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Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada
Athletes: Daron Rahlves, Jonny Moseley,
Errol Kerr, Jamie Burge, JT Holmes
Equipment: Skis
The in-your-face powder shots, massive cliffs and unmatched views showcased
here are simply breathtaking. Here, a truly exceptional scene is created by
the collision of water and earth, as vertical steeps rise out of the deep
blue Lake Tahoe. No one can question why some of our country’s finest
winter sports competitors come out of the Lake Tahoe region. The exact turns
and massive launches executed by this Lake Tahoe bunch speak for themselves.
Esteemed World Cup athlete Daron Rahlves shreds the Tahoe backcountry with
confidence, precision and implausible speed; Gold Medal Olympian Jonny Moseley
nails a back flip with the lake’s glistening waters providing his backdrop;
and JT Holmes elevates Lake Tahoe skiing to a whole new level. Jamie Burge
puts it simply, “If you are brave enough, you can pretty much do
everything here.”
Blue River, British Columbia
Athletes: Mike Wiegele, Chris Benchetler,
Cody Barnhill
Equipment: Helicopter, Skis
Back in the 1970s Mike Wiegele had an avant-garde vision of what Canada’s
Blue River had to offer. When he asked a local old-timer what he thought of
his idea to open a Blue River backcountry skiing outlet, the wise man said
simply, “The snowflakes fall down big and straight.” This
statement inspired Mike to found Mike Wiegele’s Helicopter Skiing. Since
then, Mike has been on top of the world, as the panoramic views of the Monashee
and Cariboo Mountains circle endlessly around him. Join new-schoolers Cody
Barnhill and Chris Benchetler as they dive into Mike’s snow-covered
playground. This is big-mountain skiing at its finest, as sweeping turns,
breathtaking natural features and tailing powder trails explode off the screen.
Chris explains the childlike feeling of excitement that takes over as he steps
into Wiegele’s bird, knowing that a 2000-vertical-foot line of fresh
powder is waiting, and that he’ll have this sea of expansive white bliss
all to himself. Cody adds, “Here anything and everything that
you can see is all fair game.”
Snow White
Athlete: Alexis Roland
Equipment: Snowboard
“I do not like people referring to me as little. And I am cute,
but I am a serious little girl,” shares 10-year-old Alexis Roland
in this action-filled profile piece. Alexis might be shorter than your
average shredder, but this young gal can out-ride most grown men. She is
seemingly fearless, and this montage of high-action footage proves that
she can slide, grab and spin with the pros. “The powder is fun. If
you crash, nothing can really happen,” explains Alexis as she
launches off of a massive hit into a pile of fresh. At 10 years old,
Alexis is sponsored by major brands; she rides on a custom board; she has
appeared in a number of snowboard films; and she is a fierce presence on
the competition circuit. Warren Miller Entertainment has officially
tagged this next generation athlete as one to watch. It won’t
be long before we see her in the big leagues.
Crystal Mountain, Washington
Athletes: Bryce Phillips, Ingrid Backstrom,
Tyler Ceccanti, Arne Backstrom Equipment: Skis
Watch here as the lines are blurred between the yesterday and today…because
Crystal Mountain’s terrain truly hasn’t changed that much over
the years. Intense storms followed by clear blue skies – and major cliff
jumps followed by perfect turns – have fit into this mountain’s
narrative throughout time. Join Washington athletes Bryce Phillips, Ingrid
Backstrom, Arne Backstrom and Tyler Ceccanti as they explain to this generation
what it means to be a true Crystal Mountain native, which sometimes even involved
sleeping in the mountain’s parking lot as kids. The steeps are outrageous
and the jumping is immense, making the reality of this mountain’s challenges
undeniable. “It is just great to see all of the familiar faces of
people that are still here ripping it up…and lots of new ones as well,” shares
Ingrid Backstrom.
Colorado
Athletes: Max Mancini, Matt Luczkow
Equipment: Helicopter, Alpine Skis, Telemark Skis
Colorado natives Max Mancini and Matt Luczkow hit the road on an ambitious
storm-chasing trip across Colorado’s Rocky Mountain region. Max and
Matt grew up with the peaks of the Rockies in their backyards, but this journey
reveals new challenges, exposes new terrain and teaches new lessons about
what Colorado’s natural landscape has to offer. From getting lost in
the Southern Colorado desert to buying backcountry snowmobiles on the good
faith credit of the Warren Miller name, from getting freestyle skiing and girlfriend
guidance from Colorado skiing icon Klaus Obermeyer to kayaking down the Colorado
River’s most audacious rapids, these determined athletes cover the entirety
of Colorado’s most impressive settings. This is a whirlwind showcase
of Colorado’s deepest stashes, most thrilling terrain parks and infamous
spring skiing stunts, all set against a backdrop of irresistible bluebird
skies.
