Carving a New Path: Kaylin Richardson on Skiing, Motherhood, and Deer Valley

In this episode Nicole and Sarah welcome ski mom Kaylin Richardson. Kaylin is a two-time Olympian and former pro skier. She walks us through her journey from competitive racing to her current role in Deer Valley's Ski With a Champion program. She shared her experiences transitioning from World Cup racing to big mountain and backcountry skiing, including her work with Warren Miller films. 

Kaylin offers insights on balancing her skiing career with motherhood, emphasizing the joy of seeing her children develop a love for the sport. Kaylin also gives us great tips for family ski trips for making family ski trips a success. 

Kaylin discussed Deer Valley's expansion, including 316 new acres opening this season and highlighted the importance of fostering a love for skiing in children without pressure.Kaylin shared her favorite apres ski locations and recommended the Sticky Wicket bar at Deer Valley for its retro 70s-80s ski vibe and mocktail options. 

Keep up with the Latest from Kaylin and Deer Valley:

Website: www.deervalley.com
Ski With a Champion: www.deervalley.com/things-to-do/activities/ski-with-a-champion
Instagram (Deer Valley): @deervalleyresort
Instagram (Kaylin): @kaylinrichardson
Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=edHgF

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Invest in your season with this TSA Approved carry-on boot bag, it's a game changer and built to last. 

Visit Ski Haus in Woburn, Framingham, or Salem, NH, or go to skihaus.com. 

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Transcript

Nicole: The Ski Moms get to do one of our favorite things which is talk to an Olympian again today. We are so excited to speak with Kaylin Richardson. She is a two time Olympian, a ex pro skier, I don't know if you're ever really an ex. And she is one of the Deer Valley athletes that is part of the Ski With a Champion program. And I got to ski with her last season and it was a magical day and I heard all about her mom life which is probably her most passionate, passionate current project. So we are so excited to have Kayn on the podcast today. Welcome.

Kaylin: Oh, I'm so happy to be here. I love talking to fellow ski moms. You guys are a little bit farther along on the journey so I always, I'm going to definitely be peppering you with questions every so often. It's. And you're absolutely right. I was, I actually was interviewed recently for a magazine and they asked me like what was my moment, my summit moment recently in the last year. And I, and I actually, I was kind of at a lost words. I said actually it's seeing my daughter start to fall in love with skiing. I was like that was my most exhilarating moment of the last season. So I feel like it is very fitting that I am talking with you.

Sarah: Ladies and we think that's a perfect answer. But maybe, maybe not all the ski media would, would that might not be what they were fishing for right?

Kaylin: With that question Maybe not, but it was the truth and it's authentic to my journey. And I feel like so often that, like athlete moms, you know, I think that sometimes we feel like we have to sort of downplay our role because we still want to continue to be relevant as a pro athlete. And I think that. I get it. I totally understand it because I felt that pressure internally as well. But I'd love to flip the script where, yes, there's a lot going on, but I still can do amazing things. It's just, I've got this whole other part of my life that I'm equally passionate about, and life stays the chapter of my life. I'm in right now. I am in what I call the beloved trenches of toddlerdom with a 4 and 2 year old. And I love every minute of it. And the thing is, I'm loving it because I know how fleeting it is. There will come a time where I have more, more space and more time to do my own projects. But for right now, I'm really enjoying just fully being all hands on deck.

Nicole: You posted just the sweetest video of them hiking. And I use that word loosely. And it was. It just reminded me of those days where you do not go far. It's all about like, just taking in the moment outside.

Kaylin: It's really about nurturing the love of the outdoors. And people always ask me, they say, oh, are you pushing your kids to ski or. And especially with racing, because that was what I was in the Olympics. And you know, do you want your kids to be Olympians and these kind of things? Which I think is such a funny question because I said I just want them to be happy. And of course, there is a part of me that would love for them to enjoy skiing because I think it's such an amazing sport that you can do your entire life and especially a little self. Like, selfishly, I would love to be with them throughout my golden years, but if they didn't love it, we'd find something else. I always tell parents, I'm like, you got to let your kids take a lead and if they get into something that is new to you, you got to jump in and start to do it, because that's how you're going to be able to bond with them. Luckily, so far, so good, because I feel like when kids can. Even my daughter, who was three last season, last season, if she knew how badly some part of me wanted her to like skiing, I think she would have dug her heels in. But we just kept it fun and super relaxed. And she actually, it clicked like she had one day where she just was following. She just said, mom, you don't need to be in front of me. Or she said, you don't need to ski backwards. I'm going to follow you. And she just crushed it on the screen. And it was so much fun and she had so much pride. And I mean, she still fell a bunch. But I think that sports, not just skiing, but any sports, is such a great vehicle to build character. And that's what I always tell people. I was like, if you can get your child outdoors and doing any kind of sport, whether it's organized or just something that is physical, it helps teach them about themselves.

