Those with a keen eye will notice something familiar when tuning in to National Geographic TV鈥檚 newest show, 鈥淣ever Say Never with Jeff Jenkins.鈥� Filmed in summer 2022 on the college鈥檚 beautiful 14,000-acre campus, the episode 鈥淢an of the Mountain鈥� takes viewers through the titular adventure and travel blogger鈥檚 swift transformation into a real Adirondacker.
Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 alum and current professional Stihl TimberSports athlete Mark Boquin plays a central role in the episode, guiding host Jeff Jenkins from the depths of Lower St. Regis Lake to the heights of the Woodsmen鈥檚 arena climbing polls. Jenkins performed tasks including fire building, crosscut sawing, rock climbing, fishing, and traversing a steep pitch on one of the Adirondack鈥檚 many sheer anorthosite rock faces on Notch Mountain.
Lumberjacks, trappers, guides, and all-around 鈥渕ountain men鈥� have populated the surrounding area since well before the days of Apollos 鈥淧aul鈥� Smith and his historic hotel. Boquin, who is currently ranked #1 in the US in the single buck Stihl TimberSports event and will be representing the US team in the Stihl World Championships in Germany this year, had nothing but praise on this experience. 鈥淧aul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 is the reason I got into this sport,鈥� he remarked. 鈥淭he school taught me enough that by the time I graduated I was able to start my professional career in lumberjack sports.聽 Without Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 I would have never been introduced to it, and I would鈥檝e never had access to such an amazing place to train.鈥�
Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 Woodsmen鈥檚 head coach Keith Braun is also featured in the episode, acting as a judge during the smoke building contest, while members of the Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 Woodsmen鈥檚 Team can be seen performing in various lumberjack sports disciplines. 鈥淚nteracting with Jeff and the production crew was a great, worldly experience for the students,鈥� said Braun.聽 鈥淢ark is great example of the gritty Smitty spirit that comes with being a Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 Woodsmen alumnus; if you want to learn to be a lumberjack, he鈥檚 your guy,鈥� he added.
The college鈥檚 rustic aesthetic and place in Adirondack history was the perfect setting for the show鈥檚 needs. 鈥淎nyone who has set foot on Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 campus knows that this is a place unparalleled in beauty and opportunities for adventure,鈥� said Dr. Brett McLeod, Professor and Chair of Forestry. 鈥淥ver the past decade Paul Smith鈥檚 has served as a film set for nearly a dozen films ranging from documentaries to dramas.聽 However, 鈥楴ever Say Never with Jeff Jenkins鈥� was a particularly good fit as the show鈥檚 theme captured the can-do Smitty attitude, highlighted our exemplar lumberjack sports team, and showcased the beauty of the Adirondacks.鈥�
鈥淟ife begins where my comfort zone ends鈥� is Jeff Jenkins鈥� motto on the show. 鈥淏eing a mountain man [and a Smitty] is about more than survival skills and a flannel shirt, it鈥檚 about overcoming the odds by training hard, finding the right support, and never, ever, giving up,鈥� said Jenkins.
鈥淭he 木瓜传媒鈥檚 history and physical footprint are embedded into the curriculum and culture of the 木瓜传媒, and truly makes Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒 what it is. Opportunities like this are why so many students choose to attend Paul Smith鈥檚 木瓜传媒鈥揳n authentic experience in the heart of the Adirondacks,鈥� said President Dan Kelting.
