Freeride skiing is an exhilarating sport that pushes the boundaries of skiing and challenges the limits of athleticism. In this episode, we dive into an enlightening conversation with Jess Hotter, the 2022 Freeride World Tour champion. She unpacks the essence of freeride skiing and what it takes to excel in this dynamic sport, and how an injury can derail a lifetime of preparation and training. In February of 2026 Hotter crashed at the Freeride World Championships tearing her ACL, MCL and meniscus, as well as straining most other ligaments in her knee. Today she and Dave discuss the physical and mental challenges of repair and rehab and the long road in their return to sport.

Understanding Freeride Skiing: What Sets It Apart?

Freeride skiing is not just about speeding down groomed slopes; it encompasses the thrill of navigating untracked terrain and challenging conditions. Jess describes it as skiing with friends while aiming for the highest point on a mountain and making the descent as stylish as possible. The aim is to choose lines that showcase skill, creativity, and control, ultimately judged on criteria like air, style, speed, fluidity, and technique.

The Journey from Casual Skier to Freeride Competitor

For those wondering how to transition from casual skiing to freeride competition, Jess highlights the importance of progression. It’s about taking small steps—starting from easy jumps to more significant cliffs and challenging terrains. By gradually pushing boundaries and learning from every experience, skiers can build the confidence and skills needed to tackle high-stakes competitions.

Key Takeaways

- Freeride skiing is about creativity and skill in navigating untracked terrain.

- Competitions are judged on multiple criteria, emphasizing style and technique.

- Preparation and visualization are crucial for a successful run.

- Progression is essential for those looking to move into competitive freeride skiing.

Freeride skiing represents the pinnacle of skiing excellence, combining creativity, skill, and a love for the outdoors. If you're inspired to explore this thrilling sport, start small, push your limits, and remember that every great skier was once a beginner.

For more inspiring stories and tips on skiing, check out Jess Hotter on instagram! https://www.instagram.com/jesshotterski

Title photo by Bella Grace www.bellagracephoto.com

Follow Bike Talk with Dave on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/biketalkwithdave/ and Facebook so you don't miss any of the fun, and you can now find every episode on your computer at www.biketalk.bike. And now available on YouTube on the Bike Talk with Dave YouTube channel!

And if you're traveling to central Iowa in 2026, bring your mountain bike and check out information about area trails as well as fun things to do on YouTube on the Pedaling Dirt channel. https://www.youtube.com/@Pedaldirt

And if you need any digital media work: photography, videography and editing, podcast production and editing, look no further than Mable Media. Connect at www.mablemedia.net to help grow your brand and connect with your audience!

Caleb Swartz has raced in the dirt for most of his life, the majority in cyclocross. The past couple of years he's migrated into more gravel and mountain bike racing and after a memorable Big Sugar in 2025 was accepted into the Lifetime Grand Prix for 2026. We caught up with Caleb in November of 25 - and due to some technical difficulties were not able to publish until now - when we're right in the middle of the Lifetime GP! Be sure to follow Caleb through his season online at https://www.calebswartz.com/ and enjoy his YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@cswartzz You can find him on all the other social too! And if you want to follow the Lifetime GP click here! https://www.lifetimegrandprix.com/

Follow Bike Talk with Dave on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/biketalkwithdave/ and Facebook so you don't miss any of the fun, and you can now find every episode on your computer at www.biketalk.bike. And now available on YouTube on the Bike Talk with Dave YouTube channel!

And if you're traveling to central Iowa in 2026, bring your mountain bike and check out information about area trails as well as fun things to do on YouTube on the Pedaling Dirt channel. https://www.youtube.com/@Pedaldirt

And if you need any digital media work: photography, videography and editing, podcast production and editing, look no further than Mable Media. Connect at www.mablemedia.net to help grow your brand and connect with your audience!

Josh Sprague is the CEO of Orange Mud, maker of hydration systems and high performance gear for endurance cyclists, runners and other athletes. On today's episode he talks about what goes into the engineering to make hydration for athletes easy and comfortable. In addition to Orange Mud, he is also the founder and CEO of Seven Clay, a screenprinting and embroidery company supplying branded goods to the race and event community. Explore all Orange Mud has to offer at https://www.orangemud.com/ Seven Clay products and services can be found at https://sevenclay.com//

Josh also joined us on Bike Talk with Dave in episode 121. https://rss.com/podcasts/biketalkwdave/1419353/

Follow Bike Talk with Dave on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/biketalkwithdave/ and Facebook so you don't miss any of the fun, and you can now find every episode on your computer at www.biketalk.bike. And now available on YouTube on the Bike Talk with Dave YouTube channel!

And if you're traveling to central Iowa in 2026, bring your mountain bike and check out information about area trails as well as fun things to do on YouTube on the Pedaling Dirt channel. https://www.youtube.com/@Pedaldirt

And if you need any digital media work: photography, videography and editing, podcast production and editing, look no further than Mable Media. Connect at www.mablemedia.net to help grow your brand and connect with your audience!

