Everyone who follows outdoor media knows his name — almost as well as his ‘stache. Paddy O’Connell is an essayist, entertainer, podcast host, and perhaps the most passionate ski fanatic you’ll ever meet.

Paddy O’Connell (“Paddy Rock” to his friends) can best be described by one story: The time he lied about being a TV anchor and held a microphone that was plugged into nothing to interview Lindsey Vonn.

It’s that brand of hilarious tomfoolery mixed with a true passion for the outdoors that has lifted O’Connell to the heights of outdoor media.

He hosts the 5Point Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado, every year (sometimes with flaming angel wings), he co-launched and hosts the “Safety Third” podcast, and he continues to pen satirical, off-beat essays for GearJunkie, The Adventure Journal, Freeskier, and more.