KORE Outdoors Stories to Tell

Chic Scott is an 80-year-old mountain historian and writer living in Banff, Alberta. In his younger days, he climbed and skied throughout the world, and in the spring of 1967, with three pals, he pioneered the iconic Great Divide Ski Traverse. Later that winter, he made the first winter ascent of Mount Assiniboine.

Over the last 40 years, Chic has written over a dozen books including Summits and Icefields, a guide book to alpine skiing in the Rockies and Columbia Mountains, and Pushing the Limits, the Story of Canadian Mountaineering.

Chic will take us through the ski highlights of the Columbia Mountains over the last 140 years: from making Rogers Pass ski-accessible to heli-skiing in the Bugaboos; from the pioneer ski jumpers in Revelstoke to the first chairlift in western Canada.

Adventure journalist Jayme Moye is one of the most recognized storytellers in the outdoor industry today. She’s written thousands of stories with a journalism career that has taken her all over the world, from Afghanistan to Zanzibar, earning her the top honors in her field including the Banff Award for Mountain Literature and the Lowell Thomas Award for Adventure Journalism. She’s been named the North American Travel Journalist of the Year twice.

Jayme moved to Nelson from Boulder in 2017. You’ll most often come across her writing in Outside magazine or reporting on local people, places, ideas, and events on the Kootenay Mountain Culture Headwaters podcast.

Here, Jayme will present the concept of a microadventure, and narrate a winter camping excursion she undertook last season to ski-tour from her front door to Whitewater.

Photojournalist and snowboarder Lauren Powers has worked for some of the most iconic backcountry operators on the planet, from Baldface in BC, to Niseko Photography & Guiding in Japan and Aurora Arktika in Iceland. Her photos have been published by major brands and some of the top magazines in the industry including Snowboard Canada, The Snowboarders Journal, and King Snow.

Lauren has exhibited her work throughout Nelson, is a former Artist in Residence for Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, and partners with both Ripping Giraffe Boardshop and Whitewater.

Lauren will present how she unintentionally began her photography career in Japan during the 2014/2015 season, while chasing powder on the path to becoming a splitboard guide. She will discuss the Japanese philosophy of Ikigai, and share how it helped her realize her life’s purpose as a photographer.

Chris Rubens has been a globally-recognized professional skier for the past two decades. Truly dedicated to the mountains and passionate about moving in them, Chris spends most of his time self-propelled in the backcountry, seeking beautiful lines to showcase for the world via film, photo, and social media.

Over the course of his career, Chris has perfected the skill of delivering high-quality content that resonates with viewers around the world. Most recently, he strives to inspire his audience to take action to live and play with less impact on the climate.

Chris is visiting fom Revelstoke. He will share stories from his latest film “Farming Turns,” which debuted at the 2024 Banff Mountain Film Festival, and discuss how becoming an organic farmer has strengthened his connection to the mountains.

Jess Leahey is an artist and illustrator specializing in installation, mixed media, and painting. Much of her inspiration comes from the intersection of contemporary culture and the natural world — and her ski bum lifestyle is pivotal to accurately studying and portraying that paradigm. A hairstylist by trade, she’s done time in every mountain town hustle from entrepreneurship, to ski coaching, to waitressing, to retail... everything but deliver your pizza.

Jess will tell the story of the Revelstoke Outdoor Art Movement (ROAM), which she co-founded in 2021. The secret society of artists and community builders have so far hidden nearly 60 pieces of public art throughout 15 locations in and around Revelstoke Mountain Resort. There is no map. No website. No social media. Just you, your instincts, curiosity, and nature.