Sponsored, Episode 20: David Lesh

Pro skier David Lesh is known for his controversial promo videos. To say he is misunderstood may be an understatement. This week on the "Sponsored" podcast, host Mike Powell has an honest conversation with Lesh about his life story. Lesh talks about growing up in India, English being his third language, blowing a lunch date with President Obama, getting kicked out of school, and his long list of felonies. Lesh even had to remove an ankle bracelet in order to compete in an event in Michigan.

"One comp I went to drove up to the UP and had to obviously cut my ankle bracelet off because one, I couldn't put a ski boot on, and two, I was going to leave the state anyway. Full well knowing that the consequence for me cutting off said ankle bracelet was two weeks in jail when I got back. I actually ended up getting third in the comp."

Lesh, not one to shy away from the more damning details of his criminal life, also talks about a motorcycle chase.

"My goal was to stop doing all this crazy stuff but—we were hopping freight trains and taking a road trip around the country for a few months and I made the mistake of buying a crotch rocket in Santa Cruz, and I was driving it up the coast to Portland, where I was going to move, and I got in a high speed chase at 140 mph. I wrecked the thing, and got away—didn't get in any trouble. But it took me about 9 months or so to rebuild it and I still hadn't gotten insurance. [Then] I was driving it around in Portland [and police tried to pull me over.] I got away, but they set up a police net and brought the dogs in and they almost ripped my head off. I was hiding in a bush in someone's backyard. I got caught for that. My parents told me to go fuck myself. I had no money for a lawyer at all. I got stuck with a public defender. I was 18. I spent a bunch of time in jail. A really bummer deal. So now I'm a felon. I can't technically own firearms... I actually got a glock right here."