Big Picture Skiing Podcast

Tom Gellie
  • 4.3 (60)
  • Sports

Tom Gellie talks with technical skiers and industry experts from around the world. Gain insight into some of the best technical skiers and what their thoughts are on good skiing and how to achieve it. For more information and great skiing content check out Tom Gellie’s website: www.bigpictureskiing.com

  1. Aug 25

    Alex Hackel - From Being Picked Last To 2x X Games Medalist

    I first met Alex Hackel in Austria filming a video where I taught him to improve his short turns, tracked by CARV, the digital ski coach. What struck me most was how good a learner he was — focused, determined, and genuinely humble. That’s a big part of why I wanted him on the podcast. Two-time X Games medalist Alex Hackel didn’t get here by being the most naturally talented kid on the mountain — he got here by getting rejected, picked last, and told by a coach he’d never make it pro. In this episode we go back to that moment at Sunday River, how he found the coach (Mike Hanley) who changed everything, the story behind his triple cork 1080, and how that same “figure it out and go again” mindset led him into filmmaking, freeride, co-founding his own ski company (1000 Skis), and starting a YouTube channel from scratch that’s since taken off. If you’ve ever felt written off before you even got started, this one’s for you. Get 20% off Big Picture Skiing membership with code PODCAST at bigpictureskiing.com Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:56 Why Alex is successful in so many different ways 01:24 The Sunday River story — judged and picked last 02:52 Growing up with idiopathic short stature 04:23 What kept him from giving up 06:29 Finding support in the terrain park (meeting Curtis) 07:38 Convincing his parents to send him to Windells Academy 09:03 Meeting coach Mike Hanley 11:10 The triple cork 1080 story — a coach who believed in him first 13:00 Advice on learning bigger spins and takeoffs 16:16 Managing fear and nerves on big tricks 18:08 How airbags changed trick progression 19:04 Getting into filmmaking 21:47 What it actually takes to grow a YouTube channel 25:19 The “White Rush” video and why it stood out 30:34 Why he started his own ski company, 1000 Skis 37:41 Sleep, routine, and shifting to long-term thinking 41:17 Final words and mutual respect 42:34 Where to find Alex Hackel + 1000 Skis Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  2. Aug 16

    The Most powerful Type of Ski Boots - Brent Amsbury

    Are your ski boots holding you back from the performance your skis are capable of? In this episode I sit down with Master Boot Fitter Brent Amsbury to break down everything you need to know about plug boots — the type of ski boot most top level technical skiers are wearing. Brent is a Master Boot Fitter at Park City Ski Boot in Park City, Utah, where he sets up plug boots for racers, instructors, and high-performance skiers. If you’re chasing higher carve scores, driving race skis, or pushing toward your highest instructor certification, this conversation will save you a lot of trial and error. We cover: • What a plug boot actually is and who it’s really for • Why they’re called “plug” boots (the internal construction explained) • Forward lean, cuff height, and why these boots feel so much more powerful • Ramp angle adjustability and why most racers reduce it • The thick sole and torsional rigidity that sets plug boots apart • Why plug boots are a “project in a box” — not a boot you just heat mold and go • The best time of year to buy (and why waiting until the season starts is a mistake) • Pricing, and how to get into a great plug boot for a fraction of retail • Longevity — how many days you can actually get out of one • Brand-by-brand differences: Lange/Rossignol, Head, Atomic, Fischer, Nordica/Technica, Dalbello • Fitting advice for wide, low-arch, or fleshy feet • How to choose your flex (110 vs 130 vs 140+) • How manufacturers actually create different flex ratings • Junior and shorter-cuff options • Why heated socks or boot heaters are non-negotiable in these boots • Why the pain isn’t mandatory — proper fitting makes these boots comfortable • DIY boot work vs. working with a fitter ⛷️ Enjoyed this podcast? Frustrated with staying at the same level of skiing for the past few years? To change your skiing you need a systematic approach that covers all aspects of skiing. That’s exactly why I built my learning platform, Big Picture Skiing. It’s not this YouTube channel, it’s where skiers go to find more than just tips. If you are ready to finally take your skiing to the next level go to www.bigpictureskiing.com Podcast listeners get 20% off using code PODCAST. So why wait when you could be getting started today. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:54 What is a plug boot & who's it for 4:23 Why it's called a "plug" boot 5:33 Forward lean, cuff height & power vs. freeride boots 7:01 Ramp angle & boot board adjustability 8:05 Thick sole, torsional rigidity & weight 9:45 Plastic type & retail price ($1,000-$1,300) 10:26 It's a "project in a box" 12:53 Checking flatness out of the box 13:32 Cuff canting, liners & fine-tuning 15:42 Best time of year to buy 17:18 Pricing & buying older/discounted models 20:21 Lifespan, durability & upgrading liners 21:06 Brand differences (Lange, Rossignol, Head, Atomic, Fischer, Nordica, Technica, Dalbello) 25:01 Fitting for low arch or wider feet 27:04 Grinding, shaping & sizing tips 28:56 Choosing your flex (110 vs 130 vs 140+) 30:15 How flex ratings are actually made 31:50 Junior & shorter-cuff options 32:44 Wrap-up: which route to take 33:19 Heated socks & boot heaters 34:16 Plug boots don't have to be painful 35:03 DIY boot work vs. going to a fitter 36:26 Find Brent / Park City Ski Boot 37:17 Leave your local boot fitter recommendation 38:19 Outro Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  3. Jun 12

