From the biggest corporations to the smallest garage brands, one thing unites the outdoor industry: passion. Businesses that fuel adventure are invariably started by adventure-loving people. They have an idea that makes the outdoors more accessible, or safe, or fun, and they dive into the hard work of bringing it to life.

is no different. Our brands were founded by passionate hikers, runners, cyclists, climbers, and more, and we want to support others pursuing their dreams. That鈥檚 why we launched , a pitch competition for outdoor industry startups. The inaugural event took place on May 29, in the lead up to the 2025 in Denver, Colorado. Five finalists, selected from nearly 200 entries, made their pitches to a panel of judges (with plenty of investors in the room). On the line: a First Place prize valued at $100,000, plus additional prizes for the Runner Up and People鈥檚 Choice Award.

The five finalists鈥� , , , and 鈥攙aried widely in their offerings. 国产吃瓜黑料 gear, travel, concussion care, dock rentals, and planet-saving shoes were all vying for the grand prize, which included cash, marketing services, and more. The finalists made their pitches to a panel of judges that included entrepreneurial leaders like Mel Strong, co-founder of venture capitalist firm Next Ventures, and Ariana Ferwerda, the co-founder and CEO of women’s outdoor apparel brand Halfdays.

After a flurry of slides and questions, Raide took home top honors, which surprised founder Kyle Siegel. 鈥淚 was nervous that maybe a pitch competition wouldn鈥檛 value a company like Raide in such a crowded market, but it feels really good to be validated,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 started Raide after reaching peak frustration with a lot of gear I was using for backcountry skiing and running, where I felt like brands weren鈥檛 able to combine performance, function, and style into a single product.鈥� Exhibit A: Raide鈥檚 flagship product, the LF 2L running belt. The Colorado-based company also makes ski packs and apparel, and is working on a lighter, more breathable running belt as well as baselayer bottoms coming out this upcoming winter.

As the First Place winner, Raide earned a prize package valued at $100,000. It includes cash and advertising across the 国产吃瓜黑料 Network, with a global audience of more than 250 million. One thing Siegel intends to do with the winnings? 鈥淎ttend 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival as a participating brand next year!鈥� he says.

Campfire Ranch was the other big winner, earning both Runner Up and the People鈥檚 Choice Award (voted on by 国产吃瓜黑料 Ignite attendees). Sam Degenhard, founder and CEO of Campfire Ranch, says the business is a direct result of his love for sharing the outdoors with others. 鈥淚 was raised with a focus on the outdoors,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut in my adult life, I found that there were so few quality places to stay that supported frequent outdoor travelers and those curious about getting into nature. I started experimenting with hosting trips and learned that friends were 鈥渋n鈥� if you took away the heavy lifting, things like gear, meal planning, activities, and transportation. I brought all of these aspects to life in our first location in Colorado and saw immediate traction.鈥� Since then, Campfire Ranch has added another Colorado location, one in Arkansas, and has plans to open more.

Degenhard says the benefits of 国产吃瓜黑料 Ignite go beyond the prize packages (valued at $50,000 for Runner Up and $20,000 for People鈥檚 Choice). 鈥淭he experience allowed us to hone our story, deepen our focus, and deliver who we are, concisely, to the outdoor industry as a whole,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he connections following our involvement have been meaningful and I am sure will result in great brand partnerships, idea sharing, and hopefully, some investor traction.鈥�

For Campfire Ranch, connecting with the 国产吃瓜黑料 Network audience is the perfect next chapter in the brand鈥檚 journey. 鈥湽怨虾诹� already speaks directly to our target customer demographic,鈥� Degenhard says, 鈥渟o now it鈥檚 time to tell them about who we are, how we share the outdoors with others, and why we believe the future of the natural world rests in the hands of those who enjoy it.鈥�

Thank you to the sponsors who made 国产吃瓜黑料 Ignite possible: REI Co-op Path Ahead Ventures, Send Bars, Next Ventures, OEDIT, Cooley, Karsh Hagan, and ICELab.

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At first, the breeze felt wonderful鈥攁 blast of chilly air to dull the afternoon heat.

It was Sunday, June 1, and I was standing at the entrance to Denver’s Civic Center Park, welcoming guests to the, clad in my sweat-stained volunteer t-shirt. In front of me, 15,000 or so guests swarmed the park. Some crowded the main stage to see indie folk singer Hazlett. Others rushed to the Denver Art Museum to catch former National Park Service director Chuck Sams III speak about the ongoing public lands battle. Others still mingled around booths for The North Face and REI.

People fanned themselves to cool off, others sat under trees or tents. And when the light wind began to blow, everyone felt a momentary respite from the baking sunshine.

And then the wind got much stronger.

I looked to the west. Dark clouds from over Colorado’s Front Range were speeding toward Denver, a whirling mass of grey and green. It looked like the scene in Independence Day is about to arrive.

Anyone who has lived in Colorado for more than a few years knows this scene鈥攊t’s the precursor to the thunderstorms that roll across our state almost every afternoon in June through August. The storms blow in like hurricanes, drop inches of water, light up the sky with bolts of electricity, and then vanish, usually within an hour.

You don’t want to be on the side of a fourteener when one arrives. But if you’re out camping, you can duck inside your tent, read a chapter of your book, and then emerge to pristine conditions. These storms are why Coloradans overuse the cliche Don’t like the weather? Just wait 5 minutes.聽

But what happens when a thunderstorm descends on 15,000 concertgoers in a city park? As it turns out, something kind of magical.

Big Crowds, Bigger Ideas

Last year we debuted the 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival and Summit in downtown Denver, and the event鈥攁 blend of music, films, celebrity speakers, outdoor films, and a celebration of outdoor recreation culture鈥攕urpassed our wildest expectations. The 国产吃瓜黑料 Summit attracted a smattering of industry leaders and brands. About 18,000 people attended that inaugural festival over the two days. They danced to up-and-coming acts like Say She She, queued up to meet celebrity speakers like Diana Nyad and Shaun White, and packed an auditorium to check out the lineup of outdoor films.

For 2025 our goal was to make the weekend even bigger, and for the most part, we succeeded, drawing nearly 35,000 people to Denver’s Civic Center Park. Diana Nyad came back, alongside magician David Blaine, climber Alex Honnold, surfer John John Florence, and two former National Park Service directors (among others).

We added聽 国产吃瓜黑料 Ignite, a Shark Tank-like pitch competition for outdoor innovators (Kyle Siegel of Raide Research Packs won the $100,000 grand prize). And at the 国产吃瓜黑料 Summit, attendees got to meet Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and hear Hipcamp founder Alyssa Ravasio talk about launching a start-up.

