The Daily - August 12,2021 - 18

COURTESY HEATHER HANSMAN
Pulse
S U M M E R 2 0 1 9
THE
F U T U R E E P I C
give you the one-liner and say
that it's about skiing, and the
dirtbag culture of ski bums, but
really it's about obsession, and
about trying to fi gure out how
to grow up and live in the world
when you're chasing snow-or
anything ephemeral and not
easy. I've been obsessed with
ski bumming since long before I
moved to the mountains to scan
lift tickets when I was 21. And I
still am, even though I know that
" living the dream " isn't actually
that dreamy.
So, it's about questioning all
Heather Hansman's
new book
is due out in
November.
F U T U R E E P I C
The Write Stuff
Author and freelance writer Heather
Hansman talks books, climate change,
and a lifelong pining for the ski bum life.
An environmental columnist
for outsideonline.com, Heather
Hansman is an award-winning
author covering all things
outdoors, often blending her
love of science, adventure,
and culture. Her fi rst book,
Downriver: Into the Future of
Water in the West, details a
paddling trip down the length
of the Green River, highlighting
the plight of the water
system in the Western U.S.
Coming out in November, her
18
upcoming book, Powder Days:
Ski Bums, Ski Towns, and
the Future of Chasing Snow,
chronicles chasing the ski bum
dream in an era of rising costs,
conglomeration, and climate
change. Here at the Show,
she'll be chasing new gear as
well as long-overdue facetime
with colleagues.
Tell us about your upcoming
book Powder Days?
Oh, boy, that's hard. I could
/ OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER 2021
the parts of it. What are the
stories and histories behind it?
What does the future of skiing
look like in the face of climate
change, deep income inequality,
and resort consolidation? How
has capitalism crushed dirtbagging?
Why does it feel so freaking
good to make deep turns? Is
it all unsustainably selfi sh? Why
do certain people chase risk, and
why is mental health so tenuous
in mountain towns? At its heart,
I think it's about whether anyone
can really be a ski bum anymore,
whether it was all a myth to begin
with, and why I still want it.
Your book Downriver came
out in the midst of consecutive
drought years. What is
its messaging?
Its gist, which feels even more
crucial now, is that there's no
big single answer to dealing
with aridity, overuse, and climate
change. If there was, we
would have fi gured it out by
now. It's hard to address, and
it's going to take sacrifi ces and
changes from everywhere, and
a big, urgent push toward restructuring
how we think about
and use water. It's all connected.
The Southwestern U.S. is
a bellwether for how drought
is going to impact people
and places worldwide, and as
we see reservoirs shrink and
species struggle and paddlers
get cut off in this dry, hot year,
the biggest message is that we
have to deal with it now.
Any other big projects you're
working on?
I'm really excited about an
upcoming Outside story about
a bogus proposed dam project
on the Little Colorado River
and the future of tribal land
and water sovereignty. And,
fi ngers very tightly crossed,
a nascent new book project
about how to live in the face of
climate change.
What kind of gear are you
hoping to fi nd at the Show?
I need a new PFD, and I've
heard about manufacturers
working with less toxic, natural
materials, in Bluesign-approved
factories. That sounds
interesting to me.
Why is it important for you to
be at the OR Show?
This past year has really made
me miss the outdoor community,
and I crave time in person
to talk with friends, colleagues,
and people in the industry
about ideas, projects, and fun.
I want to hug all the people I
get to hug twice a year.
http://www.outsideonline.com
The Daily - August 12,2021

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