Taylor Nichols, a host of the Bike Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is in the midst of a cross country bike ride (Summer, 2026). He is riding 4,000 miles from California to see his 101 year old father in Lansing, Michigan. Nichols, an avid cyclist, has co-hosted the weekly syndicated radio show and podcast with Nick Richart since 2017. Bike Talk is a show focused on advocating for the bicycle as the most efficient form of transportation. In addition to riding his bike a lot and hosting Bike Talk, Nichols is also an actor, playing parts in such movies or shows as CSI, Grey's Anatomy, ER, Murder She Wrote, Wings, Chicago Hope, Jurassic Park III, NCIS, Tracker and many, many more. You can follow him on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/taylornichols.bikelife/ and enjoy the rest of his ride on the Bike Talk podcast: https://biketalk.org/

And if you're traveling to central Iowa in 2026, bring your mountain bike and check out information about area trails as well as fun things to do on YouTube on the Pedaling Dirt channel. https://www.youtube.com/@Pedaldirt

The Colesburg Back 40 began in 1993 as a training race for the then 10=year-old mountain bike race: The Chequamegon 40. But as can happen with a beautiful, fun, challenging and well run event... it's stuck around for the past 33 years! Today we talk with current race directors Sunny Carithers and Michael Lambert about what makes the race fun and unique as well as what brings them joy in seeing so many people experience the beauty of the Northeast Iowa Driftless Region. Join them by registering or volunteering at www.colesburgback40.com or look them up on facebook or instagram.

Information on the Colesburg Back 40, the Driftless 100 and just about every other event in Iowa can be found at www.bikeiowa.com.

And if you're traveling to central Iowa in 2026, bring your mountain bike and check out information about area trails as well as fun things to do on YouTube on the Pedaling Dirt channel. https://www.youtube.com/@Pedaldirt

Greetings all!

A few months before recoring this episode, I had the unfortunate experience of blowing out my knee: ACL, MCL and Meniscus - all torn. At 12 weeks post surgery, I decided to begin sharing my story of rehab and recovery. It's not easy and requires patience, discipline and realistic expectations - and it also requires the ability to let go and accept the help of others!

If you are, or know someone who is, going through a long recovery process, I hope there's a little nugget in my story that helps you through a day, and you (or they) soon get back to doing whatever it is you love!

Peace! Dave

Natica Dunning takes us through all of the events of the 2026 Break the Cycle calendar: The June 6 Challenge Ride with 100, 50 and 25 mile options, the June 19 BTC 200 Ride, a one day 200 mile ride from West Des Moines to Okoboji Iowa and the June 20 5K All Day Walk, Run or Ruck event at Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines. For information, to register, volunteer or to donate to any of these events, start here: https://pro.gofundme.com/event/break-the-cycle-des-moines-2026/e751360

To donate to Natica's page directly: https://pro.gofundme.com/fundraiser/7180997

To listen to previous episodes:

Episode 134: Experience 200 miles with a variety of cyclsts as they complete a 200 mile ride: https://rss.com/podcasts/biketalkwdave/1554287/

Episode 159: Dave's personal journey and longest ride of his life! https://rss.com/podcasts/biketalkwdave/2119641/

Check out Pedaling Dirt, a YouTube travel channel for mountain bike trails and gravel routes!

https://www.youtube.com/@Pedaldirt

Check out the first episode, which also includes the history of the Sycamore Trail! https://youtu.be/byd3JEtlQB8?si=HOo260dlt34NQo0t

Have a great week and I hope your next ride is your BEST ride, because nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bicycle!

Erik Schlimmer was first on the podcast in October of 2024, (Ep. 145) having raced at the national level in the 1990's, then taking thirty years off - he decided to make a comeback and pin a number on again.

Today we follow up to see how his winter of training and summer of racing went, and if it left him wanting more! In addition to that, he's a routemaker - having authored many books about trails and history in and around the Adirondack Mountains. Now living in Colorado, he's put his route finding hat back on and crafted a beautiful rural route through the San Louis Valley - south of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which he describes on todays podcast.

Find links to his books and routes at https://erikschlimmer.com/

In other news, in wanting to share great places to ride, Bike Talk with Dave is expanding and hosting a YouTube Travel Channel specific to mountain bikes and gravel. It's called Pedaling Dirt and at the time of posting this episode, is just getting started with an introductory video and the first travel log featuring the Sycamore Trail in Des Moines. The idea is to not just show an awesome trail - but what amenities are available at the trail heads, where to find a pre ride coffee or post ride beer and some food. In the first video, I also cover quite a bit of the history of the Sycamore Trail... mostly just because I know it... Anyway - I hope you subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/@Pedaldirt

Thanks for continuing to follow along - I hope you enjoy todays episode and we'll be back with more in the future!

Peace! Dave