, and wildlife. And he leads a pretty wild life. He admits that his mind is always reeling with ideas… we sat down at my little place in Whistler late one night last week while he was getting ready for a two month road trip… so here we go Mason Mashon.. a very inspiring soul.
Jasmin Parkin hails from Vancouver Island and is a musican, a yogi, a phenomenal human and a really amazing guest. We delve into some topics close to my female heart, namely body image and down syndrome. Highly recommend if you want to fall in love with Jasmin and her walking us through growing up in British Columbia.
Nate Nash is a man of adventure. He is an American man living in Pemberton British Columbia. He has spent his entire life inspiring others by his work behind cameras showcasing sports in some of the most captivating parts of the world. But most of all he is a great human being who looks at the world with a lot of compassion.
Julia Murray is one of the most positive people I know. She's a ski cross olympian and a vegan. Born and raised in Whistler, BC she is the Canadian dream, born to parents Dave Murray and Stephanie Sloane. I've known her for half her life and I think she's the bomb. She's also ridiculously motivated and inspiring.
Jay Greenway was born and raised in Pemberton, British Columbia. And he is the musician behind the Lawless Podcast. Because he's a songwriter he can get deep. Unfortunately we attempted this podcast three times before crushing it.
If Eric Hoji Hjorleifson isn’t known to you. Well you probably don’t ski. And you definitely don’t ski tour. I think he might be the closest thing to a living legend. As he’s got a feature film called HOJI the story of Eric Hjorleifson. It came out last year by Matchstick and it’s an hour and twenty minute look into the mind of HOJI and the last fifteen years of footage of him skiing in Matchstick Movies.
He’s a deep thinker and I pulled him out of his machining shop to do this interview with me at his home in Whistler BC.
Leslie Anthony is a lot of things. For one he’s a doctor, a professor, a writer and an author (somehow they seem like different things), a herpetologist and probably the only person I know whose intelligence and scope of knowledge could rival a smart phones. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed being a part of it. Get ready to google some of his terminology and think a little deeper.
Suz Graham is probably the closest thing I will ever know of a superhero. She’s a base jumper, professional skier + so many other things. She is from Squamish and one of the most positive people I have ever met.
Mikey Rencz - Professional Snowboarder since the age of 8. Owner of a mobile sauna, 'the Squamidinave', 99er and all around good human.
We talk about everything from lizards to Versace.
Marie-France Roy is everything you would ever want in a person. She’s a professional snowboarder and environmentalist. She's highly committed to everything she does but really seems to throw it all down with the perfect amount of humility, integrity, honesty and purpose. She cares about you so much that she is Vice Chair of Protect Our Winters Canada. I love her and if you listen to this whole podcast you will probably fall in deep to the same fate.
MFR we love you.
Crystal Rainbow Borelli was born in raised on Lasqueti one of the Gulf Islands off of Vancouver Island. She was born to be the yogi that she is and she bring so much heart and soul to her classes and her teachings. I love how we chat about her evolution.
Blake Jorgenson is a marriage of artist, photographer, adventurer, business man, scientist and one of the deeper thinkers I know.
What I loved most about talking to him is how honest we was and is in the pursuit of creating the images that spell bind us and how the path is not a straight one.
And as usual Blake got me thinking deeply about all facets of my life.
She is an effortless, humble, passionate woman who has lived many lives and we talk about her early days as a bike courier, a snowboarder, competing in contests and then a big mountain rider while she transitioned into motherhood.
And then we talk about Cancer and how she fought and overcame it.
We love her.
Darcy Wittenburg is a pioneer in the Mountain Bike Film World we has co-founded two legendary Film companies that progress and further the sport. We talk about sport, film, parenthood, capturing time and touch on trips to Afghanistan and Haida Gwaii.
My name is Andrea Helleman and I endorse Dom Vallee. She’s a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor, an acupuncturist, a snowboarder, an Olympian Snowboarder and a community event organizer… and probably one of the most equally calm and highly passionate women I know. I am sure a lot of her passion runs deep in her veins as a fourth generation French settler of Quebec.
He is a man of much integrity and a lot of energy and passion and drive. Most people know him because he’s been a professional skier for over a decade and a half. Off his skis I would describe him as a visionary.
Well today is Mother’s day and I wanted to celebrate with an episode with one of Whistler’s Moms. Katrina Strand Mother to Anna and a fierce competitor both on and off the bike. I have always adored Katrina as we always have pretty real conversations and this one time she told me that she was my biggest fan. Which is funny because I have always been a fan of her.
The best part of interviewing Katrina is that I got to see inside her world and actually figure out what a dedicated woman she is to personal growth, motherhood and education.
And I dare say that Katrina Strand is softening into Motherhood and has become quite an advocate for Women’s health.
Stacy Kohut is a living legend. We spent almost two hours talking about all things that make up life. And we probably could have talked for ten more.
He’s had two lives. Before and After an accident where he tried to loop a giant swing all the way around and fell 35 feet down and found himself paralyzed.
I’ve always enjoyed seeing Stacy around Whistler. But I must say that the two hours I got to sit down with him at my house was such an honour. He has such depth and perspective with the world and vastness of the universe that I wouldn’t even know how to describe him. There are no labels or enough labels to even scratch the surface on capturing this man.
