I discovered a very cool mobile app called EpicMix when I was in Lake Tahoe recently. It’s a wildly popular ski and snowboard application that brings together the digital and physical experience of skiing and riding and makes it easy for guests to share their stories with friends and family.
A huge technological advancement for the ski industry, EpicMix automatically captures and uploads all mountain activity to your dashboard. Because of Radio Frequency scanners at the base of every lift and RF technology built into every Vail Resorts season pass and PEAKS card, skiers and riders can follow their days on the mountain, track vertical feet, see where they rode, earn EpicMix pins for achievements, collect points and share photos.
In its first season in 2010-2011, EpicMix tracked vertical feet and awarded digital pins for special accomplishments on the mountain. In the second season, EpicMix re-imagined how vacation photos were captured and delivered, allowing guests to share on social media (Twitter and Facebook) the low-res version of their photos for free and purchase the high-res versions for download at a reasonable price. For its third season, EpicMix brought amateur ski racing into the 21st century with EpicMix Racing.
Working with World Champion ski racer Lindsey Vonn, Vail Resorts completely redesigned how skiers can fully utilize the latest digital technology to compare themselves against the very best, seamlessly track and share all of their accomplishments and compete against racers from six world-class resorts.
In the fourth season, leading into the 2013-2-14 ski and ride season, EpicMix integrated the Ski and Ride School experience, allowing students in the Ski and Ride School to track their progress via EpicMix, receive feedback from their instructors, and share their progress with others online. Parents can even track the progress of their children’s skiing and riding.
It’s a great (and free app) that allows you to track memories and moments, all seamlessly while you’re out there skiing and having fun.
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
