SkiMag_Timeless
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SPECIAL EDITION
SKI &
SNOWBOARD
FILM
#
70
PRESENTS
FIRST FRAME
F
FROM THE
DIRECTOR
When we wrapped Timeless, it hit me that we had the 70th Warren
Miller film in the can—and that blew me away. Aside from Walt Disney,
I don’t believe there’s a film company in the world that has annually produced
a feature film for 70 consecutive years. Personally, I find it amazing
to think that all those years ago, Warren, a surfer from the beaches of
Southern California, was lured into 1940s ski culture; that his annual films
would become the unofficial archive of the sport’s history, and Warren its
accidental historian.
Decade after decade, town after town, for generations of skiers and
snowboarders around the world, Warren Miller films have filled the big
screen with winter sports magic—each era documented forever in its own
unique color, unquestionable style, and cutting edge technique.
Our annual pilgrimage with cameras, skis, and passports is always fruitful
with action and adventure. Again this year—from Chamonix to Bella
Coola, Eldora to Austria, and Jackson to Blue River—our passionate team
of athletes and filmmakers, who like myself have decades of service under
the Warren Miller flag, continue archiving and documenting winter sports
fueled by the same affection for the exciting, inspiring, and laughable nuances
that Warren entertained us with each fall.
Timeless celebrates 70 years of this company chronicling the simple
act of sliding down a snow-covered hill. Even amidst all the tech in our
contemporary world—our heated chairlifts and apps to aid in vertical
consumption—there is still something so wonderfully simple about
skiing. Something Warren said several years ago still rings true today:
“You can do four things with a pair of skis … You can turn right, you can
turn left, you can go straight, or you can sell them.”
While skiing may have changed over the years, the reason why people
pick up a pair of skis and head into the mountains hasn’t. Timeless is a
celebration of the tie that binds skiers across generations, cultures, and
countries; a look back at how far our sport has progressed, as well as a
glimpse of all that’s still ahead.
Warren in the spring of 1947
on an Ostrander Lake
backcountry trip in Yosemite.
Enjoy the show!
Chris Patterson
Director/Director of Photography
Warren Miller Entertainment
FROM LEFT: THE WARREN MILLER ARCHIVES; ROB KINGWILL
2 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE
TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
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Samantha Berman
CONTENT PRODUCER
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Jessi Hackett, Josh Haskins, Skylar Kraatz
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Emy Reznik, Callie Rhoades
ART
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Keri Bascetta
LEAD DESIGNER
Sarah Hughes
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER
Keri Bascetta
ART INTERNS
Liam Bendicksen, Iñigo Diaz, Kayla Kelly,
Austin Long, Matt Newey
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DIGITAL DIRECTOR
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COLOR SPECIALIST
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FILM
NARRATOR
Jonny Moseley
DIRECTOR
Chris Patterson
PRODUCER
Josh Haskins
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Ian Anderson
EDITORS
Andrew Mairs,
Keiko Ozaki, Kim Schneider
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Tom Day, Chris Patterson, Jeff Wright
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Nina Selinoff
ADDITIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Zach Almader, Ian Anderson, Markus Casutt, Matt
Hardy, Josh Haskins, Rob Kingwill, Lance Koudele,
Joe Teahan, Ryan Varchol, Colin Witherill
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ian Anderson, Danny DeClare, Chris Figenshau,
Matt Hardy, Josh Haskins, Rob Kingwill, Jeffrey
Loewe, Cam McLeod, Izzie Rait, Ryan Varchol
SCREENWRITER
Joe Cutts
MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Travis Schneider
OPERATIONS & DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR
Fiachra Stokes
OPERATIONS & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
John Shafer
INDEPENDENT PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR
Templeton Stump
ACCOUNT MANAGER –
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
Renée Geary
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS COORDINATOR
Doug Kohn
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Jessica McGee
MARKETING & CONTENT MANAGER
Jessi Hackett
DIGITAL MARKETING SPECIALIST
Peter Haggstrom
DIGITAL & GRASSROOTS
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Skylar Kraatz
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Carlin O’Connell
PRESENTS
PRESIDENT & CEO
Andrew W. Clurman
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER,
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER & TREASURER
Michael Henry
VICE PRESIDENT, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Tom Masterson
VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION & MANUFACTURING
Barb Van Sickle
VICE PRESIDENT, PEOPLE & PLACES
JoAnn Thomas
AIM BOARD CHAIR
Efrem Zimbalist III
4 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Eldora. Closer To You.
