WINTER PARK, Colo. - Feb. 5, 2020 - Of the 215 media credentials granted by ESPN for the 2020 X Games in Aspen, The Commonwealth was the first podcast to receive and use press passes for the event. The show's host, Nick Castner, rescheduled his shifts working as a barista in the Winter Park Ski Resort coffee shop to interview the top winter sports athletes in the world.

"The budget for our show is practically nothing, so when our approval came through I had to scramble to find $100 to buy a handheld recorder," says Castner. "When I showed up to the X Games, my emotions were split. On one hand, this show was just an idea a buddy and I had while drinking beer six months ago. It landed me front row seats to the X Games, which is unbelievable. On the other hand, it's a little overwhelming switching from the slopes to trying to ask questions at my first press conference."

This lack of experience didn't stop Castner from landing interviews. During warmups of the Men's Snowboard SuperPipe, he requested an interview with event competitor and climate activist Scotty James. ESPN clarified athletes are only available after competition and asked if the podcast cared about event performance. The Commonwealth captures stories with long term relevance and responded that the event's outcome wasn't a concern in the request. Scotty James ended up winning a gold medal. Castner asked James about the role athletes have in advocating for social change.

Castner also asked USA Olympic skier Maddie Mastro about her approach to landing a Double Crippler, a trick that Maddie was the first female to complete. "I watched hundreds of boys do that trick and thought why not me?" Maddie stated.

The Commonwealth released the Scotty James and Maddie Mastro interviews on February 3rd, 2020 and will release six other pieces of X Games content over the following days.

Over 25 episodes, The Commonwealth has profiled disruptive leaders within organizations like the NBA, Disney, Project Runway and Microsoft. The show has upcoming, in-person interviews conducted around the world scheduled for 2020. Follow: Facebook, Twitter (https://twitter.com/CommonwealthPod), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/commonwealth_podcast/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/28473333/)

Contact
The Commonwealth Podcast, Nick Castner