I attended all four days, and based on my own highly unscientific survey of vibes and vibes alone, I’d say that the marks we earned were positive.

As I wrote last summer, this event represents an experiment for those of us who work for 国产吃瓜黑料’s parent company, 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc. For two days, editors, advertising reps, marketing types, and other employees cosplay as event producers, working alongside a professional event production company, Groundswell, which manages the event. We put down our keyboards and spreadsheets and pick up walkie talkies and nylon zip ties. Instead of selling ads or writing stories, we do crowd management.

So you can understand my concern when I saw the storm clouds barreling down on the park. I saw one lightning flash, then another. Um, what are a bunch of editors and advertising salespeople going to do about that I wondered.

Flash of Lightning, Driving Rain

The emergency training I’d gotten prior to the event (that was reinforced constantly by the event managers) echoed in my brain. In the case of extreme weather, help people to an exit, point them to shelter, and clear the park.聽

And just like that, the drops began to fall. Hazlett wrapped up his set, and the giant screens adjacent to the stage beamed a message.聽We are temporarily halting the festival due to weather. Please seek shelter.聽

Gentle rain quickly turned into a driving downpour. Lighting crackled overhead. Wind gusts toppled trash cans and blew them across the park as if they were Kleenex.

I looked across the park and saw volunteers shuffling the public toward the McNichols building on the north side of the park, and also into the Denver Public Library and the Denver Art Museum. I ran to one of the emergency exits and flung it open, and began pointing attendees to the Denver Post building on the northeast side of the park.

It’s impressive how quickly 20,000 people can move after a loud thunderclap or two. And within ten minutes or so, the park was a soggy聽and blustery鈥攂ut mostly empty.

A mom with her kids ran by me toward the exit. “Do you think we will come back?” she asked. Guessing that the tempest would end within the hour, I told her to find shelter nearby, but to stick around.

An Impromptu Performance

What do you do to pass the time during a Colorado thunderstorm? Get creative. That was the mantra for the 45 minutes that elapsed during our hiatus.

I cowered under a white tent near the the festival entrance. But every few minutes, my walkie talkie pinged to life with updates from other buildings. As it turns out, people were using the break for impromptu entertainment.

Inside the McNichols Building, one of the performing acts, Brothers of Brass, began playing to the crowds standing shoulder to shoulder in the main hall. Someone texted me a video of the dance party.

At the Denver Art Museum, comedian Eeland Stribling, who was on a panel of outdoor comics, picked up the microphone and performed a comedy set for the soggy guests packing the auditorium.

I looked out from my shelter and saw a few hearty souls sitting in the rain despite the evacuation orders, letting themselves get drenched.

And then, like so many other Colorado thunderstorms, this one simply blew on, to the east, and disappeared.Sunshine chased off the last fragments of clouds. People emerged from their shelters. And before I knew it, a massive queue formed at the main entrance. Thousands of people had stuck around.

More Cowbells

Above: scenes from the rain delay at the 2025 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival

It took us about 30 minutes to open up the tents, set up the toppled trash cans, and ready the park for visitors. At one point I strolled along the massive line to get in to tell people that we’d soon open.

I half-expected to be pelted with trash or beer cans for being the messenger of a delayed festival. But no鈥擨 was met with good vibes and high fives. Yes, some folks were still soggy from the downpour, but people were ready to get back inside and party.

When I think back to the 2025 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival now, the moment I always come back to is this. When the park was finally ready, the other volunteers and I opened the gates and welcomed everyone back in to see the remaining three bands: Waxahatchee, Trampled by Turtles, and Lord Huron.

Several dozen 国产吃瓜黑料 staffers and volunteers crowded the entrance. Someone banged a cowbell. Everyone cheered. As the thousands of guests re-entered the park, they high-fived us, hugged us, and gave us fist bumps. Yes, some of the embraces were wet. We didn’t care.

The midday heat was gone, chilled down by the rain storm. The sun began to set above the Front Range as people strolled out to the main stage. The opening bluegrass bars of a Waxahatchee song echoed through the park, and people began to dance. It was just another perfect evening in Denver.

I heard someone say: “Well, that’s Colorado for ya.”

Articles editor Frederick Dreier is no longer seeking shelter from the storm.聽

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Yes, Girl Climber has an oversimplified title. But it鈥檚 also the complex, vulnerable, and deeply inspiring story that adventure-obsessed audiences deserve.

Directed by Jon Glassberg, this 83-minute documentary describes how Emily Harrington鈥檚 life and two-decade-long climbing career culminated in one audacious goal: to become the (5.13b) on El Capitan in a day. Stymied by exhaustion, hailstorms, rope burns, mental fortitude, and sometimes one single move, Harrington persists through four attempts on the route in 2019 and 2020.

Glassberg, owner of the production company and the man behind dozens of shorter climbing documentaries, says that he didn鈥檛 want his first feature-length film to feel like a beta video. With nearly ten years of footage, Glassberg is able to expand beyond the one or two side plots that typically decorate shorter adventure documentaries.

鈥淭his is a holistic look at an incredible woman鈥檚 life in the adventure world,鈥� he says, 鈥渇rom the top of Mount Everest to crazy expeditions in Myanmar and ultimately climbing Golden Gate in a day.鈥�

Harrington鈥檚 Dream Team

Braided within Harrington鈥檚 narrative are three pivotal, developing relationships: her mentor-mentee relationship with , who passed away in 2022; her friendship with ; and her relationship with her husband, high-altitude mountain guide . All three support her during her attempts on Golden Gate through constant belays (Honnold), gentle pep talks (Ballinger), or healthy debriefs (Nelson).

It鈥檚 through these close relationships that we learn so much more about Harrington than we would through just climbing footage and interviews. When Harrington falls on the Freeblast in November 2019, we experience it through Honnold, whose normal expression breaks into wide-eyed alarm.

Something we haven鈥檛 seen in other feature-length climbing films is the consistency of a female mentorship like the one Nelson extended toward Harrington. After every one of Harrington鈥檚 self-described failures, their text conversations fade into the screen. It鈥檚 almost like we鈥檙e living Harrington鈥檚 recollection through what she shares with Nelson.

The most powerful moment in the film comes when Harrington falls on her fourth attempt, smashes her un-helmeted head against the granite, and all but gives up. She sobs openly, looking up at the summit, and gathers her grief into one brave statement: 鈥淪omeday, I鈥檒l do it.鈥� Ballinger, however, is unfazed. He corrects her gently: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to do it today.鈥�

A Unique Addition to the El Cap Canon

With references to , a cameo from , and, of course, Honnold, Girl Climber adds Harrington鈥檚 story to the existing El Cap cinematic universe for mainstream audiences, which primarily consists of Valley Uprising, The Dawn Wall, and Free Solo. The film鈥檚 goal of building upon this oeuvre echoes Harrington鈥檚: to join the elite group of heroes who have sent Golden Gate in a day. At the time, that list only included Honnold, Caldwell, and the late Brad Gobright.

