Professional action sports athletes always circle back to the same question eventually: “Can I go bigger?” For Backcountry athlete @NilsMindnich, the search for his own limit landed him on the backside of an abandoned mine tailing in Little Cottonwood Canyon—infamously known as Chad’s Gap. Spanning 120ft in all its glory, it’s the most iconic jump of all time for snowboarders and skiers. After years of doubting his own future in snowboarding, Nils faced internal demons on his journey to the gap. Chad’s Gap served as the culmination of his snowboarding career in many ways, but also reminded him of his level of acceptable risk. After overcoming his fears, Nils reels in his expectations and puts on quite the show in the process.

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46 days. That might seem like a reasonable amount of time to try a new diet, read every day, or work out each morning. For Karel Sabbe, this is the amount of time he took to complete a supported run of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in record time, averaging over 50 miles a day, from Mexico to Canada. Karel’s ability to endure and overcome sufferfests is an experience that is unknowable to almost every other human. Yet, unlike most world-class athletes who exclusively train and compete for a living; Karel is—on the surface—an ordinary man. A husband, father, outdoor enthusiast, and a man with a day job. He schedules his runs around his appointments as a dentist, not around physio and nutrition experts' recommendations.

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For Backcountry athlete Shyanne Orvis, fly fishing isn’t just how she makes a living—it’s her way of life. It’s the release that’s always been there for her while working through her traumatic childhood, and now her career revolves around sharing fly fishing with others as a professional guide. In this episode, Shy Ventures Beyond with fellow angling guide LeAndra and Backcountry Gearhead Laura. Fly fishing may be a predominantly male sport, but that doesn't stop this trio of women on the water. They celebrate netting fish after fish, maneuvering the river's rapids, and growing as anglers in the face of adversity.

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Mario Ordoñez-Calderón wears many hats—Backcountry ambassador, surfing enthusiast, and co-founder of Un Mar de Colores (Spanish for An Ocean of Color). Un Mar advocates for diversity, inclusivity, and ocean stewardship through the avenue of surfing. Their program offers kids a two-year progression plan that focuses on community development, surf therapy, and environmental work. We hold nothing but admiration for Mario and Un Mar de Colores, and we’re absolutely elated to share his story with a larger audience. Mario offers a refreshing perspective on the important things in life, and we love to see him inspire others to Venture Beyond.

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Every so often, a questionable idea for an adventure comes to mind that we just can’t seem to shake. The rewards outweigh the hardships, even if only by a smidge. For Backcountry employees Alex Quitiquit and Cam Price, that daunting objective finally came to fruition: skiing all 16 lines in the Wolverine Cirque in a single day. And who would be better to join them than Backcountry ambassador JM Fabrizi? The Cirque is predominantly north-facing with many prominent couloirs and overhanging cornices, and the trio frequents the area. The challenge at hand is what makes the objective unique: 10,000 feet of vertical climbing in a single day, at the mercy of avalanche danger and weather windows. Preparation and determination paid off for our group—with only a single ski releasing over the whole day. The crew gained a new perspective on what it means to Venture Beyond in their own backyard.

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