After a full season of filming, and more than three months of voting, Dale Talkington took home the top spot in Teton Gravity Research’s “Co-Lab” contest. The announcement was made on September 21, at the world premiere of TGR’s Way of Life, in Jackson, WY. The prize is quite possibly the biggest cash prize in skiing history – $100,000. I caught up with Dale the morning after the announcement, on his way back from Jackson to Salt Lake City. Here’s what he had to say.
First off, I just want to say congratulations on the win. Has it sunk in yet?
No, not quite. It’s pretty wild.
How are you feeling right now?
It’s pretty insane. I’m kind of speechless. It’s a great feeling. No words can describe it. It was pretty much a huge relief for me. I’ve never spent so much time doing one thing, you know? I didn’t do anything else this year. I just decided to do my own thing. It was a good feeling when [I saw] my name on that check.
How’d it go down last night?
They started off with the announcement, and then went right into Way of Life, and then the after party. We were partying. It was a good night.
What was the suspense like for you? Were you confident you were going to win?
I was definitely not confident. I kinda thought it was anyone’s game. Especially Nick McNutt. I thought he might [take it]. I know he was a close second. I was definitely pretty nervous, but I just kind of went in there with no thoughts, and hoped for the best.
Tell me about the decision to enter the contest. That must’ve been about a year ago, right?
Yeah. [4bi9’s] Andrew Napier brought the idea to me. We did the Nike Chosen video last year, and we were kind of just like, “let’s do it, let’s try it.” We put all of our eggs into one basket, and it worked out.
The question on everyone’s mind – What are you going to do with the money?
I’m just going to keep skiing, filming, and traveling. [I also need to] fix my car, and a couple other things.
Is it going to change your plans for next season?
Yes, definitely. I think I’ll be able to go wherever I want, which will be really nice.
Was the “ten percent rule” in effect last night?
Yes. [Laughs] But I think I only spent about .5% or something. Like $500 bucks. [Ten grand in one night] is definitely pretty reckless. You’d have to be in Vegas or somewhere [to spend that much].
What are your plans for the next season?
[I’m still] kind of just figuring out what I’m going to do. More filming. I’ll hopefully make a better segment, and kind of just do it again. If they do the Co-Lab again, maybe I’ll try that. No ideas really. I’m just going to figure it out.
Any shoutouts?
All my sponsors, my mom and dad, and everyone who filmed with me – AJ Dakoulas, Andrew Napier, Mike McLeod, and Tom Arnell.
Congrats again. Drive safe.
Hell yeah, thanks man.
