Next Level Skiing S7 E3 | Skiing Every Aspect with Mike Hattrup

by Wagner Custom / Mar 17, 2025

Next Level Skiing S7 E3 | Skiing Every Aspect with Mike Hattrup

From bump skier to Director of Skiing for Eleven Experience, Mike Hattrup has skied it all.

Mike Hattrup has journeyed from bump skiing boss to ski movie star to gear designer, leaving his mark on snow in ways that have touched nearly every skier in the sport. From chasing his four siblings down the slopes of Alpental to winning mogul medals, to sharing the screen with Schmidt and Plake in the iconic Blizzards of Aahhh's, Hattrup's career has spanned diverse terrain. He's built backcountry skis and gear for top ski shops, and today, he serves as the Director of Skiing for Eleven Experience, guiding adventurers through powder-filled landscapes in Alaska, British Columbia, Chile, Colorado, France, and Iceland. Tune in as Mike recounts his remarkable journey from professional skier to guide to gear innovator.

Follow on: iTunes | Spotify

Topics

3:05 - Growing up skiing during the freestyle rage of the 1970s
4:00 - Athleticism of mogul skiing
6:30 -Training for mogul competitions
10:00 - Filming with Greg Stump in “Time Waits for Snowman” in 1985
11:20 - Filming “Blizzard of Aahhh’s” in Europe
14:00 - Why “Blizzard” resonated so deeply with skiers
16:00 - Moving over to K2, helping the company transition from race
22:50 - The emergence of the transformative K2 Four
26:00 - Moving into telemark ski design, flexible ski boots, and backcountry gear
34:00 - Working at Kastle, Fisher, Black Diamond, Marmot
40:30 - AMGA guiding on Mount Rainier
46:00 - Improving through technique as we age

Quotes

“I never thought that skiing was a career. Not like now, I mean, you can go be a film skier, right? But back then it really wasn't an option.” - Mike Hattrup

“We'll for sure look back on that era from early to mid-90s to the mid-2000s as the golden era of ski design.” - Mike Hattrup

“I learned to tele purely from a touring standpoint.” - Mike Hattrup

“In terms of fitness, that certainly becomes more of a challenge as you get older and I think you just gotta find a way to, I mean, find a way to keep training and make it fun.” - Mike Hattrup