Feel like a local again at the Rockies’
friendliest and most convenient mountain.
One hour from Denver International Airport.
30 Minutes from Boulder.
Unlimited access on the Ikon Pass.
Eldora.com
PP LA Y BILL
PLAYBILL
1. MUSTANG POWDER
Athletes: Glen Plake, Brenna Kelleher,
AJ Oliver
PSIA pros Brenna Kelleher and AJ Oliver
arrive at Mustang Powder Lodge, nestled in
the Monashee Mountains of B.C., to sample
the operation’s renowned cat-skiing terrain.
Soon after, ski legend Glen Plake shows up
to join his peers and prove that ski instructors
do, in fact, know how to have fun. p. 18
2. CHAMONIX
Athletes: Marcus Caston, Aurélien Ducroz,
Mattias Hargin, Erin Mielzynski, Johann
Vienney
For centuries, mountaineers have made
a pilgrimage to Chamonix to conquer the
Mont Blanc massif and surrounding peaks.
Two ski racers, two mountain guides, and
one jokester embark on an adventure that
can only be found in Cham. p. 24
3. SILVERTON
Athletes: Connery Lundin, Jaelin Kauf,
Lorraine Huber
Colorado’s San Juans, home to Silverton
Mountain, were once the center of a
gold boom, beckoning miners in search
of treasure. Today, Silverton is a powder
seeker’s dream. With plenty of hike-to and
heli-accessible terrain, the opportunities for
striking white gold here are endless. p. 41
FROM LEFT: RYAN VARCHOL; CAM MCLEOD; IAN ANDERSON
6 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
4. SWITZERLAND
5. MIKE WIEGELE HELI-SKIING
6. ELDORA
Athletes: Ryland Bell, Morgan Hebert,
Rob Kingwill
From the Matterhorn to the picturesque
high-country valleys, the Swiss Alps have
long inspired the imagination of snowriders.
Three snowboarders learn fi rst-hand what
makes Switzerland so enchanting. p. 58
Athletes: Jim Ryan, Austin Ross, Bob Rankin,
Mike Wiegele
Fifty years after opening, Wiegele World
has become a dream destination for skiers
around the world. Ryan and Ross get to live
that dream for a few days; Wiegele guide
Bob Rankin has lived it for decades. p. 46
Athletes: Karina Luscher, Mario Molina, Raul
Pinto, Barb and Scott Henderson, Christian
Løvenskiold, Cooper Branaham
Eldora Mountain may not be the most
famous Colorado ski area, but as locals and
fanatics will testify, what it lacks in prestige
it makes up for in character. p. 74
INTERMISSION
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ROB KINGWILL; JOSH HASKINS; IAN ANDERSON; CHRIS FIGENSHAU; ZACH ALMADER; MATT HARDY
7. AUSTRIA
Athletes: Baker Boyd, Ian Morrison
Baker Boyd and Ian Morrison take on the
“Cradle of Alpine Skiing” in the Austrian
Alps. Road tripping from Kitzbühel to Ötztal
to Arlberg, they explore the regions famously
known as the birthplace of modern-day
alpine skiing and fi nd themselves mesmerized
by the scenery, skiing, Stiegl beer, and
Schnitzel. p. 68
8. BELLA COOLA
Athletes: Amie Engerbretson, Tyler Ceccanti
A road trip along coastal B.C. ends with a
heli-ski trip into the Coast Range Mountains,
where the annual snowfall averages over
100 feet, the terrain is steep, and the snow is
perfect for sending it big. Remote and rustic
Bracewell’s Alpine Wilderness Adventures
Lodge serves as the perfect headquarters
for a trip that’s centered on skiing. p. 32
9. JACKSON HOLE
Athletes: Forrest Jillson, Cam Fitzpatrick,
Caite Zeliff, Jess McMillan, Rob, Kit, Grace,
and Tia DesLauriers
There’s a place in Wyoming where the buffalo
still roam, the cowboys still ride, and the
West is still wild—a place where some come
to make it big in the world of freeskiing, and
others who have already made it settle down
to raise the next generation of rippers. p. 55
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 7
FACE SHOTS
Introducing some of the newest additions to the Warren Miller athlete roster.