    Learn to ski a mogul line with Geri Tumbasz

    If moguls intimidate you this episode is going to change that. You’ll learn a clear, repeatable method for going from avoiding bumps entirely to skiing 60 in a row with control and actually enjoying it. Expect practical handholds: how to control your speed and direction, why “just get small and absorb” quietly sabotages most people, and the mindset shift that turns a scary bump field into a series of solvable problems. My guest is Geri Tumbasz — Hungarian-born, Austria-based, and one of the most highly certified ski coaches in the world. What makes him the right person for this is that he wasn’t a natural at moguls either. He struggled, got frustrated, went looking for answers, and reverse-engineered a progression that now gets terrified skiers skiing bump lines in a single camp. Here’s what we cover: ✅ The full beginner-to-confident progression — wedge-parallel turns in a corridor, then building a real mogul line with gates ✅ Why you find the round line before the direct line (and how that kills the fear) ✅ The “just get small and absorb” myth — and what to do instead ✅ The heel-up / hamstring-as-a-hinge move for releasing your tail in steep zipper lines ✅ Where pole-plant timing actually wins you control ✅ The mindset shift: hunting for the solution instead of staring at the problem ✅ Geri’s bouncy low transition and where his style comes from ✅ The ideas he stole from Japanese and Korean technical skiers ✅ Why he deliberately overdoes a movement to find its limits ✅ How telemark transformed his feel for pressure and dorsiflexion in alpine skiing ⛷️ Geri’s online Mogul course (founder/lifetime access offer mentioned in the episode): https://www.snowsportsgeri.com/offers/m7hSgEVq/checkout 🌐 Geri’s Ski Camps: www.snowsportsgeri.com 🏕️ Geri’s Cold Candy ski school: www.cold-candy.com For everything I do on carving, short turns, body prep, mobility and mogul skiing, it’s all in one place: 👉 https://bigpictureskiing.com (use code PODCAST for 20% off any membership) 🎿 Ski camps with me: https://skicoachcollective.com ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro – why moguls scare people 01:20 How Geri became the go-to mogul coach 05:30 Where the progression starts: the wedge & corridor drill 13:00 Moving from groomers into real bumps 15:00 The "get small and absorb" myth 16:20 Finding the round line before the direct line 21:30 Reading the line & looking for solutions, not problems 25:00 Steep, long bumps and over-skied lines 32:15 The steep rut line: the heel-up hamstring release 40:30 Pole plant: timing, prep & targeting the next bump 45:40 What he learned from World Cup mogul skiers 51:40 Mogul waves: the easy way in 54:50 Who the camps are for & "booking your line" 57:15 Moguls and your knees 01:00:45 What makes Geri tick: the low position & overdoing movements 01:09:00 Japanese & Korean inspiration + favourite drills 01:14:30 Telemark: what it taught him about alpine skiing 01:24:15 How to ski with Geri – camps & course 01:29:20 Wrap-up 🎧 Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 👍 Enjoyed it? Subscribe and tell me — what trips you up most in the bumps? Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  4. May 16

    Practice won’t make you better. But deliberate practice will!