Backcountry Dynastic Ski
Athletes: Anthony Boronowski, Brandon
Kelly, Charlie Ager, Dane Tudor, Mike Henituk, Riley Lebow, Tim Durtschi
Equipment: Skis
A fresh take backcountry skiing is represented here by a circus of colossal
cliff drops and massive kickers. Blower powder, blue skies and insane
air are packed into this elaborate collage of new-school skiing’s finest
moments. Some of the sport’s hottest athletes are showcased here,
sharing the secrets of the new-school backcountry lifestyle and proving that out-of-bounds does
not mean off limits.
Norway
Athletes: Chris Davenport, Graham Austick,
Lorraine Huber, Karine Falck-Pederson
Equipment: Skis, Boat
Join athletes Chris Davenport, Graham Austick, Lorraine Huber and Karine
Falck-Pederson as they take on the humbling landscape of the Lyngen Alps in
northern Norway. Graham and Karine are from Europe, but they’ve never
been exposed to the dramatic terrain showcased here. Chris has conquered many
of the world’s highest skiable peaks, but he has never seen geographic
contrast like this. Here, above the Arctic Circle and ski touring by boat,
these four skiers couldn’t be farther from home. Massive peaks burst
out of desolate, snow-covered beaches, and the icy waters of the Arctic act
as a target for these bold skiers as they rip down from the summit of Norway’s
most impressive mountains. Summit to Sea is the concept, and Karine describes
the experience as brilliant and “nurturing to the soul.” Lorraine
adds, “It makes you realize how amazing our earth is, and there
should be more moments like that in our lives.”
Mono Skier X
Athletes: Tyler
Walker, Kevin Bramble, Scott Meyer, Kees-Jan Van Der Klooster, Sam Ferguson,
Felix Snow, Andy Campbell
Equipment: Mono Skis
Skier-Cross, SuperPipe, SnoCross and Slopestyle….These familiar Winter
X favorites are trumped by this year’s pioneering footage of Mono Skier
X. Three years ago, Mono Skier X came on the scene as the first competitive
event for disabled athletes featured at the Winter X Games. Since then, mono
skiers have pushed the sport to new extremes, taking on expert terrain while
strapped into molded bucket seats that are perfectly balanced on single skis.
Courageous adaptive competitors are featured here taking on racecourses carved
for able-bodied athletes – at full speed and without fear. With massive
jumps and cutthroat turns at every angle, this incredible athletic display
pushes the limits of adaptive skiing, making this event one of the most daunting
action sports competitions out there. This piece is a true inspiration to
athletes everywhere, showing us all that, “if there’s nothing
you can do about it…you either get busy living, or you get busy dying.”
Points North Heli Adventures: Cordova, Alaska
Athletes: Kevin Quinn, Jessica
Quinn, Kip Garre, Jason Mack, Allen Riley
Equipment: Helicopter, Skis, Snowboards
Warren Miller has taken you to Alaska’s Chugach range before but, this
year, see it from the heli guides’ perspective with the crew from Points
North Heli Adventures. The Chugach range is “Disneyland on steroids,” and
the Points North guides are a unique breed. This group from Northern California
has Alaska in their blood, and when they’re thrown into its dwarfing
terrain, they become a true band of bothers. Jessica explains, “[There
aren’t] better people to learn the tricks of the trade by…I feel
really protected and lucky to be with such a tight-knit group of people out
there when we are guiding because…it is a family and we’re all
watching each other’s backs.” The usual suspects are Kevin
and Jessica Quinn, the owners and operators of Points North, but all of the
guides in this operation have contributed equally to this couple’s success
and safety in the field over the past 11 years. It is 15 men and Jessica,
and she blends in perfectly when thrown onto Alaska’s steep faces, powder-lined
chutes and endless lines.Jessica puts it best when she adds, “There
is a reason it’s called the Super Bowl of skiing. I was addicted to
Alaska and the feeling it made me have right from the beginning. It is just
so massive and huge and the mountains jet out all around you with lines dancing
in front of your face…It is truly a magical place that leaves an imprint
on your heart. Once you get hooked, you’re hooked for life.”
