Video: Championship NASCAR Crew Chief Cole Pearn quit the Pavement for Powder

Before Cole Pearn, the billion-dollar NASCAR industry had nothing in common with backcountry skiing. The political, geographical, and cultural differences are comical. So how did Pearn end up chopping wood and cleaning outhouses instead of atop the billion-dollar race industry?

Seventy-five million race fans were shocked when Pearn quit as one of the top NASCAR crew chiefs. Fox Sports pundits speculated about where he’d end up, but none guessed Golden, B.C. His last race was rough. A heart-breaking mistake in the final minutes cost his team their second championship in three years. But even before that, Pearn had decided to quit and take over the four backcountry huts of Golden Alpine Holidays.

The Blank crew spent a good chunk of time up at Golden Alpine Holidays last winter filming for Tales of Cascadia. Through this they started to learn more about the owner, Cole Pearn’s story. With a two-week traverse through the lodges this past spring, they took the opportunity to dive a little deeper into his story.