68th Warren Miller Ski Film Line of Descent Kicks Off Winter
Omg, I missed the Warren Miller ski film premiere?! Stop the presses! It’s a rite of every fall passage. Why didn’t I go? As the days get shorter and flakes speckle the lingering autumn hours, you gotta step into a ski porn premiere. You just gotta if you want to start your winter off right. Well, I didn’t.
The annual tradition that unofficially kicks off winter – because let’s face it the ‘official’ kickoff is whenever your ski resort opens- is back to titillate your ski senses. WME’s 68th ski film, Line of Descent celebrates the snow tribe, rites of passage and the legendary lineage of snowsports athletes from icons like Tommy Moe, Jonny Moseley and JT Holmes to the fresh faces of Kalen Thorien, Marcus Caston, and Griffin Post. “We explore how skiers are shaped by picking up a pair of skis for the first time,” notes Warren Miller’s veteran producer Josh Haskins. “More often than not, it’s family who introduces us to the sport or steers us on the path towards an ongoing passion—be it a ski bum lifestyle, a professional career or simply the desire to pass on the same feeling to the next generation. There is a kinship unlike any other in the ski community, and Warren Miller is the elder, bringing generations of skiers and riders together for 68 years, and this year is no different.”
Why has WME done it every year for 68 years? Probably because there’s an audience for it every year just drooling to get amped for winter. Oh, and title sponsors like Volkswagen, travel sponsors like Montana and athletes’ sponsors make it possible. Since 1949, most ski families have cheered the official kickoff of winter with a Warren Miller ski film; I started it with my daughter in 2006- her very first winter. They have screening throughout the season and across the states but there’s nothing like catching the premiere vibe. It’s not because a Warren Miller ski film is an epic tale of adventure with an Academy Award-winning cast.
Story is irrelevant in ski porn. You’re along for the white ride as talented rippers slash jaw-dropping spines and chest deep, tree-filled lines in segment after segment until you are arcing those same turns in your head. Athletes visit Jackson Hole, Montana, Silverton, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, the French Alps, New Zealand, British Columbia, and Norway and Steamboat in Line of Descent, teasing, “Wish you were here.” You leave; successfully fluffed for ski season.
Maybe I missed opening night of this Warren Miller ski film because I’m not ready to accept winter. I’m a skier but also a rock climber. The fall in Utah has been a mix of cooler snowy days and gorgeous fall colors under blue skies. If I don’t watch Line of Descent, perhaps I can forestall winter? Just a few more weeks and I’ll be ready for that release. Luckily, there are more screenings coming up if I happen to change my mind.
Salt Lake City – Abravanel Hall – Friday, October 13 & Saturday, October 14 – 7:30
Orem – SCERA Grand Theatre – October 17, 18 & 19
Park City – George S. and Dolores Dore’ Eccles CPA – October 20 & 21
Ogden – Peery’s Egyptian Theater – October 24, 25 & 26
BTW, I was bummed to learn that the super awesome local lift ticket deals to Solitude (free ticket!) and Snowbird (2-for-1) that were offered to moviegoers over so many years are no more. Film attendees instead get a discounted ticket at Solitude ($45) and a 2-for-1 to Snowbasin. But, hey, you can ski free at Steamboat! Other deals include:
– $50 off the Mountain Collective Pass
– 2 lift tickets to Big Sky Resort for $139 + tax
– 25% off a single purchase or 50% off a ski/board/bike rental or tune at Sports Den (*SLC screenings only)
– $20 off at Alpine Sports (*Ogden screenings only)