Arc City

Ted Ligety, the GAOAT Oct 10, 2024

The Greatest Arcer of All Time should need no introduction. (He is a five-time World Champion, two-time Olympic Champion, and the man who tamed the 35-meter GS ski). Ted and I talked about the end of his career in 2021, how his back is doing now, the specific technology that helped him crush his competition, what he thinks of World Cup skiers now, his current endeavor developing skis for DPS, and competitiveness—you do not want to miss his take on “trusting the process” towards the end.

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

15% off at SYNCperformance.com : ArcCity15

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

Collegiate Club Ski Teams (and Middlebury's Lack Theorof) Jul 01, 2024

We don’t talk about this enough: there are 128 colleges and universities across the US with a club ski team that competes in USCSA. (Far more than the 22 that compete in the NCAA). It’s a whole universe of fun, low-cost ski racing. First, former Dartmouth club team captain Colton Sankey takes us through the basics of USCSA racing. Then we talk to Noah Willson (19:12), who is currently trying to start a club ski team at Middlebury College—and facing a surprisingly staunch opposition.

If you’re interested in helping Noah, you can follow him @middclubalpine, go to www.middclubalpine.com, or contact me, and I’ll give you his email.

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

Sasha Rearick on Coaching Apr 08, 2024

Sasha Rearick has coached Bode Miller, Ted Ligety, Andrew Weibrecht…and most of the U.S. Men’s Team over an 18 year career. Now he’s at Apex2100 in France and more motivated than ever. We talk wacky courses, Sasha’s three core components to going fast, “expressing yourself” through skiing, the mind of Bode Miller, team dynamics, the role of coaches, leading the Apex2100 program, and—as always—so much more. The Skiing History Nugget is about one of the biggest comeback stories in ski racing.

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

American College Ski Racing Mar 12, 2024

There is the potential for an age-limit rule change in NCAA skiing. So I got three veterans of the American ski racing world to help talk through it, and we ended up discussing far more than that. We briefly walked through the history of college ski racing in the US, then we talked about statistics, average ages, the international wave of skiers, the proposed age-limit rule, the balance between the U.S. Ski Team pipeline and college, the former U.S. University Team, high school post-graduate years, the difficulty of college race courses, supplementing training in the off-season, and more. Woof. I had three guests who helped navigate it all smoothly: Edie Morgan, a two-time Olympian and forefront American alpine journalist; Pete Dodge, former accomplished ski racer and Dartmouth College head coach for 33 years; and Aldo Radamus, formerly a World Cup head coach, Director of US Development, Director of SSCV, and is now currently Director at Team Summit Colorado.

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

The Art of World Cup Ski Tuning Feb 09, 2024

No one talks about technicians. Which is curious because they perform the most important job in ski racing aside from actually skiing. Bart Mollin is a technician for American tech skiers AJ Hurt and Nina O’Brien, and Ryan Mooney services Paula Moltzan’s skis. Their squad is steadily gaining in momentum on the World Cup these days. I sat down with both Ryan and Bart (another in-person interview!) and they spilled some secrets, told a few funny stories, discussed being married to your co-worker (Ryan and Paula), and generally scratched every ski racer’s intense itch to know about the somewhat-mystical, oft-overlooked craft of preparing world-class skis. The Skiing History Nugget is about the 1984 Olympics.

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

Atle McGrath, At Long Last Dec 08, 2023

This episode is a year late. No matter: we overcame the broken SD card and recorded a new interview with Atle Lie McGrath. One of the most fun skiers on the World Cup circuit and wise beyond his years, we had a fantastic conversation. He talked through his knee injury sustained at the 2023 World Champs and his recovery plan. We discussed mental health, his team dynamics (including a funny story involving Lucas Braathen), the Norwegian development system (why is it so good right now?!), and the specifics of his equipment (we even get into the numbers). We dove deeply at every point, and there are some fantastic stories scattered throughout.

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

Conversing on Climate Change with Julian Schütter Nov 07, 2023

We might as well talk about it, right? Austrian speed skier and climate advocate Julian Schütter visits Arc City (1:57) to work through this often-polarizing topic. We start from the very basic “Is climate change real?” and progress through every tough question I can muster. Julian does not pretend to be a scientist, but he’s well-read on the subject and has conversed deeply about this before, which is partly why I chose to interview him. I also chose him because he is helping lead the movement that is demanding the International Ski Federation (FIS) try harder to reduce emissions. No matter your thoughts on this issue, I guarantee you’ll learn something by listening. If you get to the end, I have a little History Crumb about the last glacial maximum (1:04:46).