    Mark Sedgwick finished this winter as #1 on the CARV global leaderboard  for short turns, with a Ski IQ of 180 — the highest recorded this season.  In this episode, I sit down with Mark to find out exactly how he got there. Mark is an Australian-born ski professional who started at age 10 and never  looked back. He's worked through the APSI, CSIA, and Austrian instructor  systems, raced in Europe, ran ski resorts, and now plays a senior role in  the PSIC (Professional Ski Instructors of Canada) — including integrating  CARV data into Level 4 certification exams. This is one of the most practical, data-rich ski improvement conversations  I've had on the show. We cover: → The difference between play, purposeful practice, and deliberate practice → Why just trying harder keeps you stuck at the same score → The #1 and #2 metrics that drive short turn Ski IQ → Mark's philosophy: make something exist before you make it better → Turn-by-turn breakdowns of parallel, carving, short turns, and moguls → Why function before form is reshaping how ski instructors are trained → A live coaching session using my real CARV data → How Mark used AI to reverse-engineer the CARV scoring algorithm → The future of CARV: stivets, one-ski skiing, and community features Whether you're a recreational skier trying to level up or a ski professional  looking for a new lens on performance, this conversation is packed with  actionable insights. —————————————————————————— 🎿 FREE SKIING VIDEO Get a premium level Big Picture Skiing Tutorial here: https://bigpictureskiing.com/get/perpendicular 📱 DOWNLOAD CARV Try CARV for yourself: https://getcarv.com 🌐 BIG PICTURE SKIING Website: https://bigpictureskiing.com —————————————————————————— ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 How Mark Hit Ski IQ 180 3:15 Meet Mark Sedgwick 5:14 From Aussie Kid to Ski Pro 7:52 The Austrian Influence 12:56 Why Most Practice Doesn't Work 23:55 The Ugly Skiing Breakthrough 32:39 Function Over Form 37:12 Style Still Matters 45:50 Make It Exist, Then Make It Better 54:48 How to Improve Your Parallel Score 1:04:45 Parallel — The Most Overlooked Turn Type 1:13:42 Carving: The Metrics That Actually Matter 1:27:44 Ski Sharpening & The Pole Secret 1:31:25 Short Turns — How to Break Your Ceiling 1:45:43 Moguls, Tempo & Keeping the Joy Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  5. May 8

    Turn Shape First and When you Can Push on your skis with Tom Gellie and Demelza Clay

    Another season done. And like always, by the time the lifts close Demelza and I find ourselves deep in conversation about what we actually learned out there — not just what we taught, but what shifted in our own thinking. This episode is that conversation. We each had a big coaching theme this season that we kept coming back to with clients, and in this one we unpack both of them — plus a few other things that came up along the way. We get into turn shape and why it’s the foundation everything else is built on, ankle and knee mechanics and where they actually belong in the turn, the push vs pull debate and what’s really happening with pressure, why a “stable upper body” is honestly an optical illusion, and what it means to unfreeze — and why loose is actually stable. There’s also a moment where Demelza highsides herself at about 3 feet in the air at Hintertux while I’m watching from the bottom. That one’s worth it alone. If you’re a skier who wants to understand the why behind good technique, this one’s for you. Interested in joining Tom’s upcoming Deep Dive Webinars? See below 📅 Big Picture Skiing upcoming webinars → https://bigpictureskiing.com/programs/deep-dive-3 Want to join a ski camps with Tom, Demelza and Jason? Checkout 🎿 Ski camps with Tom & Demelza → https://www.skicoachcollective.com Want a free deep dive on a concept that will improve linking of your ski turns? 🎥 Free video → https://bigpictureskiing.com/get/perpendicular Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction to Skiing Insights 00:01:13 Exploring Turn Shape 00:02:53 Coaching Themes for the Season 00:06:55 Understanding Turn Dynamics 00:08:38 The Joy of Speed in Skiing 00:12:14 Engaging Advanced Skiers 00:17:04 The Push-Pull Concept 00:28:28 Balancing Between Techniques 00:31:35 The Importance of Timing 00:38:05 Skiing for Fun vs. Competition 00:46:21 Reflecting on Personal Growth 00:59:23 Enhancing Skiing Techniques 01:06:37 The Journey of Unfreezing Movements 01:16:01 Preparing for Future Topics 01:28:52 Conclusion and Future Conversations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  6. Mar 2

