Episode 114 Jimmy Chin

Summary

• Jimmy Chin is a professional athlete, photographer, and filmmaker
• He is described as the love child of Chase Jarvis and Laird Hamilton
• He has participated in and documented breakthrough expeditions around the planet
• He recently filmed and directed the feature documentary Meru, which won the 2015 Audience Award at Sundance
• He has climbed and skied Everest and is known for doing first ascents and first descents in climbing and skiing, respectively
• Jimmy Chin is a professional photographer, athlete, and filmmaker based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
• He is passionate about all three of these activities and does not prefer to be remembered for one over the other.
• When asked which activity he would keep if he had to choose one, he chose climbing, skiing, and surfing.
• His training regimen includes two full days of skiing or climbing in the Grand Teton National Park, one or two laps on Teton Pass, and some yoga or stretching.
• During noncrunch times, he may also do some gym work focusing on core and yoga.
• Jimmy Chin's Core Workout:
• Sandbag getups with a 60 pound sandbag, 510 reps on each side
• Situps, leg lifts, planks
• Hang off of something and do leg lifts
• 45 minutes on an overhanging wall to work out arms
• Nutrition:
• On bigger days in the mountains, bring snacks and water
• Gear:
• Rock climbing: 510 shoes, Anasazis model
• Back country skiing/ski touring: Dynafit boots and bindings, Armada or Black Diamond skis
• Downhill: Lange boots and Armada skis
• Jimmy Chin was born and raised in Mankato, Minnesota to parents from China.
• His mother was from a progressive family and his father was from a traditional, conservative, military family.
• His parents were both librarians at the university in Mankato.
• As a child, he was encouraged to pursue academics and extracurricular activities, such as playing the violin and swimming competitively.
• He also studied martial arts from a young age.
• For aspiring mountaineers, he recommends taking a course with the National Outdoor Leadership School or hiring a guide to climb the Grand Teton.
• He recommends Exum Mountain Guides and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides for finding a guide in Jackson.
• When trekking, he listens to a variety of music, including Glitch Mob, Jose Gonzalez, Eddie Vetter, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and Bach.
• Jimmy Chin was pushed hard by his parents to pursue music, martial arts, and swimming.
• He found skiing as a reward for doing well in his other activities.
• He lived out of his car for seven years, doing odd jobs and climbing and skiing.
• He wants to share his passions with his daughter, but also wants to recognize and embrace whatever she is passionate about.
• He was exposed to photography by a friend and started shooting for commercial clients.
• He was inspired by Galen Rowell's participatory adventure photography and wanted to take his climbing to the next level.
• Jimmy Chin drove from Wyoming to Berkeley, California to meet Galen Rowell, a famous photographer
• He waited in the lobby for four days until Galen finally agreed to meet him
• Galen gave Jimmy a slide of two unclimbed towers and put him in contact with his fixer in Pakistan
• Jimmy learned from Galen the importance of efficiency and hard work, and how to take initiative and take risks
• Jimmy also learned from Galen how to be a mentor, by acknowledging when someone is doing something right
• The house of cards was a section of rock on an expedition that Jimmy had to climb through without overweighting any portion of his body, or else the whole thing would collapse
• Jimmy Chin is a mountain climber and photographer who has experienced fear and doubt in his field.
• He believes mountain climbing is a great objective because it involves organization, vision, comradery, technical skills, and opportunities to learn about oneself and push oneself.
• He believes writing well is an important skill and suggests studying other great people in the field to learn.
• He admires Yvon Chouinard for founding Patagonia and 1 Percent for the Planet, and for finding a way to have a successful commercial endeavor while still being ecologically sustainable.
• His favorite books are Musashi and The Guide to the I Ching by Carol Anthony.
• His ideal morning involves waking up and looking at Instagram, followed by some form of exercise.
• Jimmy Chin wakes up around 78:30 and tries to meditate for 20 minutes
• He eats breakfast, usually toast and jam or granola and bananas and yogurt, or a smoothie
• He works in the morning when his head is clear
• He does not drink much, but when he does he orders beer and tequila
• His most recent purchase that has positively impacted his life is Jack Black lip balm
• He advises his 30yearold self to think of the long game and to take the middle path
• His latest film is Meru and can be found at Merufilm.com, @Merufilm on social media, and iTunes in November