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Check out Julian Schütter’s German-speaking podcast about climate change here: https://nosnowshow.podigee.io/ ; and to sign the petition go: here

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

**Use code ARCCITY20 at magicmind.com/arccity for 20% off a one-time purchase or 56% off a subscription (latter offer valid for 10 days)**

The National Brotherhood of Skiers is Doing The Work Oct 21, 2023

Three years after the world engaged in deep conversations about diversity and inclusion, the topic may have faded for some—but certainly not for the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS). In August, nine young Black athletes supported by the NBS attended an elite conditioning and performance education camp at U.S. Ski Snowboard headquarters in Park City, UT. I Zoomed with three athletes on their last night at the camp: alpine skier Fantaye Gilbertson, mogul skier Kennedy Hicks, and Red Bull-sponsored snowboarder LJ Henriquez. We dove right into it and had a conversation that was sometimes deep and sometimes wonderfully light, and NBS president Henri Rivers joined us at the end with some powerful words. Afterwards, the Skiing History Nugget is about knee-high ski boots (49:02), and I read a short bulletin to wrap up the show (52:55).

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

Use code ARCCITY20 at magicmind.com/arccity for 20% off a one-time purchase or 56% off a subscription (latter offer valid for 10 days)

The Alice Robinson Effect Sep 22, 2023

We visit Alice Robinson in New Zealand to kick off Arc City's fourth (!) winter. Alice and I sat with a view of Coronet Peak, her home mountain, and hashed it out about everything from her beginnings as a young wide-eyed skier to being a breakout star. Alice also talks about switching ski companies, the struggle to win World Cup races again, and Red Bull’s support. We also have some fun talking about Instagram messages, among other things. Afterwards: some ski racing headlines to get you caught up (40:16).

Questions, suggestions, and grievances always welcome: arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

Arc City merch available at arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Ski Racing Media (skiracing.com)

Laurence St. Germain, World Champ Apr 08, 2023

To close out the season the recently-crowned World Champion in slalom, Laurence St. Germain, visits The City. She tells us the story of winning that race—and what it’s like to beat Mikaela Shiffrin. Her story of skiing a World Cup race with no shin guards is another fascinating tale. We talk about her approach to training, which draws on her background as a currently-studying engineer. We discuss the successes—and shortcomings—of Alpine Canada, the difference between men’s and women’s skiing, and much more. The Skiing History Nugget (52:12) is about the (insane) first Quebec Kandahar downhill race, held in 1932.

Send questions, suggestions, and grievances to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_ !

Arc City merch available at jimmykrupka.com !

This podcast is presented by Stifel (Stifel.com) !

AJ Ginnis adds to Greek History Feb 19, 2023

A couple of days ago I interviewed AJ Ginnis about his miraculous second place finish at the Chamonix World Cup slalom…then he went ahead and won the silver medal at the World Ski Championships. From growing up in Greece to his time in Austria, school in the United States, and ultimately representing Greece on the world stage, we cover AJ’s whole story. His telling of his Chamonix race gave me goosebumps. Then we go on to talk about a host of other topics, and to finish it off AJ answers a few questions from our listeners.

Send questions, comments, and grievances to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_ !

NEW! Arc City merch available at jimmykrupka.com

This podcast is presented by Stifel (Stifel.com)

Dave "The Rocket" Ryding Feb 01, 2023

Hold onto your biscuits! Dave Ryding, Britain’s pride of the FIS Alpine World Cup, visits Arc City (in person!) to talk about his inspiring World Cup victory, his tuning setup, plastic snow, his team dynamic, his newborn baby, his secret to staying young at age 36, his coach’s wild course set at Wengen, his hobbies outside skiing, some fun questions—from listeners like you—at the end, and much more (2:21). The History Nugget this week is about the development of binding safety (42:22).

Send questions, comments, and grievances to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_ !

More info on arccity.org !

This podcast is presented by Stifel (Stifel.com) !