    Tips To Make Your Ski Boots Fit Better - With Brent Amsbury

    Most skiers only think about their boots when something hurts. In this episode, I sit down with expert boot fitter Brent Armsbury to unpack the art and science of ski boot fitting — and why every skier should take more ownership of their setup. We talk about the mindset shift from “my boots don’t feel right” to actively experimenting and giving better feedback. Brent shares the most common issues he sees in the shop, why feeling disconnected from your boots doesn’t always mean you need a new pair, and how small adjustments can restore performance. We cover practical, mid-season tweaks including: • Padding and shimming the liner tongue and shin area • Using simple materials like neoprene, foam and even duct tape to fill voids • Spoilers, heel lifts and forward lean experiments • How to self diagnose fit issues starting from the front of the boot The big takeaway: boot fitting is collaborative. The more you understand and experiment, the better the outcome. If you want to go deeper on technique, equipment setup and skiing performance, check out the Big Picture Skiing learning platform. https://bigpictureskiing.com/ Podcast listeners can use the code PODCAST to take 20% off. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  7. 12/18/2025

    A Deep Dive On Ski Bindings - Phil Pugliese and Tom Gellie

    Ski bindings are one of the most important — and least understood — parts of our equipment. In this episode, I talk with Phil Pugliese from SkiTalk.com to better understand how ski bindings work, where they came from, and how they balance performance with safety. Phil has spent decades reviewing and testing ski equipment, and his depth of knowledge really shows. We cover the evolution of bindings, the role of elasticity, DIN settings, race vs recreational designs, GripWalk compatibility, and why understanding your equipment matters more than most skiers realise. This conversation helped me make more informed decisions about bindings for myself and my family, and it’s one I think any skier who enjoys learning about their craft will appreciate. Want to see the bindings Phil is talking about check the YouTube version of the podcast https://youtu.be/JalwwxcNvts Want to improve your skiing further? Check out Big Picture Skiing, my online coaching platform with a huge library of in-depth ski technique and equipment videos designed to help you ski better — and enjoy it more. Podcast listeners get a 25% off Discount Code. Use code PODCAST when you checkout Learn more at bigpictureskiing.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  8. 11/26/2025

    Matt Graham: The Mogul Paradox - Why Elite Skiers AVOID Ski-Snow Contact

    I have to admit that one of my core beliefs about moguls was challenged during this most recent conversation with Olympic Moguls silver medalist Matt Graham. For a long time, I believed that more ski snow contact was the ultimate sign of a good bump skierl. But in this open and honest conversation, Matt explains why the opposite is true when you want speed and rhythm in a mogul course. I was working with Carv at Hintertux when I met up with him, and he talked me through the key ideas the best bump skiers in the world rely on plus a whole lot more 👇 The Mogul Paradox One of the biggest concepts he shares is something called bridging. It is the ability to absorb the terrain so well that the skis do not press unnecessarily into the bumps. By bridging at the right moment, the skier reduces friction, avoids braking, and keeps the ideal turn tempo flowing. Once Matt explained it, the whole approach made a lot more sense. The Boot Alignment Breakthrough Matt also speaks openly about the long journey he had getting his equipment right. He explains the exact alignment change that finally let him ski with more comfort and less fight. Hearing that from someone at his level shows how important the right setup really is. Carv We also talk about Carv’s data in moguls. Matt tried CARV for the first time this November and currently he is the number 1 skier on the global Carv leaderboard. Yes higher than Ted Ligety and some of the best carvers in the world. It’s very cool because Carv now has separate Ski IQs for Moguls, Carving, Short Turns and Powder. We find out that elite mogul skiers have an insanely high tempo or rhythm of turns way above even expert skiers. A quick note about Big Picture Skiing If you want help improving your skiing this season, I would love to guide you. The Big Picture Skiing learning platform gives you a clear, structured way to progress instead of trying to piece things together from random YouTube tips. You will find step by step skill progressions, deep dive videos on topics like hip position and outside ski balance, and a learning pathway built from my 20 years of coaching skiers at every level. Podcast listeners can use code PODCAST for 25 percent off any membership. Thanks for listening skiers. See you out on the slopes. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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4.3
out of 5
60 Ratings

About

Tom Gellie talks with technical skiers and industry experts from around the world. Gain insight into some of the best technical skiers and what their thoughts are on good skiing and how to achieve it. For more information and great skiing content check out Tom Gellie’s website: www.bigpictureskiing.com

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Gellie
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All Rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Big Picture Skiing Podcast