Chillfactor Podcast – Kiwi pro skier Sam Smoothy on Freeskiing,  Big Mountains, Managing Injuries and Longevity

Mountainwatch | Podcast Interview

In this episode of the Chillfactor podcast, Reggae Elliss’s guest is Kiwi professional freeskier and mountaineer Sam Smoothy. Born and raised in Wanaka, Sam has been skiing for as long as he can remember, honing his freeride skills in Treble Cone’s epic terrain and the Southern Alps backcountry.

As a kid Sam followed the traditional route into ski racing and then he was inspired by NZ skiers like Hamish Acland and Geoff Small to move into freeskiing which led to a successful stint on the Freeride World Tour. It was there that he came to the attention of the producers at Teton Gravity Research and he has been a regular in TGR’s annual films since 2015.

Over the past few years Sam has been getting more into mountaineering and his next project is to climb all 24 of New Zealand 3000 metre-plus peaks and ski those that are skiable.  It is an ambitious goal, but as you’ll learn from this interview, Sam’s not fazed by a tough challenge.

The Chillfactor Podcast is available on  Spotify,  and Soundcloud