The First Time

I want you to think back to the first time you touched granite, rolled a kayak or linked ski turns. Whether you’re pushing your sport to new heights or daydream about first tracks during your rush hour commute, those first experiences are something we all have in common. It probably felt a little daring, slightly awkward, but absolutely wonderful, and while the waves may get bigger, the routes bolder, they never get rawer.

This week the Dirtbag Diaries brings you the First Time–stories about people’s initial experiences in the outdoors. Instead of one big episode, we’ve gone ahead and split this week’s broadcast into five parts. We’ve got some very special guests. Some you may recognize. Others, we are proud to introduce.

Part One: A 22-year old Coast Guard ensign finds his inner child in the Alaskan mountains and barely escapes.

Music: There Comes a Time by Trolls Cottage  •   Napoleon Says by Pheonix  •   Holding the Pilot by Foundry Fields Recording

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Two: Pro kayaker Tanya Shuman tells us about her search for the perfect wave. It’s a journey that took her around the globe before leading her back to the place where it all began–Skookumchuck Narrows.

Music: Your Ex-lover is Dead by Stars  •   Um, Circles and Squares by Dosh  •   Good Vibe by Mr. Anonymous

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Three: For Erin Shea, February 14th will always be linked to cold, darkness and the sound of falling ice. Now that’s our kind of love affair! We bring you the story of a lonely M.I.T. undergrad who has a very special Valentine’s Day.

Music: I’ve Got You and You’ve Got Me by New Buffalo  •   Nature of the Experiment by Toyko Police Club  •   Hope the Light by The Furze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Four: In the last decade, Steve House has pulled off some incredible ascents in the Canadian Rockies, Alaska and the Himalaya. Today, we’re going to look back through the eyes of an 11-year old boy as House tells us about the day his pursuit of high places began, and very nearly ended.

Music: Cold Days by The Twilight Sad  •   Ballad of Douglas Chin by Three More Shallows  •   A Lie for a Lie by Built to Spill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Five: Snowboarding can’t change your life. Snow melts, but life doesn’t get any easier. Deep seeded change can only come from within. Today, we’re traveling from NYC’s notorious Bushwick neighborhood to Whistler Blackcomb’s ski slopes to discover how snowboarding helped transform a young woman headed for trouble. Stephanie McLawerence, a self-described bookworm, brings us her story about finding a second chance in a first time.

Music: Night at the Knight School by Three More Shallows  •   45 by The Saturday Knights

Music provided by IODA Promonet.