On each attempt, Glassberg captures Harrington鈥檚 failures, and the resurrection of her self-confidence, with unbelievable clarity. One of the most inspiring parts of the film, however, is rather mundane: watching Harrington鈥檚 discussions with Honnold about gear and supplies. Despite Honnold鈥檚 good-natured sandbagging, Harrington confidently prioritizes her own needs and comfort on the wall.

鈥淚 think it would be tough to make this more comfortable,鈥� he jokes before her final go, looking at everything she planned to haul up the wall.

鈥淵up, that鈥檚 the whole point,鈥� she replies, unbothered.

In another scene, she insists on bringing her extra chalk and breakable ice packs, even though Honnold thinks it鈥檚 too much. She鈥檚 sitting across from the most famous climber in the world, and instead of trying to impress him or apologizing for needing extra gear, she鈥檚 reminding him to bring up her extra things. Her goals and comfort matter so much more than his assumptions. And that鈥檚 something every female climber truly needs to see.

Girl Climber does have some misses. For example, the movie鈥檚 title suggests an arc about sexism that the plot doesn鈥檛 necessarily deliver. But ultimately, the authentic and vivid storytelling in Girl Climber creates several layers of inspiration for both a climbing and mainstream audience.

The Emotional Tension Stays High

From the start, Girl Climber does an incredible job building the stakes. Five minutes in, a montage of Harrington winning five National Championships and climbing Everest condenses into one powerful belief: 鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of my career so far, but if you want to call yourself a successful all-around climber, you鈥檝e got to be up on El Cap.鈥�

As a film,听Girl Climber聽skillfully avoids several climbing tropes and common pitfalls. While the plot inherently involves Honnold, Glassberg avoids overly relying on him for narration. Instead, the film deftly lets him provide side-character comic relief as Harrington bangs her head against the wall鈥攕ometimes, literally鈥攁s she rehearses the route.聽Girl Climber聽also does not shy away from vulnerability; Harrington grieves her failures openly and carries no air of defensiveness or overconfidence. And even though we know she eventually sends,听Golden Gate鈥榮 five cruxes act as one, shapeshifting villain and bring an unpredictable tension to each of Harrington鈥檚 attempts. At each sequence, we鈥檙e still looking for clues to whether she鈥檚 going to send聽right now. If she holds on through a crux sequence, the music crescendoes; if she falls, the music halts, like a dream popped.

A Closer Look at the Title

奥丑颈濒别听Girl Climber聽captures mainstream audiences with a plain and to-the-point description, its title hints at an insult that is never actually delivered. Harrington alludes to the mansplaining she experienced during her project, but doesn鈥檛 elaborate much beyond slightly condescending comments. Nor does this theme rise to the fore. Glassberg had good intentions and sharp marketing instincts, but having聽Girl Climber聽as the title overexaggerates the role of sexism in the film.

One could argue that tiles are always reductive, especially short ones. But when a brief label embodies the heart of the story, such as聽Free Solo,听The Dawn Wall,听and聽The Alpinist, the glory of the accomplishment casts itself back onto the subject. Honnold鈥檚 free solo of聽Free Rider, Caldwell鈥檚聽Dawn Wall聽redpoint, and Marc-Andr茅 Leclerc鈥檚 bold alpinism each defined their legacies; their movies are appropriately named. But聽Girl Climber聽doesn鈥檛 add anything to Harrington鈥檚 legacy besides the most straightforward biographical info. It鈥檚 trivializing; it might as well be about a five-year-old in the gym instead of a world-class professional athlete in her thirties.

The movie鈥檚 title and its asterisked subtitle, 鈥淪tronger Than Stereotypes,鈥� remind us that female climbers face stereotypes. However, the film鈥檚 only example of this is the media鈥檚 treatment of Harrington as a 鈥渄amsel in distress鈥� after her viral accident in 2019.聽Good Morning America鈥榮 portrayal Harrington as reckless and lucky to be saved by Honnold is most definitely a combination of sexism and the post-Free Solo聽deification of Honnold. But it also represents a misunderstanding outside the climbing world of just how normal Harrington鈥檚 simul climbing really was. Overall, the flash of sexism in聽Girl Climber fades in comparison to the film鈥檚 real, dynamic antagonists: Harrington鈥檚 own expectations, gravity, slippery granite, and time.

For her part, Harrington says that she did not choose the title. 鈥淚 actually really hated it at first, and kind of laid into Jon about it when he told me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥榃hat is this? It鈥檚 diminishing. I don鈥檛 like it at all.鈥欌�� But after talking it out, Glassberg convinced her that the movie would turn the demeaning phrase 鈥済irl climber鈥� into something that means strength.

鈥淭he movie was pitched many, many times as flipping the script on the male-dominated climbing scene,鈥� says Glassberg. 鈥淲e really wanted to draw attention to the fact that Emily鈥檚 doing this remarkable achievement that very, very few people are capable of doing, and that she has this extra layer of stuff that she has to face because she鈥檚 a woman.鈥� To Glassberg, the extra burdens Harrington faces include her ticking biological clock and the additional scrutiny she faces as a woman on El Cap. 鈥淲e just kind of saw it from the way the media latched onto things, with the 鈥榙amsel in distress鈥� idea,鈥� he says. Calling attention to sexism, he explains, is the goal.

I don鈥檛 doubt that Harrington, like all female climbers, has faced misogyny and stereotypes in climbing. However, as a female climber myself, I cringe at seeing one of the most accomplished climbers of our generation summed up in this reductive phrase, especially a hypothetical one. If anyone has ever lobbed 鈥済irl climber鈥� as an insult at her, the film does not show it. Perhaps Glassberg intended that, but the discomfort is still there.

Harrington confirms that I鈥檓 not alone in feeling this way. 鈥淚 asked a lot of climbers what they thought of the title, and they had the same reaction as I did,鈥� she says. 鈥淎gain, this is the mainstream versus the core. I asked a lot of people who didn鈥檛 climb, and they were just like, 鈥淥h my god, that title鈥檚 amazing, I love it so much.鈥�

For that reason alone, even if a core audience of female climbers dislikes the name, calling the film聽Girl Climber聽was a smart business decision, and one that鈥檚 likely to pay off with millions of eyes on Harrington鈥檚 plot. In the long run, if a movie name disliked by a niche audience is what causes mainstream audiences to experience the story and know that women, too, climb El Cap, I understand why Glassberg would take it. After all, the general public has different understanding of rock climbing than climbers themselves. To someone whose only exposure to the sport is聽Free Solo, female climbers with Harrington鈥檚 grit and r茅sum茅 might as well not yet exist. What feels insultingly obvious to climbers like me might be, in fact, a necessity to break into the public鈥檚 collective consciousness. But if that鈥檚 true, let鈥檚 admit it right here鈥攁nd acknowledge that male climbers have never had to infantilize their story鈥檚 names in order to achieve broad recognition. In an ironic and meta way,听Girl Climber鈥�s title does more to prove that female climbers still face sexist barriers than the movie鈥檚 actual storyline.

