Why do people say “Craig Kelly is my copilot”?

About this episode

This episode explores the legacy of Craig Kelly in snowboarding and features discussions with experts on his impact.

In historical snowboard time, “B.C.” stands for “Before Craig.” A god-tier talent in snowboarding’s early years, Craig Kelly helped forge the path of style, gear tech, and where riding could go. In this episode, Tricia and Jen examine the legend of CK and why a certain sect of core snowboarders still invoke the line “Craig Kelly is my copilot” 23 years after his death. They regale 2 special heads: Eric Blehm—author of “The Darkest White” and the definitive expert on CK, and Erik Traulsen of FnRad Podcast—a respected curator of many conversations about Craig. The gang dips waist-deep into 3 parts of snowboarding Kelly changed forever: riding style, “pro snowboarder” as a job description, and the world of freeriding and backcountry. Finally, they discuss how even in death, he’s still helping us navigate our path forward.Cover photo: Trevor Graves

People in this episode

Hosts: Tricia, Jen

Guests: Eric Blehm, Erik Traulsen

Topics covered

• Craig Kelly
• snowboarding history
• riding style
• freeriding
• backcountry
• snowboard culture

Keywords

• Craig Kelly
• snowboarding
• freeriding
• backcountry
• riding style
• snowboard culture
• Eric Blehm
• Erik Traulsen

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Darkest White

More episodes of Going Off Snowboard History Podcast

• When Inverts Were Illegal: The History of Getting Upside Down · May 20, 2026 · 1h 34m
• The Snowboard History Variety Show · April 21, 2026 · 46 min
• Pioneering “Skate Style” Snowboard Art: Jon Boyer & Geoff McFetridge · March 24, 2026 · 1h 10m
• Behind the Boned Out Era: Snowboarding in 1990 · March 10, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Summit County, Vail & the Birth of New School Snowboarding · February 24, 2026 · 1h 44m
• When was the golden age of snowboarding? · February 10, 2026 · 1h 35m