A Grassroots Model: Lin-Wood Public School Jan 16, 2023

Our third season of Arc City opens with a fun, inspiring story about small-town ski racing. We meet Aaron Loukes and Marcus Corey, the high school and middle school coaches at Lin-Wood Public School in Lincoln, New Hampshire (1:54). They have a fantastic model for how to run an affordable public school race program. We discuss everything from the ski swap system in Marcus' attic that helps recycle ski equipment, to the town-owned Kanc Rope Tow, to the vibrant ski racing culture that has been cultivated in Lincoln. We also talk about the important relationships involved, like that of Loon Mountain Resort and the ski team, or that of second-home owners and locals. Marcus, who is also the chaplain at Loon Mountain, gives us a parting thought about the spirituality of skiing. The Skiing History Nugget this time is about the 1967 Cannon Mountain World Cup--the first race of its kind in North America (45:56).

(I know there are many schools and ski clubs doing similar things--I'd love to hear your stories! Send me a note at arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram, @jimmy_who_)

A State of the Union with Sophie Goldschmidt Aug 26, 2022

A conversation with President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard marks Arc City’s return from summer break. Sophie Goldschmidt has a long, impressive resume in international sports and marketing, but ski racing is a brand new world for her. Goldschmidt tells us about her first year getting to know the sport, what her goals are, and what her understanding of the problems facing ski racing are. She also answers several specific questions, including former CEO Tiger Shaw’s role in the transition of power; the switch from Spyder apparel to the Italian brand Kappa; and staff changes—including the removal of longtime coach Forest Carey. After the interview, a little Skiing History nugget is included about Hedda Berntsen, the most versatile skier the snow sports world has seen (40:35).

Questions or comments are encouraged ! Send a note to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram @jimmy_who_

More info on arccity.org

Hip Dragging with River Radamus Mar 29, 2022

As the season comes to a close, River Radamus—a rising American GS star—and I talked shop (2:06). River is well-spoken and has some fascinating perspectives. First, we discuss the role media plays in Olympic ski racing. River tells a fun story about skiing on the same Olympic team as Mikaela Shiffrin. We also cover River’s source of motivation, his Olympic dreams, his hip-drags, and his theory—based on personal experience—about talent vs. hard work. He basically gives a pep-talk to young aspiring ski racers, and we end by talking about ARCO, the foundation he’s starting to tackle the rising cost problem in ski racing (follow him on Instagram @riverradamus to stay up to date). I end the episode by talking to the three sponsored D-Team racers who wore the Arc City sticker on their helmets this year (52:35).

Questions or comments are always welcome!

(arccityjimmy@gmail.com, arccity.org, or Instagram @jimmy_who_)

Luke Winters Is Coming Feb 15, 2022

Luke Winters races tonight at the Olympics, and it is high time you learned his name and his story. He’s leading the charge for the American men’s slalom revival, but his path to the World Cup was a bit different than most. We talk about his upbringing, his ability to lay down fast runs on race day, his skill with heavy machinery, and the little details involved in skiing at a World Cup level. And, of course, we discuss the Olympics. After, I read a piece of mail (44:31), then I share a Skiing History Nugget about the transition away from amateurism in the Olympics, a very timely topic (45:27).

(Questions or comments: arccityjimmy@gmail.com, arccity.org, or Instagram @jimmy_who_)

** This episode is brought to you by: GiveGo (Givego.io). Download GiveGo in the App Store and use the code ARCCITY for 50% your subscription! **

Tommy Ford, the GS Artist Dec 09, 2021

After suffering a brutal crash last year, Tommy Ford is back on skis and making GS arcs. So, to start we have Tommy actually describe what a World Cup arc feels like. Then, we get the official update on his recovery status and his timeline on return-to-racing. We talk about his personal journey from a young, energetic kid to the wiser, more balanced man he is now. Tommy is meticulous with his specific ski set-up, which we discuss. But we also go deeper into the mind and motivation of Tommy, revealing a true thinker—in turn, this episode may give you a lot to think about. After the interview, our Skiing History Nugget is back! The history of the ski base is much more interesting than you’d expect a flat piece of black stuff to be...