Want to catch a screening of聽Girl Climber? The film is screening at the 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival in Denver, Colorado, May 31鈥揓une 1, followed by a Q&A with Emily Harrington and Jon Glassberg. Tickets available聽.

Catching Up with Harrington

The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Climbing: What鈥檚 it like to watch this movie four and a half years after freeing Golden Gate in a day?

Emily Harrington: I didn鈥檛 anticipate it would take this long to create the film. I鈥檝e learned a lot in the process about how hard it is to create a documentary film, and honestly, it was really scary. I was pretty nervous to watch it. You鈥檙e your biggest critic, and I can barely listen to my voice message machine because I don鈥檛 like the sound of my voice. It was really stressful, actually, to watch it and see the story unfold. As human beings, we evolve and we change so much. In the last five years. I鈥檝e had a child and been through that transition, so it鈥檚 just an interesting experience to see who you were and what you cared about.

Climbing: When you announced the movie on Instagram, you wrote that your quiet moments of struggle, fear, and self-doubt gave way to stories of heroism and sensationalism that only the mainstream media could drum up, and none of it felt like your true experience. What aspects of your story do you feel were twisted into heroism and sensationalism?

Harrington: It was just the sensationalism of climbing up on El Cap. People think it鈥檚 this crazy, death-defying, adrenaline-fueled endeavor, and it鈥檚 just not that for me. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 like that for most climbers. It was putting someone on this superhero-level pedestal and making them seem like they鈥檙e not a human, and it made me feel a little bit sensitive about it all. It happens with any achievement, when you have the greatest, the hardest, the first鈥攁ll of these things.

Climbing: When Girl Climber was in production, did you have any other movies in mind that you hoped it would be similar to?

Harrington: I hoped it would be more of a female story on El Capitan, a little bit similar to The Dawn Wall, because they鈥檙e both free climbing. They鈥檙e both the kind of niche achievements that the mainstream doesn鈥檛 totally understand, but I thought that The Dawn Wall did a really good job of explaining what it was that those guys did, and how much effort and commitment it took. I just wanted it to be an inspiring female story on El Cap, because women also climb up there. And we don鈥檛 have that many female climbing stories, honestly.

Climbing: Jon told us that he saw a renewed psych in you during COVID. How did your thinking about Golden Gate change throughout early 2020?聽

Harrington: There were multiple reasons. I had this bad fall, and I knew immediately that I could go back. I remember Jon being like, 鈥淣o pressure, you could be done with this project.鈥� And I was like, 鈥淣o, I know that I made a mistake.鈥� It wasn鈥檛 this random occurrence that I can鈥檛 control. I felt really grateful that I was okay and I walked away from it. It took a while to mentally recover, but I immediately knew that I could go back and I could be better. Then COVID was helpful, because a lot of us during COVID felt a little bit aimless. This was this thing that I could hold onto and be like, 鈥淲hen Yosemite opens back up again, I鈥檓 gonna go back.鈥� Right now, I have nothing better to do than really think about how to prepare for it and how to train for it. Thankfully, climbing is such a complicated sport. You can really creatively train for rock climbing in your house.

Climbing: What kind of advice or support does the sports therapist give you? And do you talk with them through every major project, or was this specific to Golden Gate?

Harrington: I work with a sports therapist, like a mental health coach, and I have since 2019. It鈥檚 been wildly helpful for me. It wasn鈥檛 just for that project; I still talk to her probably twice a month. It鈥檚 really about leading into your feelings, validating your feelings, and understanding that body-mind connection. A lot of athletes can neglect that mental side. In the past few years, I鈥檝e really learned how important it is to train that side of things. It鈥檚 work. It鈥檚 training, and you have to think about it like that. It is something that we have to train, like a muscle, and it is very intimately connected to our physical bodies and our performance, as well as, our well-being and happiness. So, that鈥檚 another reason why I think it鈥檚 super important. But a lot of what we do is about how I鈥檓 feeling鈥攆ear, anxiety, failure, and motivation. It鈥檚 just a lot of letting those things come up and not judging them, but being really aware of them, and of how to work through them and move forward.

Climbing: What advice do you have for people who want to free climb El Cap in a day?

Watch the video below for Harrington鈥檚 response.

Climbing: What鈥檚 your current focus in climbing right now?

Harrington: All of it. I trained really hard this year, probably harder than I have since Golden Gate. I wanted to climb 14c, and I went to Spain with that specific objective. I fell short of my goal, but it鈥檚 okay. I ended up climbing a 14a that I was really excited about and really proud of. It was kind of my first big thing away, with Adrian gone, and bringing our son with us, and having the chaos of single parenting and trying to do a big trip. I succeeded in that, and it made me more motivated and excited to keep going and see what else I can do. Now that I have a kid, I鈥檓 a little more deliberate and focused. I actually think that鈥檚 helped me a lot in my climbing, so I鈥檇 love to climb harder sport routes. I鈥檇 love to climb my hardest grade. I think that鈥檇 be really cool.

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Remaining Native begins with a warning: This is a film that doesn’t shy away from abuse, violence, or any of the other crimes that darken Native American history. But that’s also the film’s strength: The feature-length documentary captures what it means to be a , balancing joys and tragedies in a way that will resonate with any athlete鈥攁nd any human being.

Remaining Native, which will be screening alongside a curated lineup of other top adventure films at this year’s 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival, is a beautiful, powerful, and important documentary by filmmaker Paige Bethmann, a Haudenosaunee (Mohawk/Oneida) woman. Bethmann鈥檚 great grandmother was stolen from her reservation as a girl and taken to an abusive Catholic boarding school. Tragically, Bethmann鈥檚 ancestral story is common to hundreds of thousands of Native Americans, including the subject of Remaining Native, Kutoven (鈥淜u鈥�) Stevens.

The film鈥檚 opening lines explain:

For over 100 years, the United States made violent efforts to strip Native American children of their languages, spiritual beliefs, and culture through federal and church-run boarding schools.

Many children resisted this assault on their Native identity by running away.