BAKER BOYD
Segment: Austria
Hometown: Aspen, Colorado
Home mountain: Aspen Mountain
Claim to fame: King of the Aspen ski gang,
The Freaks
Skier who inspires you: Glen Plake
If you won the lottery, you’d… Build a
private ski resort for The Freaks!
Best meal you can cook: Frozen pizzas
Highlight memory from Timeless: Eating
Schnitzel and drinking Stiegl beer
Instagram handle: @studebakerhawk
CAM FITZPATRICK
Segment: Jackson Hole
Hometown: Jackson, Wyoming
Home mountain: Jackson Hole Mountain
Resort
Claim to fame: Breakout film role in Brain
Farm’s The Fourth Phase
Favorite WME film: Cold Fusion
If you won the lottery, you’d… Travel as
much as I could, and invest
Alter ego: Superman
Instagram handle: @camfitzpatrick
FROM TOP: MATT HARDY; CHRIS FIGENSHAU
8 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
ACE SHOTS
FF
BRENNA KELLEHER
Segment: Mustang Powder
Hometown: Big Sky, Montana
Home mountain: Big Sky
Claim to fame: Professional Ski Instructors of
America national demo team member
Most interesting thing you’ve read this year:
A really great article on Greenland sharks
and their lifespan—mind-blowing!
Go-to gear: People in the powder community
are going to stone me, but I’m really enjoying
my Blizzard Firebirds
Instagram handle: @brennakelleher
CONNERY LUNDIN
Segment: Silverton
Hometown: Piedmont, California
Home Mountain: Squaw Valley
Claim to fame: Winner of the 2015 Free
Skiing World Tour
Skier who inspires you: Marcus Caston
Favorite WME segment: The Silverton segment
with Andy Mahre and Pep Fujas from
Children of Winter
Alter ego: Buzz Lightyear
Instagram handle: @c0nnery
CAITE ZELIFF
Segment: Jackson Hole
Hometown: North Conway, New Hampshire
Home Mountain: Jackson Hole Mountain
Resort
Claim to fame: Reigning queen of Jackson
Hole’s Kings and Queens of Corbet’s comp
If you won the lottery, you’d… Buy a snowmobile,
and maybe a little cabin somewhere.
I’d pick up the bar tab a little more, too
Go-to gear: I’m madly in love with my
Blizzard Rustler 11s for deep days
Instagram handle: @caite_zeliff
FROM TOP: RYAN VARCHOL; IAN ANDERSON; CHRIS FIGENSHAU
10 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Tools used,
abused, and
reviewed by
the pros.
GEAR
FILM
of the
1 / VÖLKL
Revolt 121
SEGMENT:
Wiegele’s
MSRP: $775
“The new Revolt 121 is
the absolute best ski
for the big cliff stomp.
Featuring a multi-layer
wood core, it’s strong
enough to support
big landings, and the
specially shaped tip
allows for all kinds of
fun tricks. The Revolt
makes all my airs look
and feel better.”
-JIM RYAN
1
2
2 / YES.
Hybrid Snowboard
SEGMENT:
Switzerland
MSRP: $550
“The YES. Hybrid is
an aggressive freeride
powder board with
the perfect blend of
stiffness and flotation
for exceptional
performance in fresh
snow. Nimble enough
to shred natural terrain
and powder, this board
is a big mountain line
charger.”
-MORGAN HEBERT
12 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
3
4
5
7
6
ALL-MOUNTAIN
3 / ELAN
Ripstick 106
SEGMENT:
Mustang Powder
MSRP: $900
“The Ripstick 106 can
do everything. I ski tour
in the backcountry, ski
powder, and even play
on groomers at the resort
with them. They’re
fun everywhere and,
because of the innovative
carbon fiber tube
core and Amphibio
tech, unlike any other
ski on the market.”
-GLEN PLAKE
4 / SPYDER
Solitaire Kit
SEGMENT:
Bella Coola
MSRP: Jacket $750;
Bib $600
“Spyder said ‘Let’s
design your dream ski
outfit,’ and this is it! It’s
Gore-Tex Proshell, so
it’s waterproof and still
breathable, and the
bibs were designed
to look great without
giving up athlete
function.”