Nicole: Do you remember learning? Do you remember your first chimes? It was. Were you. You were in Minnesota, right?

Kaylin: I was. I. I'm from. I grew up in Minneapolis. Right, right in Minneapolis, basically. And I've told her brothers, so it's interesting. I don't really remember my first skiing experience. I just remembering. I just. I recall wanting to do whatever my brothers were doing to the. To their chagrin, actually. So they started skiing and then we kind of fell into ski racing. If you look at the US Ski Team, I would say that the vast majority come from some sort of pedigree. Whether their parents were ski racers or in the industry or that sort of scenario. That was not my family view. It was very serendipitous. My dad liked to recreational ski. He always thought it was really fun. And then my mom started skiing when they got married, so she didn't start learning how to ski till she was in her 20s and they just loved doing it. So when my. There was a community program called Ski Jammers, where it was a weekend program where you just go to. There are lots of little ski areas all around the Twin Cities. There's no vertical, but lots of little ski areas. So you get on a bus and you'd skew kids your age every weekend. And when my brother sort of aged out of ski jammers, my parents looked in the yellow pages and found Team Gobo, which was a local ski team about 12 minutes away at Highland Hills. Our little local. Our teeny ski 175 foot vertical. And my brother started doing it and I wanted to do it as well. And here we are.

Sarah: Okay, but walk us through a little bit more detail. So. So after you've now graduated from this smaller mountain, I'm assuming at what age? Like 12 or so.

Kaylin: I am one of the few that I didn't do the ski academy route. I Actually made the US Ski Team from my teeny tiny ski hill. But I made the National Junior team. I, this was ages ago. I made, when I was 15, in 1999 is when I made the US ski team. And the way that it was structured back then is that they had a national Junior team. And I made the development team, which was the National Junior team. And my parents and I talked about going to a ski academy, which. Any of you mothers or parents listening? It's just, it's like a, an academy is where you train skiing in the morning and then you go to school in the afternoon. And it just, it, it revolves around skiing. The schedule really supports the young athletes. We talked about that. But to be honest, I loved the idea of coming back to my, my public high school because I liked the balance where none of my friends, basically, like, none of them other than the ones I ski raced with, knew at all what I was doing. Um, I would be gone for five weeks at a time and kids would think I'd moved. And then I remember I did really well in Europa Cup. Um, and I'd gotten a sub 12 point result, which was a huge step for me. Like, it, it put me onto the B team and. But I got fifth. I got in fifth in the Europe Cup. I hadn't even made the podium. But it was a race that was really stacked with World cup high elite racers. And I remember telling one of my, one of my friends, I, yeah, I got fifth in Europa Cup. And they were like, oh, oh, you know, you'll get it. You'll get them next time. And I was like, but, yeah, okay, you know, like. And I think for me personally that was nice that it didn't always have to be around ski racing, but, so anyway, made the U.S. ski team at the end of my freshman year when I was 15. And then. And for the following two years, three years, I kind of just, I sort of made the National Junior team on discretion because they knew I came from such a small hill. They saw how coordinated I was, they saw my work ethic basically. And then I had a, I had a big breakout year when I was 18, and I went from the development team to the B team, which was like World cup level, and then raced. And it wasn't until my senior in high school that I said, you know what, 2006. So that was 2003. I said 2006, which was the Torino Olympics. I'm like, that was the first time. I was like, that is a possibility. I was not a kid that grew up Drawing myself on the top of a podium with Olympic rings behind me, it just wasn't really on my radar because no one I knew from my home team, where I grew up ski racing, or within my family or even, like my greater community, I didn't know any Olympians. So because of that, I think it's just, you know, just never really came to mind. But then as a senior, I was like, hey, this is. This is a possibility. And so I deferred from college, and I just focused solely on racing after high school, because high school was a lot. I missed a lot of school. And we met the superintendent. My public high school was super supportive, but I was basically an independent student. But I still was able to somehow eke out that really classic going to football games, going to hockey games, going to homecoming sort of high school experience, which I am really grateful for.

Nicole: Kudos to your parents for keeping you somewhat, you know, on a more traditional track with your schooling and probably with your family that you got to spend a lot of time together. And I love that your friends were so Nonplussed about your 5th place World cup finish.

Kaylin: Yeah, they were just. They had no idea. It was actually really refreshing.

Nicole: Yeah, it probably really helped keep you sane in many ways. And, you know, you could kind of put that on a shelf. And then you would come back to Kaylin's life as a high school student and worry about high school student stuff.