From this prelude, the viewer knows to take a deep breath and buckle up. But then, beauty: scenic shots of the desert landscape. A hawk high in a tree. The rhythmic sound of a runner鈥檚 footfall on an open dirt road. And we鈥檙e introduced to the boyish face and voice of the film鈥檚 hero, Ku Stevens.

Ku is a runner鈥攐ne of the best in the state of Nevada, having clocked the fastest time across all divisions in the high school state cross country championships. Through interviews, voiceovers, and scenes of Ku living with his parents on the Paiute Indian Reservation in the small town of Yerington, we get to know the teenager. We learn that he鈥檚 always wanted to run for the University of Oregon and pushes himself to be the best he can be.

Like most runners, he says that when he runs, he thinks about his breathing and his body. But, he adds, he also imagines running for his life.

Stevens’s great-grandfather ran away from the Stewart Indian Boarding School three times. His last attempt was a successful escape. That legacy is often on Stevens’s mind.

The film does a fantastic job of weaving together inspiring action scenes that any sports fan can appreciate with sepia-toned historical images set to haunting tribal music.

鈥淭his land I was raised on, it feels heavy,鈥� says Stevens. Through shots of barren landscape and close-up faces of those who live here, we feel it.

Parents of teens will appreciate the internal struggle of Stevens’s father, who loves and supports his son, but fears he鈥檒l lose his ancestral heritage by moving off the reservation. Still, he and his wife do everything they can to help the young runner reach his goals.

One of the most exhilarating scenes of Remaining Native takes place at a high school track meet, where Stevens attempts to run the 3200-meter under nine minutes鈥攁 benchmark that’s become the recruiting standard for distance athletes hoping to run for the University of Oregon. The racing drama is on-par with any Olympic final or Disney sports movie.

Among the most poignant moments of Remaining Native鈥攁nd there are many鈥攃omes with a slow pan of a black-and-white image from the Stewart Indian School. Native American children sit with pained faces, hair cut short, sadness in their eyes. A drumbeat plays, as if to hammer into our awareness that this bit of American history, when thousands of Native American children were stolen from their families and died or survived abuse, happened. It actually happened. And yet, people like Ku and his family keep fighting for their culture while trying to heal from their past.

At one point in the film, Stevens says, 鈥淚 really just want people to understand鈥攏ot just to know what happened, not just to learn from our history鈥攂ut to fully understand why we feel the way that we do.鈥�

At one point in the film, the teen explains that his name, 鈥淜utoven,鈥� refers to 鈥渢he eagle bringing the light from the darkness鈥� and that he doesn鈥檛 yet feel he lives up to its meaning. Viewers of Remaining Native will beg to differ.

See Remaining Native鈥攁nd other captivating documentaries from top adventure filmmakers鈥攁t the 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival, May 31-June 1 in Denver. This year’s festival will also host a group run and talks from top endurance athletes from across the country. .聽 聽

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One of the biggest highlights of the inaugural was its program of riveting adventure films. And this year promises to be even better. Curated in partnership with Mountainfilm, the lineup revolves around three core themes鈥攋oy, unity, and renewal鈥攁nd captures some of the most gripping personalities and narratives in the outdoor world.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a clich茅 to say you鈥檒l laugh and you鈥檒l cry and it鈥檚 better than Cats, but in this case it鈥檚 really true,鈥� says Micah Abrams, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 VP of content development. (He鈥檚 not much of a musicals guy, anyway.)

The stacked roster includes everything from a heartwarming, semi-animated short by watercolorist Max Romey, to a documentary about the struggles of a young Pauite runner coming to grips with his people鈥檚 history. In between, viewers will switch continents several times over, darting from Brazil to the Arctic Circle, and from the Hawaiian surf to the mountains of Pakistan. It鈥檚 a globe-trotting journey that captures all the joy, triumph, and heartbreak of a life spent outdoors.

The screenings will be held at Denver Public Library on Broadway, which just reopened after a state-of-the-art renovation. 鈥淲e鈥檙e 国产吃瓜黑料, so there needs to be a good reason for us to encourage you to come inside, but this year鈥檚 new film festival venue qualifies,鈥� Abrams says. The building鈥檚 purpose-built Park View event space鈥攃omplete with soaring ceilings and carefully designed acoustics treatment鈥攊s at once intimate and sophisticated. Plus, after a long day of festival revelry under the Colorado sun, the library鈥檚 air-conditioned quiet is a welcome respite, Abrams adds. 鈥淲e hope folks come in to cool off and leave inspired for their next outdoor adventure.鈥�

Here鈥檚 what viewers can expect from this year鈥檚 film lineup.

A Little Film About Forever

This short film about forever unfolds from the POVs of father (Max Romey) and son (Kip) as they attempt to write a book about what forever means. The father feels overwhelmed by all of the threats to forever, like forever chemicals, and calls an unlikely hero 鈥� Mark Ruffalo 鈥� to ask for help seeing the big picture.

Runtime: 10.2 minutes

Director: Max Romey

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

About Damn Time

In 1983, Cindell 鈥淒ellie鈥� Dale talked her way onto her first commercial river trip through the Grand Canyon. Like many women in the industry at the time, her place was in the kitchen. But determined to push against the tide of a male-dominated river-running world, she earned her spot on the oars and became one of the Grand Canyon鈥檚 legendary dory guides. Inspired by the trailblazing women before her, Dale is now proudly passing the oars to a new generation, declaring, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about damn time.鈥�

Runtime: 24 minutes

Director: Dana Romanoff

Showing: Sunday, 1:15pm

Arctic Alchemy

Arctic Alchemy follows renowned Alaskan adventurer and climate scientist Roman Dial and his team on a 112-mile research expedition above the Arctic Circle. Traveling by packraft and foot through Alaska鈥檚 mighty Brooks Range, their goal is to find the source of a mysterious phenomenon poisoning watersheds in the Arctic. Along the journey, Dial reckons with fatherhood, personal tragedy and the power of wilderness to both break us and bring us fully alive.

Runtime: 25 minutes

Directors: Colin Arisman, Zeppelin Zeerip

Showing: Sunday, 3pm

Beyond Beliefs

A young woman from Cleveland, Ohio earns a scholarship to attend a four-day river trip through the wild Green River鈥檚 Gates of Lodore Canyon. The only catch? She doesn’t know how to swim and is terrified of water. Join Danielle and her peers on this wonderful journey, and bear witness to her inspiring first-hand account of what it took to go beyond her beliefs about water, and how that expanded the vision for her future.

