SKIMO GOLD
The premier podcast and YouTube show for ski mountaineering interviews and analysis. Explore the high-altitude, high-stakes world of skimo as elite athletes prepare for Olympic competition and beyond. From the World Cup podium to the local skintrack, SKIMO GOLD is THE podcast for smooth-gliding, quick-transitioning, lung-burning, kick-turning beta on training, racing, gear, fueling, mindset, and–most importantly–FUN! Join hosts Travis Macy and Cam Smith regularly for novel conversations with the world’s best athletes, coaches, organizers, and skimo aficionados plus just-in-time race analysis. Produced for all podcast players by Palm Tree Pod Co.
SKIMO GOLD
Why Skimo Sprint Is Freaking Awesome (and Why It Belongs in the Olympics) — with Max Valverde
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In this Olympic Dispatch episode of Skimo Gold, Travis Macy sits down with Max Valverde—skimo’s ultimate hype man, content creator, and now an NBC Olympic ski mountaineering commentator.
Max shares the full arc: from building a startup that scaled to hundreds of employees (and eventually selling to Booking.com), to moving to Park City, discovering skimo, and launching his “dad bod goes pro” experiment—training like an athlete with the time and freedom to go all-in. Along the way, he realized his biggest impact wasn’t chasing the single Olympic spot… it was bringing the sport to more people.
You’ll hear why Max believes the skimo sprint is the perfect Olympic gateway (and not “ski dancing”), what makes transitions so brutally technical when you’re completely redlined, and how he thinks about storytelling—whether it’s a one-minute reel or a live broadcast for millions. Max also takes us behind the curtain on how NBC prep works, from athlete research to course strategy to learning every kit color and movement pattern so he can call the action in real time.
If you’re curious about skimo’s Olympic moment—and what it will take to make this sport stick—this one’s for you.
Let’s go!
Special thanks to TrainingPeaks, DYNAFIT, POMOCA, REVANTA Creatine by NEURORESERVE, and CAMP for sponsoring Skimo Gold's Olympic Dispatch!
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Thanks to our sponsor CAMP
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Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.