Kaylin: And even just like, for my mental health, it was just nice to have a break from that concerting conversation because, of course, that was my life from the time I was, you know, a sophomore in high school. Basically, it was. I was an elite racer at that point because I was in Europe a bunch and doing your upper cups and that kind of thing. So I still tell parents, I'm like, make sure that your kids have some sort of balance. And that balance really depends on. On the individual. Where I see some. Some student athletes that are. They're super focused and really intense, and that. That works for them. And then I see others where I see. If I see them start to struggle, I say, they just need a little bit more balance, probably.

Nicole: So then you were probably pretty young when you were living independently. What was home base for you?

Kaylin: After sophomore year, we were based out of Park City, and then I started spending my summers in Park City, and luckily I remember this is. You guys. Moms out there will really appreciate this. And especially now that I'm a mom, I appreciate the so. Because I remember it so Clearly. I was 16 and I had friends two friends that were 18 and one that were 19 that were going to be renting a condo in Park City for the summer. And I remember telling my parents, I'm like, hey, Megan, Jess and Rachel are renting a condo in Park City. And they say that there's a room for me. And my parents are like, absolutely not, definitely not happening. Like, and I remember I was so angry, but I think there was a little part of me. One thing I will applaud my parents and my younger self is that I think there was a party that's like, yeah, that's not gonna apply. Like that just. And also I knew that I probably was not going to flourish. I was actually a really good kid. Like, my parents didn't worry about me necessarily making bad decisions. It just wouldn't be the right environment for their 16 year old. But my parents were just like, no. So I actually ended up finding a host family that became like my second parents that I'm still dear friends with today. And I lived with them, I think for like five or six summers and even like part of one winter. And my kids consider them their grandparents. They live down in Salt Lake. And I'm so happy that I have Peter and Pam in my life. So it all worked out. But yes, I think it is prefetter. I'm like, I remember being, I remember so clearly saying, don't you guys trust me? And they're like, we trust you. We don't trust, trust other teenagers. And I was like, okay, fair. You make a good point.

Nicole: There's nothing like the misguided confidence of a 16 year old. I remember there was one summer, Sarah and my daughters are friends and they were going to go move to Nantucket for the summer and get jobs. And you know, rather than put the brakes on, you know, we just said, oh, you know, let us know how the planning goes on that. Because who's going to rent a 16 year old and how are they going to get out there? Okay, so we know you had a storied career, you had Olympics, you had all of this success. Now the ski moms are not too preoccupied with racing. I mean, we love the fact that you've achieved all of these things, which is just fantastic. And we love to see women ski fast. But we're really interested today in how you turned into this fantastic mom adult. You know, you're in charge of little people. And really that transition of your job is just to take care of yourself. Your job is to perform at the highest level as an athlete and to race fast. Race on the edge. And then you'd make you. You come to a point and you're like, I think I'm done with that. I'm ready to transition to my next thing. So we want to know, you know, did it come all at once that you kind of woke up one race day? Sarah has this theory that she can see it in the eyes of some of the World cup women racers. She's like, oh, that one's got baby fever. I can see it in that one.