Runtime: 5 minutes

Director: Quamae Hall

Showing: Sunday, 3pm

Butterfly in a Blizzard

Butterfly in a Blizzard shares a deeply personal look into professional snowboarder Kimmy Fasani鈥檚 extraordinary journey into motherhood and what this new phase of life reveals about her past. Fasani and her family opened all doors to capture her metamorphosis from globe-trotting winter sports icon to mom, while exploring matrescence, a newly coined term that encompasses a woman鈥檚 transition into motherhood. Throughout the film, the blizzards hit again and again, coming in waves of identity shifts, childhood trauma, relationship struggles and a cancer diagnosis. Through raw and intimate footage captured over five years and supported by leading expert voices in maternal health, Fasani fights through life鈥檚 storms while maintaining her place in a sport she loves and evolving to become the mother she strives to be.

Runtime: 99 minutes

Director: Rose Corr

Showing: Saturday, 1:15pm

David Blaine Do Not Attempt: Brazil

From National Geographic and Imagine Documentaries, David Blaine Do Not Attempt is a thrilling six-part series that follows world-renowned magician and endurance artist David Blaine exploring the world through the lens of magic. David takes viewers on a fascinating cultural exchange and a jaw-dropping journey through extraordinary cultures, where he meets with performers and masters鈥攌indred spirits who inspire and share with him exceptional skills (and secrets)鈥攊n Brazil, Southeast Asia, India, the Arctic Circle, South Africa and Japan. David is widely recognized for his epic stunts and illusions. Through intimate documentary storytelling, the series also reveals a surprising and more personal side to David, which has rarely been seen before. In Brazil, David meets daredevils, artists, explorers and athletes who unite to help execute an audacious leap of faith that he鈥檚 long dreamt of.

Runtime: 44 Minutes

Director: Toby Oppenheimer

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

First In, Last Out

When competitive swimmer from Colorado Christa Funk joined the Coast Guard, she found herself stationed on Oahu, Hawaii for five years, where she discovered the world of surf photography. Inspired by the memory of her father and his parting words, Funk pushed herself into the world鈥檚 most dangerous and crowded surf lineups, becoming one of the best surf photographers in the world, and notably, one of the few women out there.

Runtime: 25 minutes

Directors: Keith Malloy, Andrew Shoneberger

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

Girl Climber

Professional climber Emily Harrington has summited Everest, completed numerous first female ascents of 5.14 routes, scaled 8,000-meter peaks and dominated the competition circuit. But her greatest challenge extends beyond the physical. To cement her legacy in the male-dominated world of elite rock climbing, she sets her sights on a career-defining 24-hour ascent of Yosemite鈥檚 El Capitan. Caught between the pursuit of personal ambition and the ticking biological clock of life, Harrington grapples with what she鈥檚 truly willing to risk. Equal parts gripping survival story and intimate portrait of a woman who deals with self doubt, Girl Climber isn鈥檛 just about breaking records. It鈥檚 about breaking barriers. Among Yosemite鈥檚 legendary boy鈥檚 club, Harrington doesn鈥檛 prove she is the best female climber ever 鈥� she proves she is one of the best climbers of all time.

Runtime: 83 minutes

Director: Jon Glassberg

Showing: Sunday, 5:00pm

Momo

From the humble beginnings of a small African village to the dazzling heights of Cirque du Soleil, Momo shares the story of a man who defied gravity and destiny. This short film is a celebration of resilience and the magic of flight, where Momo doesn鈥檛 just perform 鈥� he transcends.

Runtime: 2 minutes

Director: Mike Schwartz

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

OUTLIER: Common

OUTLIER: Common follows three Latina leaders chasing summit perfection. On an emotional journey through mountain ranges, a scientist, a filmmaker and a disruptor share the deeply personal, turbulent stories of their lives 鈥� while pushing toward the summits that define them. At personal crossroads, these women turn to the mountains for clarity and an exploration of mind, heart, body and soul. From British Columbia鈥檚 deep backcountry to the Tetons鈥� towering peaks, their journey reveals hard-won lessons on tenacity, joy and solidarity 鈥� even when the world feels like it鈥檚 crumbling.

Runtime: 26 minutes

Director: Dani Reyes-Acosta

Showing: Sunday, 3:00pm

Remaining Native

Kutoven (Ku) Stevens (Paiute), a 17-year old Native American high school runner, with the skill and drive to become an elite college athlete, strives for his goals. Even though he doesn鈥檛 have access to a coach, cross-country team or recruiters, he is determined to get a running scholarship. When the remains of thousands of Indigenous children are discovered across Canada and the U.S., Stevens鈥� painful family history re-emerges: His own great-grandfather Frank Quinn escaped an Indian boarding school by foot at age 8. In an act of reverence, Stevens sets out to run the same 50-mile escape route his great-grandfather took, interweaving Quinn鈥檚 story with his own journey to run a collegiate qualifying time. Will Stevens outrun his history or will he learn to run alongside it to achieve his dreams?

Runtime: 88 minutes

Director: Paige Bethmann

Showing: Saturday, 5:05pm

The Life We Have

What would you do if death felt just steps away? For Rob Shaver, who has faced multiple stage-four cancer recurrences over the past two decades 鈥� death has felt like an ever-present shadow. The Life We Have captures Shaver鈥檚 resilience, wisdom and deep appreciation for life, as he navigates his latest battle with the disease.

Runtime: 24 minutes

Director: Sam Price-Waldman

Showing: Sunday, 3:00pm

The North Face Presents: Trango

After a two-year attempt, renowned ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Christina 鈥淟usti鈥� Lustenberger, joined by Nick McNutt and Chantel Astorga, attempt the first-ever ski descent of Pakistan鈥檚 formidable Great Trango Tower. What begins as a test of skill evolves into a profound emotional journey. They navigate risk, grapple with grief and face physical danger as they push the limits of human experience. At 6,000 meters, constant exposure and unexpected avalanches test their resolve, but it鈥檚 the unspoken trust and support within their expedition team that allows them to face the unimaginable together. Trango transports us to otherworldly places and reminds us that the best way to honor those we have loved and lost is to find the courage to truly live.

Runtime: 45 minutes

Director: Leo Hoorn

Showing: Sunday, 1:15pm

As one of America鈥檚 longest-running film festivals, showcases documentary films that celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, environment, and indomitable spirit. Hosted annually in Telluride, Colorado, the festival brings inspiring stories to communities around the globe with Mountainfilm on Tour. 鈥�

The post The 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival’s 2025 Film Lineup Is Its Best Yet appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

What鈥檚 your favorite national park? After two decades as a journalist with a specialty in outdoor recreation, that鈥檚 the question I am most often asked. I鈥檝e had the pleasure of visiting most of the big ones. I鈥檝e even led trips to Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion, and Denali as a professional guide, and, most recently, as a national park expert for National Geographic Expeditions. Regardless of where I am or what I’m guiding, my clients all want to know the same thing: What park is the best?

