The Inertia Podcast

Looking for the definition of a modern explorer, only with an emphasis on high-performance? Then Cody Townsend is an adventurer for the ages. And what a cool human to boot. If you hadn’t heard, Cody is in the middle of an epic project, The Fifty, where he’s attempting to climb, and then ride, all of the lines in the book, The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America. Now, classic to some means straight up gnarly to others. It's all in one's perspective. But Cody is tackling them all, regardless.

The longtime freeskier who’s starred in hugely influential movies like Days of My Youth, started a vlog to document the project. But something crazy happened as he moved through The Fifty: the YouTube channel's popularity grew, not because of his audacious descents (which were notable), but because of his relatable personality. Cody brings it in a way skiers, snowboarders, and even non mountain people, can relate to. We talked with Cody about The Fifty's success, if he can actually finish it, and balancing danger with fatherhood (lest we forget he's a new dad). Enjoy.

Ask a surfer to describe the conditions at any surf spot, on any particular day, anywhere in the world and it's almost guaranteed they'll tell you about the crowd. Which begs the question: Where, exactly, do we fit in the lineup? Should we change our mindset when it comes to crowded surf? It might not be the worst idea.

Aaron Lieber is one of the most prolific young filmmakers in the surf industry. Actually, he’s evolved well beyond the surf industry, recently working on more mainstream projects with iconic athletes like the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald. But Aaron Liber started in surf, where he released his first film The Pursuit, in 2008. He then worked with Lakey Peterson on Zero to 100. Last year, he released the preeminent Bethany Hamilton documentary Unstoppable. We talked with Aaron about that progression as well as the state of surf filmmaking. And he had a lot to say about where we were, and where we’re going.

VAL: Vulnerable Adult Learner. Coined by a longtime Australian surf journalist no doubt thrilled by its growing usage, this snobbishly derisive term harkens back to the slur used by early 1960s Malibu surfers to describe those who lived in the San Fernando Valley, some 10 miles inland. The sixties Vals were to be condemned by their area codes, just as today’s VALs are being condemned by their age and, through reference, the actual year they “took up” surfing. Where does the resentment come from?

Aaron Blatt has seen it all in the world of action sports photography. The longtime snowboard lensman witnessed the evolution from print to digital, and adjusted to continue what has become an epic career path. Blatt continues to shoot with some of the best snowboarders in the world as part of the Burton content team, and has moved into mountain biking and other sports as well. In this edition of The Inertia podcast, he has an inspiring POV for up-and-coming photographers, talks about the change in snowboarding competition, and tells us about the best snowboarding he’s ever been witness to.