This is an episode where Feet Banks interviews the host Andrea Helleman. They flip the Mics and explore where The Lawless Podcast came from and who Andrea Helleman is. They go deep into death, family and the hard lessons of life.
Abby is a photographer, writer, media strategist, sponsored splitboarder and an all-around adventurer. Check out her Instagram @abbydells to see the broad scope of her work… but everything has an element of remoteness and adventure saturating the images. And the fact that she writes with great skill is the icing on top.
I think I was most called to interview Leo because he is an absolute talent and I’ve never really had an opportunity to have a full conversation with him. He’s an award winning cinematographer and director of photography that travels the world capturing breath taking images that literally render me speechless. The last seven years I think he has worked for the Sherpas and now has become a freelancer.
Episode 6.9 will be explicit - we are talking with Feet Banks.
As a writer, an editor of a magazine, a filmmaker, a host, an advocate of independent film, a movie columnist, a public speaker and figure, he’s always down for the cause, a real stand-up guy who is also one of the most devoted Dads going. He’s got his priorities in check and we recorded the podcast at his house with the intention of him tucking his son, Henry into bed that night.
He gets away with pushing boundaries because everything he says and does is well done.
The most interesting thing I learnt about Feet is that he was raised in the wilderness of Northern BC without electricity until he was six.
Episode 6 brings us to Pemberton, British Columbia into the house of one Ian McIntosh.
Ian is a Tall Gingerly Man. Most known for his fearless domination of BIG MOUNTAIN LINES and charging.
I’ve had the great honour and privilege of being friends with him from the very beginnings of his professional ski career and watched him garner a lot of success on skis and seen him shift into the man of integrity that he is today.
When I google his name things come up like…
At 6’2” and an athletic 185 pounds, Ian McIntosh towers over most other skiers… with a blend of brute force, style and raw talent McIntosh unleashes his signature speed and aggression on some of the steepest faces around the world… He has won the POWDER BEST LINE award a few times and has been dominated for Best Air, Best Line and Male skier of the year… he has bagged first descents in Alaska and he could also be described as the man who survived a 1600 foot fall in 2011. And I think he would hate that I bring this up.
But then I scoured the internet and I found this quote of his…
“In the darkest hours, you learn who you really are, but you have to dig deep, get healthy, and get back out there. And then he faced himself and he did the work and he used injury to grow.
And I think a year after his big shift… the two of us had our first deep conversation at 8,000 feet looking at a full moon, both of us freshly divorced and talking about the pain and the transformation and I remember him imparting on me how you have to let go and then everything will be fine. And I think it took me a long time to really realize that he was talking about my ego. It might actually be this exact moment that I realize the true depth of his message.
So, listen to Ian McIntosh the pride of Invermere British Columbia and one of my two favourite Gingers.
We get into talks of Ego, books, unplugging, life before and after social media, Climate Change and he leaves us with a little bit of knowledge we should all take to heart.
Episode 5 is with Julia McCabe. Julia is unpredicatable and provocative.. She leads with passion and has an ever flowing gift of the words… and is internationally recognized and known for her life as a yoga teacher and a teacher to teachers of yoga. She has a heart of gold and is ruled by passion. In this episode we will be diving deep into failure, dharma, life’s work, social media, staying true to yourself, darkness, friendships and a whole bunch of other things I cannot remember at the top of my head.
Today will mark seven years since Sarah Burke left us. Jan Phelan, Mother to Sarah talks about little Sarah and her gracious journey to be the woman she became to be on skis and off. She was a bright light and pioneer for woman in freestyle skiing. She successfully lobbied the IOC to have the event included in the Olympic program for 2014. She was a five-time Winter X Games gold medallist and won the world championship in the halfpipe in 2005.
My guest today is Chris Mansbridge. One of my favourites of all time. Our friendship ignited in Whistler BC and continued to burn even though Chris deserted us for Nelson to become a Traditional Chinese Medicine Man and Acupuncturist and land a family.
I don’t even know how to preface Rory Bushfield as he is one of a kind.
When I first met him he was a professional skier that cooked hot dogs outside of the Griz, and then he joined the circus and starred in a reality tv show and found time to start a foundation to preserve the spirit of his late wife and my friend, Sarah Burke.
He is gracious and makes every second count and I think that is the only gift that comes from such intense loss.
Welcome to the first episode of THE LAWLESS PODCAST.
We are interviewing Jonaven Moore. In my part of the world Jonaven Moore garnered fame and massive respect on a snowboard as one of the world’s best backcountry riders... From the early 90’s onwards he made his mark in the Big Mountain world and Immortalized himself by Racking up so many first descents in and around B.C. I mentioned his name and a friend of mine started frothing about a rock ride he did on Mt. Athabasca in the late nineties. To this day there are still things that Jonaven has rode that nobody else has done since.
But to me the most interesting parts of Jonaven Moore is not found on the boards he steps on. But it’s found in the way he has set up his life or rather keeps reimagining it as his mindset shifts and flexes.
He walked away from the dream we all believe ourselves to have… to be paid to play. Still at the height of a career with the trajectory to keep pushing the sport and travelling the world. He slipped out of the spot light and focused inwards and made a life on Vancouver Island. And that is where this interview was done.