TAHOE CITY, Calif. — On Thursday, March 7, the Alpenglow Sports 18th annual Winter Speaker Series, hosted by Tahoe Mountain Realty, concluded with series cofounder and one of the best storytellers alive, Dave Nettle. Through his presentation of Ski Touring the Tyrol, Dave put on a show for the ages. His show was preceded by four truly remarkable presentations from Michelle Parker, Jim & John Morrison, Elyse Saugstad, and Ingrid Backstrom all of which are still available to stream on Alpenglow Sports’ YouTube channel.

In one of their best fundraising efforts ever, the team at Alpenglow Sports helped raise over $430,000 for local non-profits including Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, The Send It Foundation, Courage Project, the Scotty Lapp Foundation, and Slow Food Lake Tahoe. All in all, it was a paramount season with many “bests” including in-person and online attendance, total funds raised, and sheer level of extreme inspiration.

The Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series is an eagerly anticipated winter tradition for North Tahoe’s adventure community. With over 4,000 attendees annually, as well as a dynamic and global live stream component, the 18-year-old Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series has become one of the premier North American forums for adventure storytelling and community gathering.

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Five times per winter, a premier outdoor athlete presents an inspirational tale of adventure, creating a forum for motivation, inspiration and education. Past speakers of the Winter Speaker Series include Lynn Hill, Hilaree Nelson, Jeremy Jones, Emily Harrington, Cody Townsend, Alex Honnold, Adrian Ballinger, and more.

The 23-24 season kicked off with Michelle Parker as she shared her new perspective on life, and her accomplished ski career, cherishing the “in-between moments”. Despite the circumstances from which her new outlook came, caring for her father after his diagnosis with Lewy Body Dementia, she shared her deep gratitude for the lessons she learned and the ways that it has enhanced every experience in her life. It was a bonus that it translated directly into a successful Alaskan ski film and expedition.

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Next up, the Morrison brother’s shared the mic as they brought the audience along on their life’s journey, starting in 1993 and ending present day. They were vulnerable in sharing both the high highs and the moments when it all came crashing down. The constant in their story was the message that the mountains can be a source of absolute healing through their magnificence and greater energy, as well as in the way that they are all encompassing.

Then big mountain skier, Elyse Saugstad, married epic ski lines with everything it took to get there and ensure female representation endured in her presentation Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way. Her most recent example of doing so has been in blending motherhood with her ski career. Elyse has met numerous obstacles in her career, but has approached them as opportunities to grow and keep pushing herself, as well as her peers, and the industry as a collective.

She was followed by Ingrid Backstrom who talked about her most recent challenge to ski one hundred days in a row as a means to reflect on her relationship with skiing after so much had changed in her life. The answer she found? Skiing reflects and amplifies what you are experiencing in your life. In the face of so much growth and change, it is only natural that skiing mirrors that.

The season culminated with Dave Nettle bringing us to the Tyrol. From astounding alpine terrain, to unparalleled hospitality, to soul warming food, to a rich history, he made it clear that there is no end to the offerings of the region. Equal parts humorous, educational, honest, and encouraging, he left the crowd with the urge to travel, and the sheer excitement that only adventure can induce.

What made this season different? Every single speaker was vulnerable in sharing what was going on behind the scenes of their successful and daring outdoor careers. These weren’t just presentations about rad skiing, although that was included in spades throughout, but each speaker went a step deeper to share what really powers their adventures, and in doing so, made every show this season one that anybody could relate to.

From event manager Stefanie Pyatt, “These shows have been a reminder of why we live in the mountains, why we create opportunities to gather, connect, and grow our community, and why the wilderness has a pull on all of us. We are so grateful to each speaker for sharing their stories so that we could learn and grow, bond as a community, and understand how to embrace life and all it brings with it”.

Another central aspect to the Winter Speaker Series is the education about and fundraising for local nonprofits making a tangible difference in the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee communities. Each show is dedicated to a different non-profit that has been selected through a rigorous application process, and to date, the Winter Speaker Series has raised over $1,750,000 for local organizations, with a record breaking $430,000 coming from this season alone. Giveaway and bar proceeds plus a percentage of food sales, in conjunction with anonymous donations by the Donor Party, raise up to $75,000 per show for a local non-profit organization.

We are tremendously proud of the Winter Speaker Series,” according to series cofounder and store owner Brendan Madigan.

“There is tremendous power in gathering with our North Lake Tahoe and Truckee mountain community, while being inspired by the stories of five world-class athletes, and raising so much money and awareness for local nonprofits making a tangible difference in our community,” said Madigan.

Alpenglow Sports will be accepting non-profit applications for the 2024-25 series starting June 3, 2024. If interested please email info@alpenglowsports.com. The submission period ends at the end of June, whereby formal presentations will determine the non-profits that will contribute in the upcoming season.

Alpenglow Sports is currently seeking sponsor partners for the 2024-25 season. If interested, please email info@alpenglowsports.com.