What happens when a single bad heli-skiing trip lights a spark, and it turns into one of the most legendary backcountry snowboard destinations on the planet?

Hey Everybody, today we’re getting a heli transfer up into the mountains just west of Nelson,BC to a snowboarding paradise.

Today’s guest didn’t set out to build a resort. He set out to chase a feeling. Deep snow, good friends, and a better way to experience the mountains.

That idea became Baldface Lodge: a world-renowned backcountry snowboardcat operation tucked deep in the Selkirk Mountains, just outside Nelson, British Columbia, riding over 32,000 acres of wild, untouched terrain.

But this story isn’t about chasing vertical or counting turns. It’s about how frustration turned into opportunity. How a snowboard-first philosophy reshaped an entire experience, and how staying stubbornly authentic built a business with a waitlist you practically need to be born into, without traditional advertising.

And it’s also a story about relationships, about keeping the right people close, and how trust from influential friends helped turn an idea into reality. From legendary snowboarders like Craig Kelly, to riders like Travis Rice who helped amplify the vision to the world, to behind-the-scenes players like Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters, who played a role in getting things started.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How a broken ankle and a terrible guide accidentally sparked a life-changing idea
• Why surrounding yourself with the right people matters more than flashy funding
• How authenticity and community became Baldface’s greatest growth engine
• What it really takes to build something meaningful—one inch at a time
• And why Jeff believes the world needs fewer sales pitches and more shared adventures

This isn’t just a story about snowboarding. It’s a masterclass in community, creativity, and doing things your own way—even when everyone tells you it won’t work.

Now go grab a nice hot bowl of soup, settle in, and let’s hang out in the lodge with Jeff Pensiero at Baldface Lodge.

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Today's guests decided to open an experts-only ski area in the Midwest, tucked deep in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with no large population base anywhere nearby. No grooming. No beginners. No rentals. No snowmaking. Just steep lines, trees, cliffs, and lake-effect powder.

Mount Bohemia isn’t just unconventional by design, it’s unconventional by geography. When most people think “Midwest skiing,” they don’t think expert terrain, sustained vertical, or destination travel. And yet Bohemia has built a fiercely loyal following by leaning into exactly those contradictions.

From legendary $99 season passes to reality TV, provocative marketing, and a personality that refuses to be sanitized or corporate, Mount Bohemia has figured out how to sell a remote, extreme, and entirely unique product to the exact right customers.

In this episode, we’ll dig into how Bohemia pulled that off. You’ll hear how focusing on a narrow niche unlocked massive loyalty, why being willing to turn customers away strengthened the brand, and how pricing, community-driven marketing, and radical authenticity helped turn isolation into an advantage.

Whether you’re in the ski industry or running any kind of business, this conversation is about the power of knowing who you are for—and having the courage to build everything around that truth.

Martin Kevjal took a shuttered Cape Breton ski hill and transformed it into Cape Smoky, a four-season oceanfront resort. From installing the Maritimes’ only gondola to 10Xing visitor numbers, he shares the bold vision, behind-the-scenes rebuild, and adventure-driven strategy that turned a forgotten hill into a must-visit destination.