Kaylin: I'm sort of an outlier on this because I think that unfortunately, in a sport like series, often it's. It's injury that sort of will push an athlete to retire. When I made my second Olympics in 2010, it's interesting. The moment I knew I qualified, I sort of had this little seed planted where I said, I think I'm done with racing. I said, this was my big goal. I've achieved it. Not that I wasn't going to give it my all in 2010, but I wasn't a medal favorite. I mean, there's always an outside chance. Olympics are crazy like that. But I just knew that I was so curious about other parts of life and also other parts of skiing, where I loved to free ski. And the thing about racing is it's so, like, curated. Your life is curated, like, everything to this day. I could tell you exactly the next calendar year, basically, day to day, what I would be doing if I was still a World cup ski racer. And I wanted a little more nuance, I wanted a little more adventure. It's very adventurous to be a World cup ski racer, but I done that. So I was like. I also knew to get to that highest echelon of getting podiums. I knew what it required, especially mentally. And I. I just don't think I was willing to work on the mental part of my sport. For better or worse. That's a whole nother podcast. But anyway, so after the 2010, I knew I wanted to continue to ski race, and I was really interested in the backcountry. I was interested in big mountains outside of the resort, and through a couple different things happening. I ended up winning a contest in Utah at Canyons Resort, which is now part of the greater Park City Resort. And I was their ultimate mountain gig winter, my first post season, post winter of being a World cup skier. I lived at the Waldorf Astoria and I skied powder, like every day. And then I parlayed that into being their ambassador for two or three more seasons. And for me, I just. I Think this is not very glamorous, but I just said if I can milk my mediocre two time Olympian status as long as I can and just continue to ski because I love it so much. And one thing that I'm super passionate about is seeing people have the joy I feel when I ski. Because I think that a lot of times people, they are misled to think that what I feel when I'm going really fast down a big line in Alaska or just a great powder run in Utah, or just even carving a turn on a groomer that just feels so clean and so wonderful that that is any different than what they feel when they do their first black diamond or their first blue square. You know, if they're trying to level up, it is the exact same feeling of acceleration. I really tried to continue to like learn more about the backcountry, learn about big mountain skiing. And then as it so happened, I. Because Canyon sponsored a Warren Miller segment, they asked me to. They basically told the Warren Miller crew, hey, we've got this ambassador. You need to ski with her for one day when that happens. Now I know because I'm, I've been in, I've been in nine Warren Miller movies now or a ton or something that they were definitely like, oh, man, we've got this girl who knows if she can ski, we'll take her for one day. Hopefully it's not horrible. Maybe she'll make the movie. Probably not. Anyway, that first day I could tell it was like a tryout and I'm not going to get into, into it, but I did well. And they said, hey, do you want to join us for the next two weeks? And I said, oh my gosh, this is a dream come true. I've always wanted to be in Warren Miller. And that helped me get sponsors, get some relevancy. I won a free skiing competition in Snowbird. And that's when I realized that I was like, I can take all of what I've learned as a skier. And I did all four events. So I did the very technical slalom, which is the really quick footed one. And then I did. I also did downhill, which is the really fast one. So really anything in the backcountry, whether it was a really technical shoot or a huge line where you had to go really fast, I was comfortable with and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the challenge of it. There wasn't a fir. Like I always said that in racing I was a jack of all trades, master of none, but in big mountain skiing, that was such a, such an Asset. So all of a sudden I was like, oh, even the way I ski, one thing that was the bane of my speed and racing is that I love the feeling of the edges. And when you create more friction, you're slower. I had a coach that was like, you're just throwing anchors every turn. He's like, you're too hard on your edges. But I'd make these incredible angles. And when I started filming, I think I said once, I was like, oh, you know, if I'm creating too big of angles, I don't know why I said that. And the filmer looked at me, the cinematographer, he's like, are you kidding? He's like, we love seeing powerful female scares. Keep it up. And I remember, like, a light bulb went off. I'm like, oh, this is what I was supposed to be doing all along. So I also knew that I. Chris Davenport is a friend, and he's been able to create, like I always say, like, how, like, managing the empire. He does camps, he does speaking. He's a mountaineer. And I'm very different than he is. But I loved how he was so multifaceted within the ski industry. And I remember thinking, that's what I want to do. And so as I was becoming more of a pro skier, I was creating these relationships with resorts and skiing with corporate groups and working on my ability to articulate what it is to me to ski so that I could do that to bigger groups. And as it so happened, Deer Valley started this program. And I was not on Deer Valley's radar. Cause I'm not a freestyle skier. I was an alpine skier. And they have. Deer Valley has a long running freestyle partnership because they have the World cup there. They have the moguls and aerials World cup there. But I'd never really been there that much. So I was kind of. They kind of threw my name in the. In the ring for being part of the Ski with the Champion program. And they kind of said, she seems great, but we don't know her. But then, as it so happened, my friends at Warren Miller gave me a call that winter, and they were doing a tribute to Stein Erickson, who was synonymous with Deer Valley. And he had passed away. And they're like, we're going to do a segment honoring him, and we need a local skier that can really be carved groomers. Kaylan, are you around and available? Somehow I was home. We had four days to shoot. It was glorious weather. We had everything you'd want for this segment. And I was able to talk about how Much Stein had impressed me and, like, what he was able to do on one skis, it still just blows my mind. And that little segment, they became familiar with me, and they said, hey, we'd love for her to be a part of the program. And that started my relationship with Deer Valley. And I think that this is my 8th or 9th year at Deer Valley now, which is. It's gone by so fast. And. And it is. Deer Valley is a dream. Is a dream. Like the fact that when I'm taking people skiing there and the Ski with the Champion program is basically, I kind of ingest. Call it a la carte Olympian, where there's six of us, and you're like, ooh, who should I ski with? And it's the ski experience. I'll definitely give tips, but it's really about taking a family or a person or group of people skiing the day and saying, what do you like to ski like? And I'll watch them ski one run, and very quickly I will think in my head, these are the runs that will be the most fun. Like, it's basically my pleasure and my job to make sure you have the best day, given the conditions that you can have that day with me. And then I'm just an open book. I say, you can ask me about anything, and I would love to regale you with stories, or we can be quiet and feel the vibe of the mountain. Whatever you want. And I always say that I gauge a good day skiing by how many smiles there are. And if people are smiling when they're skiing with me, it's a job well done.

Sarah: Do you ever go through the NASTAR course against them?

