Tom Wallisch is Skiing's Jack of All Trades
From Next Level Skiing by Wagner Skis
January 5, 2026 · 38 min · Season 8 · Episode 4
About this episode
Tom Wallisch discusses his diverse skiing career and insights on balancing creativity and business in the ski industry.
Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. From the concrete staircases of Pittsburgh to the steepest and deepest lines across three continents, Tom Wallisch has pushed skiing into new realms for more than 25 years. The pioneer of urban skiing infuses a one-of-a-kind creativity and style across all sorts of powdery landscapes. His mastery of park and big mountain steeps is coupled with a filming prowess and business acumen that sustains a vibrant ski career at age 38. Listen in as Tom talks about his Pittsburgh roots, an "East Coast work ethic" that grows from failure, connecting mind and body and "using inspiration in a good way." Topics: 1:30 Finding skiing after unfulfilling spins through team sports 3:00 Growing up skiing city handrails in Pittsburgh. "It's all we had." 4:10 Flipping U-turns to check out quad kink rails 6:10 Transitioning from rails to steep lines 10:20 Thinking differently and creative approaches to skiing 12:40 Honing a business expertise in the ski industry 15:30 Balancing the core insiders with newcomers while announcing for NBC at the Olympics 23:10 The "nitty-gritty balance" and edge control from rail skiing 25:14 Body…
People in this episode
Guest: Tom Wallisch
Topics covered
- urban skiing
- skiing techniques
- business in skiing
- personal growth
- skiing culture
- youth skiing education
Keywords
- skiing
- Tom Wallisch
- urban skiing
- ski techniques
- ski business
- Pittsburgh
- Olympics
- youth skiing
Sponsors
Wagner Skis
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Pittsburgh, East Coast
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