From a Life-Altering Accident to Skiing Alaska's Biggest Lines with Kai Jones

Wild Ideas Worth Living

REI Co-op

Outdoorsports, Athlete, Womensadventure, Yoga, Sports, Mountaineering, Sailing, Alternativelifestyle, Camping, Cycling, Inspiration, Backpacking, Fitness, Nutrition, Paddle, Rei, Rockclimbing, Vegan, Environmentalism, Health & Fitness, Adventure, Entrepreneurship, Author, Skiing, Places & Travel, Writing, Society & Culture, Health, Podcast, Outdoors, Surfing, Sup, Wilderness, Endurancesports, Running, Activelifestyle, Snowboarding, Lifestyle, Trailrunning, Watersports, Climbing, Travel, Wildideas, Snowsports, Girlboss

4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kai Jones is one of the most talented young backcountry skiers in the U.S., turning professional at just 13 years old. In early 2023, he broke both of his legs in a backcountry skiing accident, spending months in a wheelchair and questioning whether he’d ever return to the sport. Last season marked a major comeback, as Kai became the youngest skier to descend the Otter Body route on Grand Teton and released multiple ski films that document his evolution as a big‑mountain skier.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Kai Jones is one of the most talented backcountry skiers in the U.S.
0:07.0	At just 19 years old, he's already skied some of the world's most impressive lines.
0:12.4	For Kai, free skiing is in his blood.
0:14.8	His dad and his uncles are dedicated snow athletes and filmmakers,
0:18.8	and he's been adventuring in the mountains for as long as he can
0:21.7	remember. When he was 13, Kai became a sponsored professional athlete. But even though he
0:27.5	experienced a ton of success throughout his adolescence, Kai has also encountered some serious
0:32.5	setbacks. In early 2023, he broke both of his legs skiing off a vertical drop in the back country.
0:39.9	The accident forced him into a wheelchair for several months, and he wondered if he'd ever have a
0:45.5	ski career again.
0:47.4	The outcome was definitely undetermined. The home help doctor came in and said I'd never
0:52.3	ski at the same level again.
1:01.1	So there's definitely some low points, but like I knew in my heart that I was going to like do everything to get back to my sport.
1:08.4	Today, Kai is back to skiing and he's breaking the mold of what's possible in the mountains.
1:11.8	Last year, he came out with some incredible films that highlight the direction his skiing has taken.
1:14.8	More remote, more ambitious, and more intentional.
1:18.7	I'm Shelby Stanger, and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living,
1:23.2	an R.E.I Co-Op Studios production,
1:25.6	presented by Capital One and the REI Co-Op MasterCard.
1:32.1	Kai Jones, welcome to Wild Ideas Worth Living.
1:35.9	I'm really excited to chat with you.
1:37.5	Where are you right now?
	...

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