(Questions or comments: arccityjimmy@gmail.com, on arccity.org, or Instagram @jimmy_who_)

** This episode is brought to you by: GiveGo (Givego.io). Download the GiveGo app and use the code ARCCITY for 50% off your subscription! **

The Stories of Tamara McKinney Sep 03, 2021

If basketball fans know about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, then ski racing fans absolutely need know about Tamara McKinney: the first American woman to win the World Cup Overall title, and the only, before Lindsey and Mikaela. First, we hear the story of McKinney's gold medal at the 1989 World Championships, a gripping, multifaceted tale full of life, and death. Then we talk about her ’84 Olympic performance that was defined by media hype—and McKinney uses her own experience to comment on that of Olympic champion Simone Biles’. McKinney talks briefly of her family’s move from Maryland to Nevada to pursue skiing and ultimately make the National Team at 14 years old. And finally, we discuss how McKinney is helping make skiing more affordable and accessible to anyone and everyone within a two hundred-mile radius of Reno (https://www.skytavern.org/).

(Questions, suggestions, grievances: arccityjimmy@gmail.com, on arccity.org, or on Instagram @jimmy_who_)

**This episode is brought to you by GiveGo (Givego.io). Use code ARCCITY and get 50% off your subscription!**

Breaking Legs with Sam DuPratt Jul 30, 2021

(Warning: the crash that broke both Sam's legs will be described (at 5:43). Sam DuPratt (2:45) is a member of the US Ski Team's World Cup speed squad. Despite his horrific injury, Sam maintains a great sense of humor. We talk about everything from the psychology of major injuries, how to best tackle recovery, and some controversial ski technique theories (wait, the fast guys lean back?). Briefly, I ask Sam--who has skied on the National Team, in college, and independently--what the best route for developing athletes is. We close by discussing Sam's greatest fear. The Skiing History nugget this week is about the oldest skis ever found (48:19), and at the end, as always we read some mail (49:55).

(Questions, suggestions, and grievances to ArcCityJimmy@gmail.com, to @jimmy_who_ on Instagram, or visit ArcCity.org for more information)

Mikaela Shiffrin (and Aleksander Kilde?!) Jul 22, 2021

Well folks, this is a big one. Olympic champion, World Champion, and 69-time World Cup winner Mikaela Shiffrin gives us a chunk of her very-busy, Olympic-prepping schedule to talk over Zoom (2:34). First and importantly, we talk about the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund (keeptheflamealive.org), which gives direct aid to National Team athletes. The fund is named after Mikaela’s late father, and I ask her a bit about him. Then we try to figure out who Mikaela would be if she didn’t ski race, what it’s like being the person that’s supposed to win every single race, and how she handles the tightrope of social media. At the end, we have some fun with her boyfriend (and 2020 Overall Champion) Aleksander Kilde (37:35). We also get to ask him a couple serious questions, as he is coming back from his ACL tear and looking ahead to the Olympics. The Skiing History nugget this episode involves the surprisingly early invention of indoor skiing (49:07), and at the end, as always, we read the mail (52:22).

(Visit our website www.arccity.org for more info; send questions, suggestions and grievances to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or on Instagram to @jimmy_who_)

Tales From Inside the Ski Industry Jun 25, 2021

For this episode, a slight change of pace. Instead of an athlete, we talk to someone inside the ski industry (2:55). Jake Stevens spent six years running the North American Race Department at Rossignol Group, and now works at a higher, more general position in the company. He gives us his inside insights on everything from cutting-edge ski technologies to how a World Cup racer develops skis to the actual budgeting of a race department. After, we give two young racers, Doum Rainville and Cam Smith, a 5-minute call to hear about the company they founded called Thrival Muscle Recovery (45:10). Finally, as always, we read the mail (55:00).

(Check out our BRAND NEW website ArcCity.org !!)

Ralph Green, Paralympian, Badass Mar 23, 2021

Ralph Green is a Paralympian and one of the best one-legged ski racers ever (1:14). We talk about his incredible back story, from his humble beginnings in Brooklyn to his introduction to skiing and his miraculous, hard-work-pays-off leap to the U.S Ski Team. I ask him about his unique experience jumping into the ski racing world after growing up so far removed from the sport. We dive into the tough questions, like how to bring more diversity to skiing and what it's like being a Black man in a very white sport. For our five-minute call, we dial up Doug Lewis, an Olympian who knows a few things (47:38). Our one question: Are Kid "Softer" These Days? The History Skiing nugget of the week is about the three years that turned ski racing from fringe to fantastic (54:09). Finally, I spotlight a non-profit that I'm excited about called Share Winter Foundation (57:10), and at the end, as always, we read the mail (58:04).

