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Fitz, taking a well-earned break while night climbing.

Fitz Cahall knew that he wanted to be a writer from age 7. He graduated from the Journalism department at the University of Washington. In 2001, he left Seattle, ready to start his career. But when newspapers began floundering and laying off seasoned journalists, Fitz began eeking out a living by writing for local free newspapers and magazines about his other passion, the outdoors. “I was a freelance journalist, writing for outdoor magazines. And people have this idea of this awesome lifestyle, and it was good. But I lived out of the back of the truck for a long time, and it took a lot of hard work and existing off of bare bones to make these dreams happen.” Fitz steadily built his writing resume and connections within the outdoor community, and his ability for storytelling. “I’ve been really lucky to grow and build my projects into things that are sustainable,” says Fitz.

As Fitz was putting the final touches on his latest project, The Season, VertiCulture was able to catch up with him over a cup of coffee.

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VertiCulture: Where did the idea for The Season come from?
Fitz Cahall: Well, to be honest Bryan (Smith) and I were up late, drinking at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in 2008. It was an idea that I’d had for a long time. I knew Bryan through friends of friends-and we just connected there. I think Bryan was looking for a project like this and I was looking for a way to tell stories in a different format than what I’ve done in the past with The Dirtbag Diaries. It was an idea that just kept building and building until it was actually happening.

VC: How did you select the athletes?
FC: We picked our athletes on a couple of different qualifications. They didn’t have to be pros, they didn’t have to be the best at their sports, but they had to be pretty darn good. What we were looking for were good stories and for people who were pushing their sports or themselves in intriguing ways. People that had a story and knew how to speak about it, and that had a clear and interesting goal that they wanted to attain. So we selected them based on their story, and not so much on their talent. All these people are incredible athletes who could be pros, if they wanted, but their stories are engaging.

VC: Tell us about a memorable moment with Paul.
FC: I loved working with Paul. It was one of the highlights of my summer, just getting to know Paul. One of my favorite moments was when he got a new boat from TideRace. It was coming from Europe and got stuck in customs up in Seattle. He called me frantically, “Do you think you could pick this boat up for me?”  It turns out he had to come up to get the boat. I have never seen anyone so excited about a new thing; he was bouncing off the walls. And Paul is a really mellow guy. For him to be amped up- he was just grinning ear to ear- I think that’s pretty indicative of Paul. He’s an incredible spirit for his sport, and the evolving nature of his sport. The fact that he’s right at the edge of it makes him happy. It’s cool to be around that energy.

Scoping his line, Fitz prepares to shred in the Valhalla, BC backcountry

VC: How did you move to writing about the outdoors?
FC: I knew that I wanted to write in some form. I started out as a political journalist. At some point along the way I realized I cared too much about being outside, and about not giving up this love of the outdoors to go and live in a newsroom. I just decided that I didn’t care whether I won awards for being a reporter. I decided what mattered more to me was being able to be close to the natural world, close to this community, and being happy. And ultimately, to protect wild places- I hope that’s where this journey leads.

VC: Is Fitz your real, full name?
FC: Yes, it’s my real name. I was named after a British war hero. My parents were in the Bahamas, at a pub, and met a Brit. They started talking with him over drinks, which led into dinner. As they finished dinner, my parents started to say their good-byes- they were headed out dancing. And he looked at them and said, “What makes you think I don’t want to go?” I think they were a bit puzzled because he was easily in his 80s. But out he went with them, and ripped it up on the dance floor. His name was Fitz Mulmsbury. They loved the spirit that he encompassed and hoped to pass some of it along. I share his love of late night dancing. Though sometimes I wonder if my mom made it up~ maybe that’s where I got my love of storytelling.

Check out the latest episode of The Season featuring Paul Kuthe on the Outdoor Research site, or subscribe to all episodes at the official website for The Season, www.theseasontv.com. If you aren’t currently a listener, check out Fitz’s Dirtbag Diaries to hear what adventure sounds like and subscribe to the podcast via itunes. You wont want to miss an episode!

**Fitz goes further in-depth on The Season with In Between Swims. Check it out the interview here.