ADVENTURER SAM SMOOTHY AND COMEDIAN HARRIET MOIR JOIN ASPIRING CONVERSATIONS 2026

Aspiring Conversations is thrilled to announce that professional skier and adventurer Sam Smoothy will join the Feel The Fear session on Sunday 29 March at Lake Wānaka Centre.

Sam was raised bouncing between Cromwell and Wānaka, on a path to adventure right from birth. A professional skier on The North Face Global team, Sam has spent 20 years following winter, moving through victories on the Freeride World Tour to filmmaking in wild locations from Bolivia to North Korea. Now focused on ski mountaineering, Sam has partnered with Will Rowntree on the first attempt to climb and ski all 24 of New Zealand's 3000 metre peaks, with numerous first descents to date. They are documenting the process with Jase Hancox for their latest film, currently called XXIV. An English Major dropout who occasionally puts pen to paper, Sam creates stories that break from the traditional heroic action sports narrative.

In the session, Sam joins beloved folk singer and songwriter Adam McGrath and pioneering rally driver Emma Gilmour, the first ever woman driver for McLaren Racing. Together the three speakers bring very different perspectives to the discussion, sharing personal stories about confronting fear, taking risks and pushing beyond perceived limits.

The festival has also announced that award winning Dunedin comedian Harriet Moir will join the lineup for True Stories Told Live on Friday 27 March at Lake Wānaka Centre,sharing a personal story inspired by the theme Lost and Found, replacing Paul Tamati who is unable to attend.

A comedian, writer, MC, actor, celebrant and producer, Harriet performs regularly across the South Island and has three award winning solo comedy shows to her name. Her recent accolades include Best Comedy at the 2025 Dunedin Fringe Festival and Best Comedian at the 2024 and 2025 Dunedin Comedy Awards. She joins four other storytellers, theatremaker Ben Crowder, activist Shaneel Lal, filmmaker Peta Carey, and writer Jillian Sullivan, sharing personal tales exploring the many ways people experience being lost and found.

Demand for Aspiring Conversations sessions continues to grow, with several events now completely sold out. Trickle Down Economics, Healthcare in Crisis and Breakfast with Papers have all reached capacity, so audiences are encouraged to secure tickets soon. The 6pm performance of SELENE has also sold out, with tickets still available for the later 8.30pm show.

Aspiring Conversations promises a weekend of bold ideas, powerful stories and unforgettable conversations in Wānaka. To explore the full programme and book tickets visit www.aspiringconversations.co.nz