James Buehler on Riding the Ribbon, Devil’s Castle

Last week on social media, many of us were blown away by some pretty terrifying footage of a snowboarder negotiating the Ribbon on Devil’s Castle at Alta. So we talked to the rider, James Buehler, about his first descent with Alex Gavic of the Ribbon on a snowboard, and James walks us through the technical aspects of the route; his preparation for the line; the mental and physical demands it imposes; encountering multiple cruxes; the “Ronald McDonald Grin”; and what’s next on his list. (You can also see photos of the route in the show notes to this episode on our website.)

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Alter Egos & Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (2:20)
• The history / backstory of Ciochetti’s Ribbon (7:55)
• What’s the most scared you’ve ever been on a line? (13:41)
• Doing heavy lines on a surfy, playful powder board?? (18:45)
• The Approach (22:30)
• The Traverse (26:07)
• The Crux — and the ‘Ronald McDonald Grin’ (27:53)
• Unexpected Crux #2 & #3 (40:18)
• The Descent (39:41)
• How does the Ribbon compare to other objectives? (51:40)
• James' other near-term objectives & dream objective (59:05)
• James' YouTube channel, Wild Lines (1:01:13)

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