Timber Ridge Ski Area, Michigan
Athletes: Lucas Schrab, Adam Schrab
Equipment: Skis, Snowcat, School Bus, Motorbike, Towrope,
Ski Jump Computer Program
What do a school bus, a stationary motorbike, a towrope, a corn field, a
computer program and a pair of skis have in common? Brothers Luke and Adam
Schrab, the pride of the Midwestern ski community. This duo has been surprising
Warren Miller audiences since their cinematic debut in Warren Miller’s
Fifty. This year, reunite with these Midwest diehards as they revisit
their grandparents’ Wisconsin farm, the place where their homemade ski
jump days began. Climb aboard a Wisconsin-weathered school bus as Adam delivers
a trailer full of wooden ramps to the Timber Ridge Ski Area in Michigan. Here,
the brothers’ latest manmade terrain feature takes form in record time,
and a team of young Schrab followers hits the home-grown masterpiece at full
speed. The Schrab brothers are determined to catch big mountain air – despite
the vertical challenges facing Midwestern terrain – and they always
succeed. Committed snowriders must always find innovative ways to challenge
themselves, and the Schrab brothers are a grand example of why the sky is
truly the limit.
Dynastic Ride
Athletes: Torstein Horgmo, Eric Jackson,
Jason Dubois, Andrew Geeves, Chas Guldenmond, Lonnie Kauk, Mark Landvik,
Andreas Wiig, Seb Toots
Equipment: Snowboards
This medley of big-air cliff drops and rag-doll wrecks is set against bluebird
skis and glistening powder. Snowboarders take on steep chutes and wide-open
powder fields, surging through untouched blankets of snow. If insane
drops and bottomless fresh get your heart pumping, this stylish mix of soaring
spins and flawless turns is for you.
Sun Valley, Idaho
Athletes: Rodger Crist, Reggie Crist,
Zach Crist
Equipment: Skis, Helicopter
Back in 1979, the Crist family unanimously decided to move away from their
conventional, urban life in San Francisco and head to the mountains. Zach
and Reggie Crist were just young boys at that time, but the whole family shared
a dream of living a mountain life, and they haven’t turned back. Since
then, Zach and Reggie have spent their lives chasing their father, Rodger,
down the slopes of Sun Valley’s highest peaks. This family lives and
skis together as a forever bonded team, relying on each other for support,
challenge and inspiration on and off the slopes. It is a bond that the next
generation of Crist skiers is already learning, lessons of a shared outdoor
experience on Sun Valley’s slopes. The lines ripped in this footage
are striking, and it is clear that only an Idaho authority like the Crist
family patriarch could pull off such a show. Zach explains, “It
is really more about the quality of your lifestyle rather than the kind of
job you have or the money you’re making. It’s really about
the memories that you share with good people and good places. That’s
what living in a ski town is all about.”
60 Years of Comedy
Athletes: Various
Equipment: Skis
This historic montage highlights the greatest Warren Miller Entertainment
comedy moments of all time, including several classic slapstick clips from
WME’s vault of vintage footage.
Dynastic Ski
Athletes: Tanner Hall, Andreas Hatveit,
Dane Tudor, Tim Durschi, Matt Walker, Mike Henituck, TJ Schiller, Charles
Gagnier, John Spriggs
Equipment: Skis
This mosaic of new-school footage is one of the undoubted highlights of this
year’s film. The next generation of progressive freestyle skiing is
showcased in this montage of astonishing big-mountain jumps and insane park
jibs. Striking drops, dizzying spins and seamless rail slides are pieced cleverly
together in this collection of last season’s greatest hits, and the
outcome raises the bar for an entire generation of daring young skiers. This
electrifying collection of high-energy, adrenalin-pumping footage is sure
to drive diehard big-mountain riders into the park for their first drop.
China
Athletes: Chris Anthony, Austin Ross
Equipment: Horses, Sleds, Skis
The old and the new schools of Western skiing aren’t discernable when
they’re compared to the 3,000-year-old skiing culture inhabiting the
wilds of Northwestern China. Join legendary Warren Miller athlete Chris Anthony
and new-schooler Austin Ross as they trek on handmade, horse-drawn sleds into
China’s interior on a search for the birthplace of skiing. Austin explains, “Every
kilometer that we traveled, we kept going back in time a little.” Relying
on nothing but their horses, handmade sleds, indigenous guides and each other
for protection from avalanches, storms and the bitter cold, Chris and Austin
discover what it means to truly be an outsider. They eventually arrive in
an ancient Chinese mountain community, where immaculate log cabins are nestled
perfectly in a hidden skier’s utopia: “Ski in, ski out, with
perfect blower powder.” Although it spurs interest for its shiny
materials and complex design, Chris and Austin’s modern equipment is
no match for the locals’ horsehair skins and hand-carved wooden skis.
They simply can’t compete with this community’s distinctive techniques,
equipment and terrain. Our American friends may stick out blatantly within
this ancient Chinese civilization, but it becomes clear that no amount of
cultural diversity can challenge the borderless brotherhood of skiing.
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