by JOHN LASKO
News-Times reporter
Jesse Csincsak is leaving the slopes of Breckenridge, Colo. once again to Co Host a new program and make another appearance on a popular reality show on MTV.
The Amherst native, alongside Associated Press reporter Lila Ibrahim, will be hosting a new television show called Beyond The Medal. The show — which was created and produced by the world’s largest not-for-profit news network — covers the lifestyle, nightlife and entertainment sides of the winter Olympic games in Whistler and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Csincsak’s second television venture is another stint with MTV MADE.
Next week, he will be headed to an undisclosed location somewhere in the Midwest to meet a teenager between the ages of 15-18 who has been told they will never be any good at snowboarding.
“Numerous people have tried to teach them and have failed,” Csincsak said.
The producers of the MTV reality show are giving Csincsak more creative control over this episode. Jonathan Hershberger, who first taught him how to snowboard at Boston Mills and Brandywine Ski Resort, Robbie Catalano, Csincsak’s former snowboarding coach, and his manager Jeff Meyer, will also help the teenager learn to snowboard in 30 days.
But Csincsak will have to leave 10 days before the training is complete to cover the winter Olympic games for the AP. Catalano will complete the training.
“The whole idea behind this is not only do I want to help this person out but I want to bring in the guys that got me to where I am in life,” he said, adding viewers may even see a guest appearance by 17-year-old Tara Weldon, of Colorado Springs, Colo., who was Csincsak’s previous MADE guest.
At the end of the show, the teens training will be put to the test by going head-to-head against one of Meyer’s snowboarding clients.
“I would love to come back to the Midwest for her final competition but logistically, I don’t know if the Associated Press is going to allow me to leave to do that,” Csincsak said. “I know that MTV is working with the Associated Press to give me an eight-hour window to fly from Vancouver to the Midwest to do this, but there is nothing set in stone.”
Csincsak doesn’t know when the show will air.