Ryan Smalls – Ski Racer, Addicted Angler, Traditional Archer

At the tender age of 4, after watching Franz Klammer win Olympic gold on TV, Ryan Smalls knew he wanted to be a ski racer. Growing up in the greatest of all ski towns, Aspen, Colorado, it all made sense. He trained hard and eventually made the U.S. Ski Teams talent squad, raced in Europe, and was fulfilling his dreams. He, the only child of his parents Ray and Karen, was their pride and joy.

Ski racing is hard and fast and dangerous. His racing longevity succumbed to the odds with a terrible injury. Along the way, Ray showed Ryan the outdoors like few people knew it. After graduating from college, Ryan came home to the rivers and animals of his fathers tutelage. As a plane circles for the weather to clear, so did Ryan’s identity. But that didn’t take long – he became a guide….. He guided fishing, hunting, and skiing.

As a big hearted, passionate man, I know Ryan Smalls to be a perfectionist, world class in everything he cares for.

In this episode, we chat about being caught in an avalanche, getting addicted to fly fishing for Tarpon, and being successful in the elk woods.