100+ Months of Skiing | The Fish Family | E60

Few families in the Lake Tahoe region have had more of a positive impact on recreation than the Fish family. Ben and Amy revived the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) in 2010, and started both the 60-mile Rose to Toads epic and Corral Night Ride. Their son Max, about the same age as TAMBA, grew up alongside the organization, and as soon as he could walk, he was on two wheels in dirt, two sticks on snow and a trail tool in hand working last year as a paid employee at Bijou Bike Park, a park designed by Ben. Since November 2016, Ben and Max have skied and snowboarded every month through pow, ice, corn, sun cups, rocks, man-made snow and even the Caldor Fire, reaching 100 consecutive months in February. On Episode 60, the Fish family talks all about TAMBA, the process of their 100-month snow adventure, the importance of bike parks and adventuring together as a family.  

2:00 – It’s Corntastic! Trail Whisperer makes his first turns as a snowboarder.

4:30 – Recording at Kirkwood at the Reid household with Ben, Amy and Max Fish.

9:00 – Ben and Amy started Rose to Toad’s and Corral Night Ride.

11:45 – The history of Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA).

15:53 – Max recalls his earliest memories with TAMBA and Bijou Bike Park.

17:30 – The concept of “radical families” – not letting children slow parents down from having adventures.  

20:30 – Max talks about The Smaine Fund - created in memory of Kyle Smaine - and becoming a ski racer.

22:45 – Recounting 100 consecutive months of skiing and snowboarding, starting in November 2016. Only 6 months were not in the Sierra Nevada.

26:26 – Dave Webster - “The Daily Wavester” – surfed every day for 40 years, catching at least 3 waves each day, totaling 43,923 waves.

29:30 – What patches of snow in the Sierra Nevada hold the longest into the summer?  

31:25 – Skiing during the Caldor Fire.

33:30 – Using ebikes to access ski areas like Heavenly, Tioga Pass and Mount Lola.

35:25 – Some of Ben’s favorite memories from 100 months of skiing.

38:30 – What have they seen over the last 8 years with snowpack and climate change?

46:30 – Max’s love of the Gunbarrel 25 event at Heavenly and Kurt’s experience at the Gunbarrel.

53:00 – Max’s transition from freeriding to competitive ski racing.

54:30 – Odd mountain biking footwear – Tevas, cowboy boots, Vans and five finger shoes.

57:10 – Max working last summer as a paid employee at the Bijou Bike Park and Ben’s work as a landscape architect in designing the bike park.

1:00:00 – The importance of bike parks to a community and to developing skills.

1:03:35 – Do you feel more comfortable jumping through the air on skis or on bikes?

1:07:50 – Amy wants to learn to play drums and her long, stupid ride exploits.

1:10:45 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – What are you listening to right now and when Ben and Amy met at a punk ska show in high school.

1:14:45 – The concept of learning a new sport and getting better and Trail Whisperer’s experience making his first turns as a snowboarder.

1:19:55 – What new sport or hobby would you like to learn? Most want to learn wing foiling, e-foiling and wake foiling.

1:23:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:26:30 – New trails TAMBA is working on to get excited about – Lost Lake, Meeks Ridge, General Creek are highlights.