Kaylin: Yes, because part of the skew of champions is we can get into the Nastar for free. So I always. I always offer and I say, hey, maybe I'll do nascar. Most time I'm on free skis. And it's funny because sometimes, like, I'll. I'll skew some very good skiers sometimes, especially for corporate groups, they'll always be like some dude that is a very good skier. Maybe he's in high school or maybe even Steve in college, and he's like, really game into beat me. And like, you know, I have been beat on Nastar a couple of times. And they're. And I'm. They're always like, a little bit sheepish because they feel like I'm going to offended or whatever. And I'm always like, no. And then. And they're even like, can I tell people I beat you? And I'm like, absolutely. And they're like, but were you actually racing? And I'm like, you guys, I'm a 40 year old woman. I always tell them, I'm like, for me to try to go as hard as I can and get injured, it's like, if I can't ski, that's my livelihood. So yes, I'm skiing and I'm a very good skier. But my friend Eric Schlopy, who is an amazing skier, Olympian, world champion medalist, he explained it so well. He said Nastar is like mini golf, where if you were, if you were going to go play a round of mini golf with Phil Mickelson and you were an amazing golfer, there is a chance that you on one hole, you could get a hole in one and he could do it in two, right? And you on that hole, you beat him. But there's nothing to differentiate the amazing golfer he is and the very, very good expert golfer you are. But there is a difference. It's just, there's nothing to prove the difference. And I loved when Eric's explained that. And I've, I would never say that to guests because I want them to be psyched they should go home and tell people they beaten them lump again. People do ask me when they're like, how am I so close to you? And I was like, well, if we were on like a 65 second GS course on steep, icy slope, like, no offense, I'd annihilate you. But like, like. And I was on race again, but like, I'm not going to say that. And also, like, I don't really have any hubris because I have plenty of confidence in my skiing ability. And also I just tell them, I'm like, you're a phenomenal skier. Like, for you to beat me on an Aster, even when I'm just like kind of cruising, you have to be very good to do that. You do. It doesn't happen that often, but it does happen.

Sarah: Well, I'm not sure I agree with all that because I did beat Nicole on that NASDAQ course.

Nicole: Sarah, I'm a professional and I was saving myself for the season from injury. So I'm going to take Kaylin's line that I've got a long season and I cannot get injured in a race. And also I'm going to start saying that sometimes I have to throw anchors down to slow myself down.

Kaylin: Totally. You're like, you know what? I just, I was getting a little fast. I don't want to jeopardize my season. And for One Nastar Glory Run. Yeah.

Nicole: So I had to throw some anchors. I'm going to use all of it. I'm going to tie it all in together. You and I skied parts of Deer Valley. I have been there many, many times. So we, you know, we're lucky enough to get to ski with you. You took me to places that I have never skied before. It was a busy day because they had just gotten, I think, like, 8 to 10 inches that night before we skied, and it was so worthwhile. Super. You're super fun to chat with, as people will get from this podcast. But you also knew the perfect places for my friend Henry and I to ski. We saw no one, and then when we would get back onto the groomers, we saw everybody. And you were just. You made it to your valley, which is very, you know, big. And there's lots of places that are, you know, like, the obvious choices, but you made it seem like your private backyard. So I give you all the kudos, and people should definitely hire you.

Kaylin: Thanks. That's the highest compliment because it is so much fun. I would say that people say, what's the toughest part of your job? And I always say it's like the mental math of saying, where can we get away from the crowds, get first tracks. Like, that's what keeps me sharp. I kid you not. Like, I love crossword puzzles, and I'm a huge NPR nerd, so Weekend Edition. Like, the puzzle, I'm always like, I think it's so much fun. So thank you. And you ladies did so well. And one thing I will say is taking women skiing is so rewarding because I feel like mothers, and this is a generalization, but I think that there is more than a nugget of truth. We put others in front of ourselves all the time. And, like, thank God for that. Thank God for moms, right? That we have that ability, whether it happens if it's just in you or it happens when you give birth. But it's so much fun to make it about what's most fun for them. And also, I think that women are sometimes more hesitant. I mean, we see this in the workforce all the time, where in interviews where they say, oh, do you have this skill set? A woman is far more likely. This is statistically proven to say, well, you know, no, but I can. Where a man would just say, absolutely. And they'll just learn as they go. Where I live so often ask you with dudes, and I love them like, I love men. I love taking them skiing as well, where I'll be like, oh, you know what kind of scary. And they're like, oh, like, I'm a super black diamond. I'm a double black diamond expert. I'm like, okay, cool. And I always take them on a blue to see. I'm like, let's see what this is. Because, you know, like a double black diamond Michigan skier. And like, I'm a Midwestern. I like, I'm a Midwesterner in my heart and soul. I always say that I'm a Minnesota native, Utah local. That can be a little different than a Utah double back diamond Nerf. But then women, they will very often downplay their ability and then they'll just be more hesitant and just to be able to give them a couple tips, like, feel the front of your boots. Keep those hips up and forward. And being able to take them on something like I did with you and Henry, I'm like, ladies, look at what you just skied. We, we skied Mayflower bowl and you guys crushed it. And, you know, it's just one turn at a time. It's so much fun to be able to utilize, my gosh, over 30 years of skiing knowledge and being able to bestow it on a guest and help them achieve something that really makes them feel all the goodness of, of the day, of what skiing is about, what being in the mountains is about it. People always ask, like, when I'm in a retire, and I said, I mean, the hope is that I don't like, I want to, I want to be that like 80 year old ski instructor. They're like, there's crazy Kayla and like, she has a couple people to hire each year, but she's just kind of around.