(Questions, suggestions, and greivances to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or @jimmy_who_)

The Fearless Breezy Johnson Feb 13, 2021

Things are heating up here in Arc City. Ted Ligety retires (00:36) and World Champs begins. Breezy Johnson has been on fire this season so we give her a call (4:03), and the first question is, what started this podium streak? The answer involves Breezy’s impressive recovery from back-to-back knee injuries and her fearless mentality, which, we learn isn’t as fearless as it seems. Naturally, I ask about her real name, and also how to ski downhill. We dive deep into the coach-athlete relationship, and finally, end with a couple fun questions. Then Breezy brings the call down the hall to find her teammate Laurenne Ross and fill our five-minute slot with talk of mentorship (45:43). At the end, as always, we read the mail (56:25).

(Questions, suggestions, comments, and grievances to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or DM on Instagram @jimmy_who_)

RCS: The Cochran Legend Continues Jan 24, 2021

Amidst a flurry of serious injuries, including that of your faithful host, we carry on! We have an interview with Ryan Cochran-Siegle (2:30) that was recorded before his gnarly Kitzbühel crash. In reverse-chronological style, we begin by talking about his recent success and how things just ‘clicked.’ We touch on his earlier years and his struggle with injury, then we round it off by discussing his formative years skiing in Vermont as a member of the famous Cochran family—a topic which provides some deeper thinking. This is followed by the now-traditional Skiing History nugget: this time about the Olympics and climate change (38:30). Our five-minute slot is filled with a call to Alice McKennis Duran (41:28), and as always, we end by reading the mail (46:56).

(Questions, suggestions, and grievances to arccityjimmy@gmail.com or @jimmy_who_)

Lucas "The Next One" Braathen Dec 11, 2020

The population of Arc City continues to grow. After the headlines (2:00), we check in with the ever-cool Tommy Ford to ask him about his recent GS podium finish (3:13). Then we a get full, in-depth interview with Lucas Braathen (7:19). The conversation starts with Lucas' latest race performances, and ends with learning who the 20-year-old kid is behind the skier. We cover all that we can in between, including his team dynamic (excluding one key Norwegian), his "new-school" technique, and the lack of media content in ski racing, among other things. Be sure to stick around, as our resident ski-racing-intellectual Edie Thys Morgan calls in (41:18) to tell a fascinating Skiing History story about the racer who won both women's and men's races. As always, we wrap up by reading the mail.

(Send any and all questions, suggestions and grievances to ArcCityJimmy@gmail.com or DM on Instagram @jimmy_who_)

Steven Nyman, an American Downhiller Dec 05, 2020

We pick up steam this week, bringing you several fun segments, including the usual headlines (3:20), a quick COVID watch (5:00), a Skiing History nugget (6:15), and a check-in with River Radamus (7:37). Then we get to a full, in-depth interview with the American Downhiller legend himself, Steven Nyman (9:18). He talks of his humble beginnings in Utah and tells a fantastic story about his World Juniors gold medal in slalom. We dive into his relationship with his equipment, his insane ability to come back from injuries, and his young daughter Nell. We wrap things up with a call to Paula Moltzan to congratulate her (1:02:46) , and as always, we read the mail (1:06:50).

(Questions, suggestions, and grievances to ArcCityJimmy@gmail.com or DM on Instagram @jimmy_who_)

Julia Mancuso! Nov 25, 2020

In his first episode back in the booth, Jimmy talks with Olympian extraordinaire Julia Mancuso (2:12). We touch on everything from Julia’s early years in Tahoe, to the relationship between surfing and skiing. We discuss Julia’s incredible talent for winning medals and go in-depth on the mental and emotional side of competition. We talk retirement, what Julia’s up to now, and finally get a good explanation of her and Lindsey Vonn’s complicated, but strong, friendship. Jimmy also rolls out a fun little Skiing History segment (54:50).

(For questions, comments, and grievances, email ArcCityJimmy@gmail.com or DM on Instagram @jimmy_who_)

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