-AMIE
ENGERBRETSON
5 / POC
Fovea Clarity
SEGMENT:
Wiegele’s
MSRP: $220
“I love the color of the
frames and the
lens tints—see and be
seen. These new goggles
feature highquality
lenses with
unique mirror coatings
engineered to
optimize light in any
weather condition.
Quality lenses is the
place to splurge.”
-JIM RYAN
6 / SCOTT
Ultimate
Plus Mitten
SEGMENT:
Bella Coola
MSRP: $90
“Nothing ruins your
day quicker than cold
hands. I love these
mittens because
they are super warm
with Primaloft Gold
insulation. A goat skin
palm and Dryosphere
membrane also keep
hands dry and cozy.”
-AMIE
ENGERBRETSON
7 / POC
Obex SPIN Helmet
SEGMENT:
Wiegele’s
MSRP: $200
“This is my go-to
helmet because it’s
the safest—it features
innovative materials
designed for weight
savings and maximum
crash protection. You
gotta protect your
brain—skiing is cool,
but so is reading. The
fact that it looks good
is just gravy.”
-JIM RYAN
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 13
2
GG EAR
1
4
3
5
1 / BLIZZARD
Zero G 105
SEGMENT:
Chamonix
MSRP: $960
“These touring skis really
don’t sacrifice any
performance over any
of my alpine skis, and
they are super light. It’s
the perfect ski to bring
to Europe where you
have big tours and big
skiing. You need a ski
that will get you there
and perform, not one
or the other.”
-MARCUS CASTON
2 / K2
Mindbender
115 C Alliance
SEGMENT:
Bella Coola
MSRP: $850
“This is the baddest
women’s ski in the new
Mindbender line. It’s
the perfect balance of
aggressive turn initiation,
strong edge hold,
and playfulness thanks
to a light aspen core,
Carbon Spectral Braid,
and fun tail shape.”
-AMIE
ENGERBRETSON
3 / HELLY HANSEN
Odin Mountain Shell
Jacket + Bib Pant
SEGMENT:
Chamonix
MSRP: Jacket $600;
Bib $475
“I’m a simple guy, and
I like simple things
that get the job done.
This bib and jacket are
just that: windproof,
waterproof, breathable
shells with vents and
pockets where you
need them, and none
where you don’t.”
-MARCUS CASTON
4 / BCA
Link Radio 2.0
SEGMENT:
Jackson Hole
MSRP: $180
“Communication is
important, especially
when navigating in the
backcountry. I really like
the Link 2.0 radio because
it has good battery
life, good range,
and a loud, crystal-clear
speaker. It’s small, easy
to carry, and above all,
makes communicating
in the field easy.”
-FORREST JILLSON
5 / PETZL
Ride Ice Axe
SEGMENT:
Chamonix
MSRP: $120
“The Petzl Ice Axe is
strong yet lightweight,
which made touring
and skiing with it practical.
I felt safer knowing
that it was always
with me in case things
got icy, challenging, or
steep. And when we
were in Chamonix, we
experienced all of the
above.”
-ERIN MIELZYNSKI
14 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
7
8
6
9
10
BACKCOUNTRY
6 / SCOTT
Patrol E1 22L
SEGMENT:
Bella Coola
MSRP: $1,100
“I always ski with an
airbag in the backcountry.
The Scott
Patrol E1 pack uses a
battery super capacitor
technology, not a
lithium battery or canister,
so it’s a breeze to
travel with. It charges
fast and holds its
charge for a long time.”
-AMIE
ENGERBRETSON
7 / BCA
Tracker 3
SEGMENT:
Switzerland
MSRP: $335
“The BCA tracker 3
is the standard for
avalanche transceivers.
It provides one
of the best formats
for ease of use, and I
love how quick it is to
flip to search mode.
It’s one of the most
user-friendly and intuitive
beacons on the
market.”
-MORGAN HEBERT
8 / BLACK
DIAMOND
QuickDraw
Probe Tour
SEGMENT:
Switzerland
MSRP: $70
“The BD QuickDraw
Probe Tour is nice and
lightweight, packs
down easily, and has all
the great features of a
longer probe. While
lightweight, the Quick-
Draw Tour is durable
and provides a long
range of probing.”