Sarah: How far in advance do people need to think about booking a day with you? How do they do that? And add on question, you were mentioning that Nicole skied with you on a busy day. Do you think that we should, we should be looking for a busy day or, or, you know, a less crowded day? Does it matter?

Kaylin: I'm going to answer the second question first. If you have the luxury of scheduling your ski vacation when it's not a super holiday weekend or period, I would say definitely do that. You know, those off weeks when it's not like before, after President's Day or MLK are great. Like, early January, after the holidays can be awesome. But I do understand that with kids in school, most moms can't. We just don't have that luxury. If you are able to schedule or like to hire me or another Olympian the other five Olympians are phenomenal.

Nicole: Or.

Kaylin: And also the ski instructors at Deer Valley or any resort, like, if you can get a ski instructor because it allows you to like, to cut lines, that is. That's a huge. Like, that is a huge asset on those busy holiday weekends because you'll just get. You could. Sometimes I feel like you can get twice as many runs, but it's expensive. Skiing is such an expensive sport, and I think that a lot of resorts are trying to do different things, especially for families to help do that. But the barrier of entry, it's. I'm not going to lie, it is. It is tough. Um, it doesn't make me love the sport less, but I do hope that there will continue to be a sort of movement to try to make it more accessible for far more people. But if it's the holidays and you can, and you do, you are lucky enough and you're blessed enough to be able to book an instructor and Olympian, someone that can budge lines, that can really. That can really give you the bang for the buck to get more. More vertical and more scheme in your day. And then as far as booking me, I book out in advance. Like, I'm. I'm fairly popular. There's no way to say that without sounding like a total gosh. Like, I just. I'm. I'm. I have a popular offering right now, and so I legitimately could probably ski every day of the winter, but I do have to schedule days off because just. I need to give my body a break. But, yeah, I think that if you're thinking of skiing at Deer Valley and you would like to ski with me, like, just go on the website Deer Valley, ski with a champion, and you can call the supervisor and they'll tell you the dates that, you know, you could say, we'd look in the ski with these dates, and very quickly they can access the calendar and say, she's available, she's not available. And then if I am not available, they can tell you about the other Olympians. It's definitely a very, very cool, very bespoke program, really, and trying to make it really special for you because it is. It's expensive to skew Olympian for a day. And. And I always tell people, I'm like, to try to bring down costs. If you can go on a ski trip with another family or two other families and go in on lodging, you can stay at these amazing properties and, like, get a really cool lodge experience. And a lot of times ski and ski out, and it just being able to split it between, like, kids can sleep on couches. Like my kid, my daughter always knows when we go on vacation. She, she calls it a holly nest. We just put a bunch of blankets and pillows and she sleeps on the floor. She's four years old. And then of course, my two year old still in like, like a pack and play basically. But even like 12 year olds, they can sleep on the floor like, or pull outs like. And I think it's so much fun to go on trips with families. And then also during the holidays, there's a family family value package where if you book through Deer Valley at one of their lodging that for every paying adult ticket, kids 12 and under ski free. So it's like, if you're thinking about that, you're like, oh, that would really help because lift tickets are expensive. And the icon pass is really helpful because Deer Valley has the days with an icon pass.

Nicole: And one thing I did want to ask you is how are you starting to learn the new terrain? Because I know there's 3,700 new acres coming up. I don't think they're all opening up this season, but are they letting you sneak in there so you can start to learn the layout and to start to understand how that is going to be skied?

