The Genuinely Interested Podcast Ep 48 - Elias Elhardt - Snowboarding, Big Mountains and Climate Change
Elias is one of the top big mountain snowboarders in the world. He's been featured in many documentaries, and recently released his own film, "Contraddiction". He was also in the recently released "Dark Matter", with Travis Rice. Both of these films are excellent and highly entertaining in their own right.
Elias was born in Germany but currently resides in Innsbruck, Austria. He says it is still his favorite place to snowboard despite being all around the world, snowboarding some of the biggest mountains and resorts that are out there. He has been a fixture on the snowboarding scene for many years, and is now making a go at filmmaking, his other love, with "Contraddiction", along with some amazing short films.
We discussed the psychology behind snowboarding, some of the biggest (and scariest) mountains in the world, the correlation between surfing and snowboarding, what it's like snowboarding with Travis Rice, and the importance of finding your passion. We also talked about climate change and the impacts that the winter industry will ultimately suffer. Elias talked about what board he rides and why - and gives some tips on how to improve your riding!
My Take: It's a sad story for winter activities, many resorts will have to shut down in the next couple of decades, perhaps making an already exclusive sport even more exclusive. We need to find a balance between reducing our carbon footprint and enjoying what seems to be the limited time we have with the best season of the year (winter).