-MORGAN HEBERT
9 / ORTOVOX
Beast Shovel
SEGMENT:
Switzerland
MSRP: $60
“This shovel has a
solid sharp edge on
the head that easily
cuts through ice and
bad layers. It’s comfortable
to work with
and chops through
all types of snow like
butter. You never want
to have to use your
shovel, but if you do,
you’d want this one.”
-MORGAN HEBERT
10 / HEAD
Kore 1
SEGMENT:
Austria
MSRP: $900
“These boots are stiff
(130 flex) and damp
enough to handle
high speeds thanks
to a shell of high
performance plastic
and Head’s Duo Flex
technology. And the
lightweight construction
and 45-degree
range of motion makes
touring less tiring.”
-BAKER BOYD
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 15
GG EAR
1
2
3
5
4
IFESTYLE
1 / HELLY HANSEN
Wool Knit Sweater
SEGMENT:
Chamonix
MSRP: $150
“Every skier needs a
practical and warm
cabin sweater. This
new sweater from HH
makes for the perfect
winter layer thanks to
its Merino wool/nylon
blend that’s cozy and
moisture-wicking.
Bonus: It looks so nice
that it can double as a
dinner/town sweater.”
-ERIN MIELZYNSKI
2 / SPYDER
Transit GTX Infinium
Down Parka
SEGMENT:
Bella Coola
MSRP: $500
“This is a great lifestyle
jacket. I love the long
cut, soft feel of the
fabric, and modern
military cut. It’s
crazy warm and cozy.
Another plus: It folds
into a compartment to
become a super comfy
down travel pillow. ”
-AMIE
ENGERBRETSON
3 / K2
Knit Beanie
SEGMENT:
Bella Coola
MSRP: $20
“I love my beanies
simple and durable.
This K2 beanie is just
that. I can wear it on
the slopes and then
keep it on for dinner
to hide my hat hair. It
goes with everything
and I’m loving the
fold up beanie style
these days.”
-AMIE
ENGERBRETSON
4 / OAKLEY
Latch Key
Sunglasses
SEGMENT:
Chamonix
MSRP: $166
“These sunglasses
have incredible
prizm/polarized
lenses which block
the reflection from
the snow, have great
visibility, and improve
contrast. I also love
the fact that they
stand up to rough
adventuring.”
-ERIN MIELZYNSKI
5 / HELLY HANSEN
Stockholm 2
Men’s Boot
SEGMENT:
Chamonix
MSRP: $130
“The Stockholm 2 is
the perfect mountain
lifestyle boot.
It’s light and feels
like a sneaker, which
makes it nice to step
into after a long day
in ski boots. It’s also
water-resistant and
will keep your feet dry
and warm.”
-MATTIAS HARGIN
16 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
THE
METAMORPHOSIS OF
GLEN PLAKE
RYAN VARCHOL
The rebel turned PSIA poster child may not fly his signature
mohawk much these days, and he may keep different company,
but don’t let him fool you—he still loves skiing powder.
INTERVIEW BY JENNY WIEGAND
WE ALL KNOW GLEN PLAKE.
WE KNOW HIM AS THE MOHAWKED
HOT DOGGER WITH AN
UNHEALTHY ADDICTION TO
MOGULS WHO, THANKS TO GREG
STUMP’S 1987 SKI MOVIE CLASSIC
Opposite: Plake showed
fellow ski instructors
Brenna Kelleher and AJ
Oliver a trick or two at
Mustang Powder, B.C.
But that was all decades ago. Since then, Hot
Doggers came and went the way of skinny
skis; other pro skiers like Shane McConkey
dreamed up bigger stunts and took on the
roles of skiing’s riffraff. And yet, Glen Plake
has managed to stay current and relevant in
today’s ski culture. How? By transforming
himself into something entirely unexpected:
a ski instructor who believes in skiing by the
book.
In his own words, here’s a look at his
surprising transformation from an antiestablishment
punk skier into a fully certified
professional ski instructor who now not
only spreads stoke, but the Professional Ski
Instructors of America’s (PSIA) credo.
