Fresh Corduroy brings listeners inside the world of skiing through in-depth conversations with athletes, industry leaders, and changemakers shaping the future of snow sports. From Olympians to resort executives and policy voices, host Craig Zolan explores the stories, challenges, and culture that matter most to passionate skiers.
Hig Roberts: U.S. Ski Team, World Cup Skiing, Coming Out & Life After Racing
Hig Roberts took an unconventional path to the top of alpine skiing.
From growing up in Steamboat Springs to skiing at Middlebury and earning a spot on the U.S. Ski Team, Hig reached the World Cup through persistence, technical development, and a nontraditional route.
In this episode, we go inside life on the World Cup circuit—the pressure, travel, and mental challenges of competing at the highest level. Hig shares how personal loss and identity struggles shaped his career, and what led him to step away from professional ski racing.
He also discusses coming out as gay after his career, why he didn’t feel ready during his time on the World Cup, and how the response from the ski community changed his perspective.
Finally, we explore the business of ski racing. Hig breaks down how athletes make money, his experience as a sports agent at Wasserman, and what skiing can learn from larger professional sports. Now working in business development with the NHL Players’ Association, he offers a unique perspective on athlete careers, sponsorships, and long-term planning.
A candid conversation about World Cup skiing, identity, and life after elite sport.
15 Mar 2026
Resi Stiegler: World Cup Slalom, Olympic Pressure, and Growing Up Skiing Jackson Hole
Three-time Olympian Resi Stiegler grew up skiing in Jackson Hole, the daughter of Olympic slalom champion Pepi Stiegler. From those early days roaming the mountain as a kid, she went on to make the U.S. Ski Team at just 15, race on the FIS Alpine World Cup, and represent the United States at three Winter Olympic Games.
In this episode of Fresh Corduroy, Resi joins host Craig Zolan to talk about the journey from a Jackson Hole childhood to the highest level of ski racing. She shares what it actually feels like to step into the start gate at a World Cup race, the unique pressure of the Olympics, and how she navigated the injuries and setbacks that are part of a long career in alpine racing.
They also discuss the mindset that helped her stay positive through difficult stretches, why free skiing played such an important role in her development, and what she’s doing now—raising a family in Jackson Hole and helping the next generation of racers through the Stiegler ski camps.
In this episode:
Growing up skiing in Jackson Hole
Making the U.S. Ski Team at 15
What World Cup racing really feels like
Olympic pressure vs. World Cup racing
Injuries, resilience, and longevity in the sport
Passing skiing on to the next generation
If you enjoy conversations with the people who shape ski culture, follow Fresh Corduroy and share the episode with a friend who loves skiing as much as you do.
8 Mar 2026
Inside Dartmouth Skiing: Peter Dodge on Coaching Champions and the Future of NCAA Ski Racing
What does it take to build one of the most successful programs in NCAA ski racing?
In this episode of Fresh Corduroy, host Craig Zolan sits down with legendary Dartmouth coach Peter Dodge for an inside look at the world of college ski racing, athlete development, and the pathway from junior racing to the World Cup.
Peter grew up skiing in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, rose through the ranks of the U.S. Ski Team, narrowly missed the 1980 Olympics, and then spent nearly a decade on Bob Beattie’s World Pro Tour—winning both Rookie of the Year and Pro Skier of the Year. He later spent 33 years as head coach of the Dartmouth ski team, helping develop generations of NCAA champions, Olympians, and World Cup racers.
In this conversation, Peter shares how collegiate skiing really works behind the scenes—and what ski parents and young racers often misunderstand about the path to racing in college.
In this episode:
• How Dartmouth became a destination for U.S. Ski Team athletes like Tommy Ford, AJ Hurt, Nina O’Brien, and Olympic gold medalist Tanguy Neff
• The truth about NCAA ski recruiting and how athletes actually get noticed by college coaches
• Why ski academies have become central to the U.S. ski racing development pipeline
• The relationship between college ski programs and the U.S. Ski Team—and how it could work better
• Peter Dodge’s coaching philosophy and how he helped athletes reach peak performance
• The story behind Dartmouth winning five consecutive NCAA slalom championships
• The future of college skiing and NCAA alpine racing
If you're a ski racer, ski parent, coach, or fan of the sport, this episode offers rare insight into how collegiate ski racing works—and why it remains one of the most important pathways in American skiing.
Follow Fresh Corduroy on Apple Podcasts to hear more conversations with the athletes, coaches, and innovators shaping the future of skiing.
Who has been a guest on Fresh Corduroy
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Sasha Rearick
Jamie Grant
Dr Jim Taylor
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
400
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
73
Social presence
90
YouTube
64
Engagement
32
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