That鈥檚 an impossible question to answer. As a man in his late 50s with no kids of my own, I imagine it鈥檚 what it must be like for parents to name their favorite child. I believe they would say, just as I do, 鈥淚 love them all equally because each is precious to me.鈥�

Typically, that response is met with a heavy eye roll. Pressed to give a better answer, I鈥檒l say, reluctantly, that I have two favorites: the one I was just at and the one I鈥檓 going to next.

Of course, I鈥檓 not suggesting that all national parks are the same. Each of the 63 federally managed sites designated for natural heritage preservation have exquisitely unique and awe-inspiring features across their 52 million acres. From the Grand Tetons to Delicate Arch, and from Joshua Tree to the Everglades, each park is different and special. But they all share a single unifying characteristic: each one is an expression of American democracy.

In 1983, the naturalist Wallace Stegner wrote a letter to National Park Service Director Russell E. Dickerson to advocate for the enduring protection of public land.

鈥淣ational parks are the best idea we ever had,鈥� Stegner wrote. 鈥淎bsolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.鈥�

As America鈥檚 best idea, our national parks are a physical manifestation of our founding principles as a republic.聽 Every park has been reserved for the 鈥渂enefit and enjoyment of the people.鈥� It is in these places where humanity is meant to gather, either in solitude or as a community, and experience the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Citizens and visitors alike come to our national parks to exercise our freedom as Americans. As a human right, everyone is entitled to sustainably camp, hike, ski, climb, and ride where legally allowed in our parks. Though this land was taken by force from Native people, our shared obligations of stewardship and preservation compel each of us to invest ourselves in the protection of our natural resources for future generations to enjoy.

So, I express my patriotic duty by enjoying them. In the face of the neglect and destruction of our public lands, it is up to each of us to show our support by visiting every national park we can. And in so doing, we must acknowledge the enduring conservation legacy of Native people, tread lightly, and encourage others to do the same.

鈥淚t’s a demonstration to those in the judiciary who see that Americans value their parks,鈥� Charles Sams, former director of the National Park Service, once said. 鈥淭hat’s a democratic value. And so, I’ve learned in our democracy, if you want your democracy to thrive, you got to show up.鈥�

Each of our national parks is an expression of what is best about America. Among the parks we love most, it鈥檚 impossible to pick a favorite. I, for one, love them all equally. From the last one I visited, to the one I鈥檒l visit next, each is precious.

The post As America鈥檚 Best Idea, Our National Parks Are Precious. Here鈥檚 Why. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Mike de la Rocha is a difficult man to define. He’s an artist and an advocate. He’s the voice of a generation and a bit of a beach bum. He’s an award-winning change-maker and the co-founder of two businesses: a that provides work for formerly incarcerated people, and an internationally renowned that connects celebrities with social change movements. And now, he’s an author, too.

De la Rocha鈥檚 forthcoming book is an ode to his profound and emotionally complicated relationship with his late father. The man, Ismael “Mayo” de la Rocha, could be an enigma. He was at once a professor who mentored thousands of students over the course of his long career, and a closed-off figure who struggled to teach his own sons emotional intimacy. The tale de la Rocha weaves is an intimately vulnerable story about culture, the trappings of masculinity, and the capacity we all have for change. In ,听de la Rocha reflects on the enduring lessons of the ocean and how surfing and the natural world helped him break through the layers of conditioning and forge a deeper relationship with his father鈥攁nd with himself.聽聽

In the below excerpt, de la Rocha stands on the beach with his toes in the sand, looking out at the ocean and back into the past. As he reflects, he reveals some of the lessons his father did teach him鈥攅verything from how to whittle down your belongings (including toys) to the bare essentials, to how to withstand the shock of freezing water, even when your body begs you to flee.

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Conjure for a moment the feeling of a perfect summer day. The trees are fully leafed out. The western sky is filled with changing light. Your friends and neighbors are gathering on the great green lawn of your town park, where communal tables await. A favorite band is playing while kids run around and their parents take a long moment to feel the breeze coming in off the mountains.

After a long winter and rainy spring, it鈥檚 easy to forget how good it feels to be outside with friends, unleashed from our devices and our four walls. The music fills our bodies, its rhythm melding with a deeper-time cycle of day-to-night, seasons changing, the imperceptible warble of a planet spinning gently on its axis. That feeling is calling us.

It鈥檚 hard to explain why the trifecta of nature, music, and community is even more happy-making than the sum of its parts, though science offers some clues. The 19th century sociologist Emile Durkheim coined the term 鈥渃ollective effervescence,鈥� which sounds like a denture cleaner but is really about the heightened state of social energy, a sense of sacredness and like rituals and celebrations. Recent studies have found that listening to live music with others fosters unity and joy, leading to

Similarly, spending time outside makes us less focused on ourselves and more in tune with others and the natural world. that when we enjoy 鈥渘earby nature,鈥� the kind we find in city parks, we鈥檙e more likely to feel happy, improve our attention spans, fend off depression and anxiety, and forge the bonds that support us and help us regain a bit of social optimism. Not surprisingly, there鈥檚 a dose curve to this kind of medicine. People who spend more time in nature are more likely to report increased satisfaction with their lives. The message is clear: time outside makes us healthier and happier, while also making us kinder to each other.

But in many ways, getting outside is harder than ever. Our obligations and distractions keep us inside, and with so many of us at our desks or on our couches, it鈥檚 not as much fun out there as it used to be. Back in his day, our perceptive friend Durkheim, the sociologist, described a growing purposelessness that people felt in the wake of industrialism, which pulled us off the land and into factories. Today, our digital lifestyles led former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to declare a in 2023. Our species has never lived a life quite like this before: often separated from each other, burrowed inside away from sunsets, wild animals, and the brilliant night sky. We鈥檙e living in the middle of the largest mass migration in human history鈥攖he migration indoors.

No wonder our need for fresh air and social connection has . Our brains and bodies yearn for collective effervescence. We want lives filled with meaning, purpose, and the kind of adventures we find when we put down the screens. Interest in outdoor culture, sports, travel, and concern about nature鈥檚 resiliency is at a record high.

Feeling joy in the outdoors is a fundamental human right. Helping people get there is 国产吃瓜黑料 and and passion. And in this moment, finding community and belonging in nature is more important than ever.