THE BLIZZARD OF AAHHHH’S,
HELPED ADD “PRO SKIER” TO THE
OFFICIAL LIST OF VIABLE CAREERS.
BUT ABOVE ALL, WE KNOW GLEN
PLAKE AS SKIING’S ANTIHERO—
THE GUY WHO DITCHED THE U.S.
SKI TEAM IN FAVOR OF SKIING
WITHOUT RULES AND ONCE FLED
TO CHAMONIX, FRANCE, TO AVOID
TROUBLE WITH THE LAW AT HOME.
THEN: Eff the Poodles! All I wanted to do was
kick their ass.
NOW: I think we take ski instructors for
granted. That person trained, they’re a
professional. Unfortunately, in the ’80s ski
instruction took a bit of a hit. If you look back
at the ’60s and ’70s, everyone knew who the
best skiers on the hill were: the ski instructors.
That’s why they were ski instructors during
that era, and they were respected and admired.
But something happened in the ’80s, and it
was partially due to technique and partially
due to some protocols like Perfect Form that
made it a bad, dark time for ski instruction. It
just got weird, and the ski instructor became
that poodle that we all made fun of.
THEN: I was a spokesperson for Learn a
Snowsport Month and was asked on the
“Today Show” to teach anchor Hoda Kotb, a
first-time skier, to ski. We were on the ski lift
and she asked me ‘What happens when we get
to the top here?’ And I thought, ‘Interesting
question, I have no idea.’ I ended up literally
carrying this woman around the ski area—
that was my teaching capacity at the time.
And I thought, anyone who sees this is going
to think this guy has no idea what he’s doing.
That night, I made a call to PSIA.
NOW: I took my PSIA Level 1 certification at
Breckenridge in 2011 with 250 new hires. I’ll be
very honest: I was ready to call the examiners
out. And yet, as I moved through the process,
there was nothing I could call them out on.
I was like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense’ ... ‘OK,
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 19
GLEN PLAKE
G
Plake, a legendary Hot
Dogger known for ripping
moguls and throwing
Daffys, is not your
average ski instructor.
interesting,’ … ‘Yeah, can’t argue with that.’
So, I felt good about the whole process, and
started thinking about Level 2 and 3, which
turned out to be a little more involved. But
I was never given a hall pass through the
process. If anything, examiners expected me
to be better than I was. That said, I went on to
get my Level 2 and 3, and now I’m an official
PSIA examiner.
THEN: Back in the ’80s, ski instructors all got
these dang certifications and thought they
were somebodies, when clearly, they weren’t.
HISTORY OF SKI INSTRUCTION (PSIA) IN THE U.S.
1930-60
The early days of ski instruction in
the United States. Teaching technique
and principles varied across the
country; ski instructors could choose
to teach Austrian, French, or Swiss
methods—there was no set standard
for instruction
“T HE SKI INSTRUCTOR
BECAME THAT POODLE
THAT WE ALL MADE
FUN OF.
A group of
seven
committed
instructors
incorporate
PSIA
‘61
‘64
The Official
American Ski
Technique is born,
setting a standard
for how skiing was
to be taught in
America
NOW: Here’s what a lot of people don’t
understand: A Level 3 certification means
that you’re a wonderful instructor—it doesn’t
mean that you’re the best skier on the hill. At
the same time, some Level 3 instructors are
really, really, really good skiers. That’s why
AJ Oliver, Brenna Kelleher, and I were up at
Mustang Powder—to show people that ski
instructors can be awesome skiers. On one
of my Down Home Tours, I was at this little
ski area, and in their lodge they had all these
old pictures of ski instructors from the ’60s
and ’70s and after looking at them I thought,
there’s no way you wouldn’t take a lesson from
PSIA developed
the first training
and education
snowboard
programs
‘87
‘97
PSIA forms the
American
Association
of Snowboard
Instructors (AASI)
as an affiliate
association
RYAN VARCHOL
20 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
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LEN PLAKE
these dudes. Pictures of them jumping, doing
tricks, all the things that ski instructors could
do in that romantic era of the occupation—I
think we need to bring that back a little bit.
THEN: Twenty-five years ago, my buddies
and I were stubborn, stupid, and ornery
enough to go out and climb and ski mountains.
