In our eighth and final episode, we sit down with skiing icon Glen Plake. As a pioneer of the extreme skiing movement, Plake is most well known for his seminal appearances in the classic Greg Stump films including Blizzard of Aahhh's, the Maltese Flamengo and License to Thrill.
With his signature mohawk, Plake is arguably the most recognizable and most well known skier in the world. Over three decades he has maintained a love for all disciplines of the sport and a drive that has kept him timelessly relevant. It is safe to say, whether skiing 8-000 meter peaks, recording for Warren Miller Films, or traveling the country as part of his "Down Home" Tour, Plake has spread the love of skiing to millions across the globe.
Many of Glen's physical accomplishments have been well documented. In our chat, I wanted to learn more about him as a person. Plake occupies the rare air of hero status for many skiers. In our conversation I quickly realized that he is a historian of skiing, someone who has seen three decades of the evolution of a sport.
Glen is indeed one of the brightest shining lights we've ever had the chance to chat with, and our conversation does not disappoint.
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In our eighth and final episode, we sit down with skiing icon Glen Plake. As a pioneer of the extreme skiing movement, Plake is most well known for his seminal appearances in the classic Greg Stump films including Blizzard of Aahhh's, the Maltese Flamengo and License to Thrill.
With his signature mohawk, Plake is arguably the most recognizable and most well known skier in the world. Over three decades he has maintained a love for all disciplines of the sport and a drive that has kept him timelessly relevant. It is safe to say, whether skiing 8-000 meter peaks, recording for Warren Miller Films, or traveling the country as part of his "Down Home" Tour, Plake has spread the love of skiing to millions across the globe.
Many of Glen's physical accomplishments have been well documented. In our chat, I wanted to learn more about him as a person. Plake occupies the rare air of hero status for many skiers. In our conversation I quickly realized that he is a historian of skiing, someone who has seen three decades of the evolution of a sport.
Glen is indeed one of the brightest shining lights we've ever had the chance to chat with, and our conversation does not disappoint.
If the name Dierdre Wolownick doesn't sound familiar to you, you aren't alone. Wolownick is Dierdre's maiden name, but she is indeed the mother of Alex Honnold, the greatest rock climber to ever grace the sport.
While we do talk about Alex and his motivations, Dierdre's story is much deeper than merely being his mother, and she also has a much different origin story than most of our guests. Having grown up in a post World War II Polish immigrant family in New York City, she struggled to break the mold of what children, and particularly girls, were allowed to do.
In her mid 20's, Wolownick made the decision to move to California, where she married and began a family. But the struggle continued, and she tells us, in both our conversation and her book "The Sharp End," that she longed for connection her entire life.
Dierdre and I talk about her ultimate redemption, which she discovered through rock climbing and running. It was through these sports that she experienced a rebirth, but not until her mid 50's.
Dierdre's tale is a beautiful one in which the phoenix does indeed rise, in her case up the proverbial walls of Yosemite Valley as the oldest woman to ever summit famed El Cap.
Afterglow, A Mountain Storytelling Podcast
In our eighth and final episode, we sit down with skiing icon Glen Plake. As a pioneer of the extreme skiing movement, Plake is most well known for his seminal appearances in the classic Greg Stump films including Blizzard of Aahhh's, the Maltese Flamengo and License to Thrill.
With his signature mohawk, Plake is arguably the most recognizable and most well known skier in the world. Over three decades he has maintained a love for all disciplines of the sport and a drive that has kept him timelessly relevant. It is safe to say, whether skiing 8-000 meter peaks, recording for Warren Miller Films, or traveling the country as part of his "Down Home" Tour, Plake has spread the love of skiing to millions across the globe.
Many of Glen's physical accomplishments have been well documented. In our chat, I wanted to learn more about him as a person. Plake occupies the rare air of hero status for many skiers. In our conversation I quickly realized that he is a historian of skiing, someone who has seen three decades of the evolution of a sport.
Glen is indeed one of the brightest shining lights we've ever had the chance to chat with, and our conversation does not disappoint.