Kaylin: I am one of the lucky few that have skied some of the new expanded terrain last year for a bunch of different photo shoot shoots and film shoots. And it is so exciting. There's been all this talk. I mean, haters are going to hate, right? You're going to go to any kind of comment section and they're just going to say things that are untrue. Where I've heard there's been sort of this moment like it's all beginner train. Yes, there's going to be more beginner train, especially this season. 316 acres of new train are opening this season. So this is, I would say this is kind of like the soft opening. Deer Valley East Village is opening this season with a structure that is going to be utilized for about two seasons before it's up. Totally up and operational. But they'll still have the complimentary ski valet down there off Highway 40. It's going to help be such a great opportunity for getting out of the quagmire that is Park City when it's a really busy time for those skiers that are maybe staying in Salt Lake, that want to ski Deer Valley for a day or those that are maybe even skiing, like farther out in Kimball Junction, which is still part of Park City proper. But you can jump on 40 instead of having to go through the main area of Park City, which just can get bogged down. It's not really made for a huge amount of traffic. It works. And that's all ski towns like Park City is not alone in the fact that when it comes to those big holidays, that there's just traffic. That's what happens. So, 316 new acres. The new run. The new longest run at Deer Valley is going to be 4.2 miles long, and it's a green, and it's going to take you from the top of Flagstaff Mountain all the way to the new base in the East Village. And I'm so excited because my daughter, I think she will be capable of that. Like, she can do greens like a boss. And that is such a long run. We're probably not to have at least two, maybe three chocolate breaks on the way down, which I'm totally into. Like, I always tell people, and I think, Nicole, you said it really well, where, if you live somewhere that is not the mountains and your kids like to ski and they're young, they will have just as much fun at your local mountain, or maybe you travel two hours to, like, northern Minnesota or northern Michigan or someplace else in Ohio, where it will just be a far more economical ski trip. So foster that love for the sport. Get them the stamina, because the runs are so much longer on the west coast. And especially, I mean, until they're about. Maybe even 10 or 12 years old, you want to just keep it fun. Maybe nine, depending on your kid. But what I see too often, one of the mistakes I feel like families can do is that they invest all this money on this dream ski vacation, and they have young kids, and it's hard because I get it. Like, you can just see dollar signs just fly out the window when your kid takes two runs and just says they're tired, or they're feeling the altitude because they're dehydrated, or they're just, you know, they're just gassed from doing one long green run. Like, when I take my daughter skiing, we ski maybe two or three runs. But I live in Park City. We have a ski pass. That's fine. But when they're young like that, until they're, like, in their teens, like, we're talking tweens, teens, where you can actually be like, no, you're going to take more runs. Like, this is not an option because this is what we paid for, and you're going to have fun. And we talked about it Beforehand and I think also setting expectations where like, I haven't talked to my daughter. I'm like, okay, we're going to go back to Ontario, we're going to take at least one run. Then you can decide if we're done or not. Just so she knows. I think so much with kids is they, like, especially with toddlers, is if they know what's about to happen, the transition's so much easier. They feel like they have some sort of autonomy. I mean, that's the same with us as adults, you know, like, we wouldn't want to be thrown into some situation where like, wait, what now? So I'd say that if you're going on a ski trip with your children, you're going to say, hey, we're going to go on this amazing ski trip to the mountains. We need to hydrate, we need to get to bed early and we're going to ski the whole day. We can take a break for lunch and like hot cocoa breaks. But like, I expect you to scale day. Are you up for that? Make them give you the verbal yay or nay. Because if your kids are like, and I'm not into it, it's not worth, it's not worth it because, like, you'll just be bummed, they'll be bummed. And it's better just to do a different trip they're excited about. Because these 18 years you get with your kids, I mean, I was just looking at my daughter this earlier today and I just like held her face and I told her, love this face. I love her face so much. I just want, I want more time with her. So it's like the time we do get, make sure it's time that they enjoy because you'll enjoy it together so much more. And don't get me wrong, ski vacations are magical. I see so many families where they just have so much fun at skiing together. But it's like one of those things you can't really force. And if you do force it, it can be a tough one when you look at what you spent.

Nicole: I think that is very savvy. And you know, I'm lucky enough that I have a 16, 16 year old and a 19 year old who want to ski with me. I mean, first of all, because I pay when they ski with me. But second of all, because it's, it's, you know, what we do, it's how we bond and it's how we really get deep on those chairlift rides. We have some great conversations, I mean, some silly conversations. As well. But I just remember those early investment years, as you were saying, were so important. It's the groundwork for what I have now. And one of my tips. I do love what you were saying about the toddlers, but Sarah was talking about the special robot socks one of her daughters had in the morning to help her get motivated to ski. And I remember, you know, packing snacks and asking them, you know, which snack should I put in your right pocket? Do you want the cheddar bunnies or the jerky? You know, not saying, like, oh, do you want to go skiing your day to Not. But more of, like, how are we going to load you up? And then they were getting invested, like, ooh, I got my favorite socks, and now I have my favorite snacks in my right pocket. And just there's little tricks. I love that. And you can give them choices. Are we going to do this run or that run? Do you want to go ski through the trees? And, you know, let's.

Sarah: Let's have a little meeting at the.

Nicole: Bottom of the hill. Are we done? Or we're going to do one more?

