Meathead East Coast Skiing Adventure Movies & Films

How are your knees doing? They were giving you some pain this past season…

My knees are doing all right; I partially tore part of my meniscus back in January and was out for 2 months. I've been running 3 miles every day for the last 50 days or so and though running is supposed to be bad for your knees, I think its really actually helped. I'm also taking some supplementary pills, I'm pulling out all the stops. I'm having a minor surgery in a few weeks where they put a fiber optic camera in your knee so that they can 100% accurately determine the problem and possible solutions. I'll definitely be pushing it this winter; just how hard is yet to be determined.

Do you think it was from too much freestyle walking?

Ha-ha, no, though I'm sure it was a contributing factor, but I'm stubborn with things like that. I should be able to do what I want with my body as long as it's healthy, but I'm realizing that that's not a reality. I think 18 is the "my body is made of rubber" cut-off. Ha

Didn’t you do a solo skydive this summer?

YES! I've wanted to go skydiving for as long as I remember, and when I got back from Cali, I realized I was finally old enough to do it. They offered I a tandem or AFF (advanced free-fall) program. I decided that if I was going to be droppin', I wanted to be somewhat free, and it also counts towards getting your license. I would highly recommend skydiving, the first 10 seconds of free-fall is indescribable, I thought, I would have some kind of idea of what it would be like jumping off lots of different kinds of stuff and all; but it just blew me away...if you're reading this, you should check them out, they're super fun and safe people that are all about skydiving. It’s VTskydiving.com.

Do you actually “hate” Will Wesson, or is it a joke in order to create buzz and media attention?

Hate (verb)- to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward.
Will Wesson (noun)- one who clucks often, who disperses feathers frequently, TO BE A CHICKEN...I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM!!!!

What was the most fun you had with skis on your feet this past winter?

Ew, this is always a really tough question, I'm going to have to say it's a tie between going to Newfoundland and going to mammoth. The beginning of Newfie was rough for me because me knees were really hurting me, but they randomly started feeling better and pretty much the climax of my life was the day we built the BC jump; watching the sun set over the glistening ice on the distant ocean while being towed up by a snowmobile to hit a jump built just for me and a group of good friends. Couldn't ask for anything better. Also mammoth because it was the end of the season and we had no obligations. It was our last Hurrah! It was skiing in its most pure form, fun. So laid back, yet Will and me still learned a lot.

Burlington, VT is consistently voted one of the best places to live in the country. What makes it so great?

All the possibilities! You can literally do anything in Burlington... well almost. There are the mountains, there's the lake, a small downtown area, there’s lot of
wilderness. I just love it.

Where are you working this summer?

Ha-ha "The Shanty". It's an old restaurant on Burlington’s waterfront that's actually really popular. I'm pumped though, because I'm a prep cook, which means I'm moving up in life, ha-ha. It’s a pretty easy job and I'm only working for a month total because I have to go to school.

Your “Extreme Summer Training” bonus feature in “Snow Gods” was voted best bonus feature of the year by an independent international council. Was that fun to make and why do you think it was popular?

No way? That’s neat. It was super fun to make! I think it was so popular because it was all the highlights of my summer life without the bad times and it really shows how much skiing related stuff you can do in the summer, if you're creative, and once again, Burlington is dope; plus Geoff McDonald can make mopping a floor seem fun!

You and Will Wesson both have some amazing urban skiing stunts on film for Wanderland. Tell us a story behind one of them…

Let's see, the obvious one that comes to mind, is the Smuggs/Stowe urban session. We had just gotten back from Newfie and I had been telling Geoff and Rooster about a really mellow down rail that we used to do when we were younger at Smuggs in the condos so we decided to check it out. Will and I sessioned that thing for like 2 hours straight, just doing every possible trick we could think of... then we went to Stowe at like 6 or 7pm and setup this crazy down, flat, left kink, down rail that was absolutely burley. I didn't think it was going to happen. I was testing the speed first hit, and landed on the cheese grater stairs which I didn't think was going to be a problem, but it left core shots and held so tight that I flipped over (moving at like 2mph) and landed on my side which left gaping bloody gashes in the sides of my leg. (You could grate cement with these steps) this unmotivated me even more. Why would they make stairs "sharp"? If an old woman tripped, she'd probably have her hands sliced off trying to stop her fall. Anyway; we start seasoning this thing, I'm not really feeling it, kind of just entertaining myself, while Will starts to get into it. Geoff then tells us the first one to get it gets a woopie pie. Its pitch-black out and I'm really cold, I don't really care about the stupid woopie pie though at this point I was seriously trying to get the rail. Then Will got it.... and I lost it. He was done and I was left hiking that stupid rail and my body kicked into some kind of crazy overdrive. I started sprinting up the rail over and over and over. I probably spent an hour hitting it non-stop; maybe 50 attempts on it. I remember I got a cramp... from hiking a rail ha-ha that was a first. I got it to regular once and to switch a couple of times, they gave me props but the chicken (Will) got 270 out and so I had to as well. Finally, cold, tired, and like 5 hours after we had shown up to hit this rail, I got the 270 and we left. Stupid Will Wesson. O but it was still real fun.

You like to ski for the fun of it and for no other reason. Discuss…

It's really simple actually. Skiing is an activity. When we are little our parents take us because they enjoy it and they want to enlighten us. Then if we find it fun, we continue to do it...."if we find it fun" no one forces us to ski. If you're constantly getting pissed off because of skiing DONT SKI! I ski a lot because I think it's really fun as do most that ski a lot. Because I like skiing so much, it pains me to see people struggle with skiing so much to "be the best". I just laugh at them because what’s that going to do for you once you are? You can strive to be the best because it's fun, but don't waste your precious time on the mountain worrying about getting "good" or "sponsored", they can't enjoy skiing like you can. Instead enjoy learning a new trick and pushing yourself physically and mentally. I guess its not that I that you should ski for fun, maybe it’s that I think you should live for fun. Enjoy life.

How’s your dog, Snowy, doing?

Eh not bad, he's an old fella. He got like 7 more teeth pulled so he doesn't stink anymore, no more rotting teeth. We're thinking about getting another dog so he doesn't get so bored.

What makes Smuggler’s Notch your favorite place to ski in the East?

It's my home. The friends, the memories, the ridiculously good and untapped skiing. On a powder day there's nowhere else I'd rather be on the east, not even Jay Peak. I know the mountain back and front. The woods are just amazing. It's so unrecognized that you can have most of the good spots completely to yourself, and there are definitely a few. I've done a lot of exploring and I honestly believe a day at Smuggs can be better than a day at Alta.

How many times have you jumped off the Winooski river bridge this summer?

Actually not that many, maybe like 50 times. I jumped a lot in the beginning of the summer, but then it got really rainy for a while and the river was too haggard... and then I got a job. Though we did setup a rope swing, which was mad fun, and we did that a bunch. If you include the rope swing I would up the jumps to about 100. It's a real fun spot with lots of options. I actually made a little edit of it.

Any shout outs?

The Fam, (Mom Dad Jacki Theresa), Burlington kids who I've shredded with since I was 10, all the Meatheads I skied with this year, we had some REALLY good times, I hate NY kids, 4bi9 out in Utah, and everyone I lived with and skied with out in Utah. And Especially Geoff and Rooster for showing me places I've never seen before and letting me ski there. Thanks everyone! -LJ