That鈥檚 why 国产吃瓜黑料 partnered with REI Co-op and Capital One to create the second annual this coming May 31 to June 1 in Denver鈥檚 Civic Center Park. Here鈥檚 what you鈥檒l find there: incredible bands like Khraungbin and Lord Heron performing on a stage framed by the Colorado Rocky Mountains; inspiring conversations with elite outdoor athletes, activists, and change makers; riveting adventure (and misadventure) films; climbing walls; health and wellness activities like yoga and cold plunges; games for kids and grownups; demos of the best new outdoor gear; an entire village of travel experts ready to help you plan your next journey; amazing food, and鈥攎ost importantly鈥攖housands of people like you, delighted to be outside together under the western sky.

So let鈥檚 do it. Let鈥檚 listen to that feeling that鈥檚 calling us. Let鈥檚 fall in love again with living things and with each other. Let鈥檚 orient toward the rhythms of music and nature and celebrate the happy fizz of togetherness, outside.

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Neal Francis makes the kind of music that feels both timeless and intensely personal. Weaving in his own hard-won perspective following addiction and upheaval, the singer, songwriter, and pianist draws on the grooves of New Orleans funk and ’70s soul in a solo career that鈥檚 earned him a growing national audience and a much-anticipated recent album release, . But only after finding his footing through sobriety and self-reflection was he able to experience what he considers a strong connection to self, spirit, and sound.

In a recent conversation with Yoga Journal, Francis opens up about mindfulness in the creative process, the spiritual roots of soul music, and how ritual shows up in his life as a performer. You can also catch Neal Francis live on Saturday, May 31, at this year鈥檚 in Denver. .

Yoga Journal: You’ve talked about how iconic soul and funk artists like and influenced you. What was it about their music and spirit that pulled you in?

Neal Francis: I first fell in love with Dr. John鈥檚 music because I liked his piano playing and flamboyant style of dress. I was probably six when I remember hearing him for the first time. My parents bought me a couple of his albums, and I tried to emulate his playing style.

As I matured, I became aware of , the artist/producer behind several of Dr. John鈥檚 records, and the band , the session musicians on those recordings. My first record contains a lot of influence from all three of those artists. I fell in love with Sly in middle school. A friend of mine got their greatest hits on CD [], and I thought it was wonderful. His music is rock, funk, soul, gospel, and pop mixed into one sound. I also really loved his organ playing.

YJ: Blues and soul music are so full of feeling. They demand a presence that almost feels meditative. Do you think mindfulness plays a role in how you connect with your music when you鈥檙e playing?

NF: I think mindfulness is part of my performance now. But for most of my life as a performer, I had no awareness or practice to connect with music spiritually or mindfully. There were moments of divine inspiration, but they were fleeting. Sometimes there鈥檚 a moment of fear or distraction on stage, and I take a split second to feel my hands on the keys, and drop back into my body. If I think too hard about what I鈥檓 playing, my performance seems to suffer. Meditation is an important part of my daily practice today, and I try to keep returning to it, especially when I鈥檓 agitated.

YJ: You’ve been open about your journey with sobriety, especially around the time you made . I thought it was so interesting when you once wrote in a blog post, “Drinking held my music in a half-cocked slingshot.” That鈥檚 powerful, and kind of runs counter to the common myth that substances fuel creativity. Can you talk about how sobriety changed your creative process?

NF: I think they did fuel my creativity for a while, perhaps in terms of generating ideas, but quickly, they worked against me. Fundamentally, I don鈥檛 like to be uncomfortable. So whenever I encountered resistance, it was easier for me to use alcohol or drugs to escape that feeling rather than push through or wait out the discomfort. That led to a lot of unrequited dreams and unfinished projects.

I鈥檝e slowly become better at being present and working through problems, artistic and otherwise. My creative process is always changing. It is never linear.

YJ: You were already playing with Chicago blues legends as a teenager, and people often call you a prodigy. In yoga, we talk about “dharma”鈥� finding the work you were born to do. What would you say to artists still trying to find their path?

NF: I would say to a younger musician鈥揳nd admonish myself鈥搕hat they should pursue what interests them, to the furthest limit, and divorce themselves from the outcome. I spent a lot of time wondering how a certain piece of work would be received or using my music as a means to an end in achieving material goals. More and more, I can say gratefully that all I care about is the process of creation and my interest in seeing what is possible.

YJ: You once described yourself as a “spiritual agnostic.” Is that still how you would describe your relationship to spirituality today? Has it changed at all over the years?

NF: I have become interested in Buddhism in the last few years, and want to delve deeper. The tenets of Buddhism link elegantly with recovery. I read a lot of philosophical and spiritual writing. I鈥檒l probably be forever searching. My concept of spirituality is pretty nebulous, and I think that鈥檚 a good thing, because I can keep the door open to learning from different faith traditions.

YJ: Many musicians and performers have little pre-show rituals to help them get centered. Do you have any routines or practices that help you get in the right headspace before you play?

NF: After soundcheck, I usually commit about an hour to my spiritual practice and make sure to get out of the venue. It helps clear my head, and gives the guys and me a chance to have space from each other. I may do a formal meditation, but usually that鈥檚 just in the morning. Lately, we鈥檝e been meditating as a band for ten minutes before the show. I always do a vocal warmup and ideally have some funny conversation or dance a little backstage to get my spirits up.

YJ: What does your morning meditation consist of? Are you doing any specific styles or breathwork practices?

NF: I typically do a guided 20-minute meditation based on the practice. I also do longer meditations in the van or on airplanes, and lately have been listening to meditations and dharma talks on the .

YJ: You鈥檒l be playing at in Denver this May. I鈥檓 curious鈥攈ow does the energy of a big outdoor festival compare to playing smaller, more intimate shows? Does it change the way you approach the performance at all?

NF: The crowd can play a big role in my performance. The energy I receive from them can invigorate me and lead me to some wild places. We just played a big festival in Australia, and the crowds there were electric. That was part of the reason we played such great shows there. Conversely, if I start getting in my head that the crowd isn鈥檛 meeting my expectations somehow, that鈥檚 my cue to go back to the breath and connect with my body. I can鈥檛 control the environment. When I鈥檓 more present and engaged, the audience invariably responds positively, which encourages me to push even further.

YJ: Do you prefer one setting over the other鈥攂ig outdoor stages or smaller club gigs鈥攐r do they each have their kind of magic?

NF: All venues have pros and cons, but I try to let go and have a blast wherever I am performing.

YJ: Last one鈥攚hat鈥檚 lighting you up creatively these days? Anything new you鈥檙e excited about?

NF: I鈥檓 writing and drawing a lot, and I have lots of old demos that I want to finish up. I have been feeling a huge wave of creativity, and I鈥檓 excited to get back to recording and new video projects later this year. Our recent trip to Japan was very spiritual and filled my cup creatively. I鈥檓 excited to see how that manifests in future work as well.

This article was originally published on .

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