Kaylin: Exactly. And I think that that's Parenting 101, is that if they feel like they are in charge and you are giving them two options that you are equally happy with, they don't know, like, and it's not that you're trying to. You're not gaslighting your kid. You're just trying to give them, like, give them the choice. And I think you're absolutely right. And one thing I have seen, I've ski with some young kids as clients and guests. And skiing should, once they get to a certain age, around three or four. Yes. Have those snacks and healthy snacks. And, like, when I said the chocolate break, for my daughter, chocolate's, like, really fleeting. She gets, like, one chocolate because, like, we do. She likes carrots. She loves raisins. Raisins are a huge one for us. They're sweet. They're yummy. But I see sometimes where the kids. It's more about the. The actual treat, the chocolate, than it is about the skiing. And I feel like that can be. That can become a behavioral problem where I'm like, no, they should understand the skiing is the treat. And Holly does understand that. Where I'm like, sweetie, this is so much fun. Yes, we're going to get. We do treats for energy. So, like, I try not to do treats as a reward as much. I mean, sometimes she doesn't realize that it's kind of reward, but I always tell her it's for energy. And sometimes it's so funny that the packaging is what matters. Like, the packaging of the treat or what you're doing. Like you said, like, is this or this. Like, it's just the packaging of what you're doing next and you're gonna do one or the other. Like, you could choose, but it's better if they choose. So I just tell her, I'm like, all right, we need an energy break. So she'll get like, a little bit of chocolate. But we have, like, trail mix with chocolate in it. But I see so often where parents like, all right, if you do this run, you get a Reese's Peanut butter cup. Like, a big one. I'm like, they're just teeny little humans. You're just giving them so much sugar. And they get so focused on the peanut butter cup, they don't even ski. They just like. I always tell Holly, I'm like, skiing is so much fun. And I'm like, but we need some energy. And, like, I'll see, like, when her energy starts to go down, like, just bring it back up. But I do try to tell parents, if you want them to be lifelong skiers from a very young age, show them how excited you are to ski with them. Like, I'm always like, holly, this is my favorite part of the ski season is skiing with you. Because it's so much fun. Because I think that starting that narrative where skiing is fun, not. Not that when you ski, you get treats. That's a different narrative. And I see some that happen instead of, like, skiing is the fun part. And then, like, you get some energy stuff in there.

Sarah: So we always love to wrap up our podcast with our favorite question, which is, what does apres ski look like for you and your family?

Kaylin: At this phase of my life, apres ski is a lot of times just hustling home to be with my kids. But I will say that if I have a girlfriend in town, it is. So there's a relatively new. It opened last season. It's called the Sticky Wicket. It's a bar above Royal Street Cafe at Deer Valley, right. Right in the middle of everything. It's right up in Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley. And it's such a cool vibe. They gave it a really retro kind of 70s into the 80s vibe. Like the, like. I think they like to say, like, the golden glory days of skiing, where I feel like we're still in it. But I get what they're saying. Like, those one piece suits are. They were popping back then, and it's so much fun just to sit at the bar there, like, a little bit before end of ski day. I like apres. I'll end my day a little bit early. Don't get me wrong. There was a time in my life where I loved being with the hordes drinking beers after skiing. But now I really, I love a good mocktail. I'll tell you the truth. Like, I want to keep my energy. You're up at altitude. I love the feeling of sipping a really lovely beverage with a girlfriend, but especially because I'm most. I'm going to ski back to my car. I just want to keep all my faculties. And I'm a bit of a lightweight these days after two children. So they have amazing mocktails. They have amazing cocktails, too. And I mean, a beer can taste amazing after a day skiing. It's just trying to budget my energy and my time. But, man, I think that most moms, and ski moms in particular, can relate to how lovely it is to take a couple of runs with your best gal pal and then sit down and just catch up over a hot toddy, a Moscow mule. Like, there's so many good things. And like, I say, like, I'm definitely in my mocktail age. I'll get back to the cocktails. Like, maybe one my kids can, like, put on the TV in the morning so I can sleep in. I don't know. So. But yeah, the sticky. It's super fun. And there's so many great apparitions, like the seat Regis has an amazing ****** Mary. There's this area called the vintage room. And I will say that it's so happen. Like, it kind of overwhelms me, but it's like a dance party there during the holidays, every evening and during Sundance. It's just crazy. I would love to just be a fly on the wall. So maybe at some point I'll have some swanky friends in town that want to go to the vintage room and I'll just take in the scene. But for me, the best kind of apres just connection with. With friends or even my family. Like, apres can be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the lodge and hot chocolate after skiing and looking at my little kiddos and seeing their rosy cheeks and how tired they are, but how much fun they had, that's pretty. Pretty fun experience as well.

Nicole: Well, we've absolutely loved speaking with you, and your joy is infectious in person and on the podcast. So thank you for sharing that with us, and I look forward to skiing with you again.

Kaylin: Oh, Nicole, I can't wait. You are one of my top so whenever you're in Deer Valley, I will do my best to clear my schedule and we will go for some runs because hearing you just laugh as you ski, that is one of the best things. So many. I just love that a lot of times people laugh afterwards. But the fact that you actually were kind of giggling as you were skiing, I couldn't. You couldn't have done something that gave me more joy. So thank you.