On this episode of the "Sponsored" podcast, presented by Powder Radio, host Mike Powell interviews Kent Kreitler, one of the pioneers of skiing in the 1990s. The two discuss his college roommate, Shane McConkey, the challenges of making it in skiing, and moving on from being a professional skier.

"When I was younger I was very unafraid and very passion driven and really I loved all the middle and early parts of my career because they were so explorative. One of the biggest thrills for me was being a pioneer," says Kreitler. "Everything you did, going to Alaska, New Zealand, going to mountain ranges that people had never skied before. So I absolutely loved that. Doug [Coombs] had a weird accident where he slipped on some ice... I had been through a major injury, and I was like, 'What are my goals at this point? What have I achieved? And where do I take it from here? And there wasn't that much left for me at that time."

Kent Kreitler Show Notes2:30 From KC to NJ to SV5:43: Race talent in SV9:00: College with McConkey12:23 Dropping out of school + Volant and Spyder13:48: First paid ski trip to Las Lenas15:29: The excitement around Freeskiing and the ’93 Extreme Championships17:35 Snowboarding is killing skiing18:57: How much money did Kent make skiing21:43: Scared into yoga….not really26:07: Life after skiing29:45 150 acres of land in Panama31:18: What does skiing need?35:30: Pro models