NOW: Everything you see now is telling you
to buy backcountry gear, ski powder, go ski
tour—and people have no clue how to use the
gear or what it’s really for. We need to adopt
the European instruction model and teach
people that mountain guides can help them
access this natural skiing environment that
everybody is shoving down our throats, and
is, in fact, fun. I feel that ski school should
teach people some general backcountry
technique—not snow safety, not avalanche
awareness, not mountain sense, but just teach
people how to use the equipment.
THEN: Powder has never been that big of a
deal to me. I guess because I knew how to ski
powder before powder skis showed up.
NOW: Something that drives me nuts is this
frantic, inhuman addiction to a powder day.
I can’t stand it, it drives me fricken nuts. It’s
just crazy how people are about powder now.
That’s why I love mogul skiing so much—it
doesn’t matter how many people are skiing
the moguls. While it’s wonderful to have the
spectacles of the sport—those once-in-alifetime
Warren Miller moments—we need to
realize that those are just spectacles. We’re
putting a lot of emphasis not on the everyday
aspects of the sport, and I think we need to
rediscover why we ski. We need to understand
the joy of the actual sport itself, not the snow
conditions.
He’s been in the ski biz for decades, yet instead of fading from skiing’s collective memory, Plake
has stayed relevant by reinventing himself. One thing he hasn’t changed: his eccentric style.
WHERE TO GO:
THE OPERATION
Mustang Powder provides some of the best
and most remote backcountry cat skiing in the
Monashee Montains of B.C. Boasting more
than 30,000 acres of terrain accessible via 275
miles of snow roads, the operation caters to
advanced skiers and boarders looking to ski
until they drop. Mustang Powder offers twoto
four-day trips starting November 30, 2019
through April 5, 2020. Prices vary depending
on dates and program.
GETTING THERE
To get after it, fly into Kelowna, B.C., a twohour
drive from Mustang’s meeting spot
near Craigallachie. Mustang Powder is also
accessible via major highways from the east
(Kamloops, approx. two-hour drive) and the
west (Revelstoke, approx. 45-minute drive).
Plan to arrive the day prior to your trip dates.
New for the 2019-2020 season, all guests will
be flown into the lodge from the meeting spot
near Craigallachie. Info: mustangpowder.com
COURTESY OF ELAN SKIS/PETER MORNING
22 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
MINDBENDER
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We were gonna smash out a bunch of jargon in this ad about what goes into making this ski so
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CC HAMONIX
Marcus Caston,
unrecognizable in the
pow during a heli-ski
excursion on the
French-Swiss border.
PHOTO CREDIT
24 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
FRENCH
CONNECTION
Ski racers Mattias Hargin and
Erin Mielzynski swap skinny skis
for powder boards and head to
Chamonix in search of backcountry
adventure—no gates required.
BY SAMANTHA BERMAN
PHOTO CREDIT
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 25
CC HAMONIX
FOR CANADIAN
SKI RACER
ERIN MIELZYNSKI,
CHAMONIX GARNERS
IMAGES OF THE
FAMED KANDAHAR
RACE COURSE AND
BASHING GATES IN THE
MOUNTAINS WHERE SKI
RACING WAS BORN.
SO WHEN SHE WAS
ASKED TO FILM WITH
SWEDISH SKI RACER
on a big-mountain freeride shoot, she was more
than a little surprised. Especially considering
she’d never skied in the backcountry, didn’t
know how to use the equipment—and didn’t
even own any. “They just kept reassuring me
that they wanted me to come,” says Mielzynski.
“Pretty crazy to be in a Warren Miller movie doing
something you’ve never even done before!”
Luckily, the trio would be in good company,
heading into the backcountry accompanied by
experienced Chamonix guide and 2009 Freeride
World Tour champion Aurélian Ducroz. From
heli-skiing to hut-to-hut skinning, the athletes
got the adventure they came for—and a little
extra, to boot. For Mielzynski and Hargin, the
experience ignited a new passion for freeskiing
that both plan to nourish for seasons to come.
On ski racing:
Erin Mielzynski: My parents were skiers, so it
was in my blood right away. I started skiing on
snow and water before I was two years old, following
my older sister around. I actually got very
heavily into water skiing, and I got better at water
skiing faster. In 2006 I went to the Junior Worlds
in Moissac, France and placed 2nd in the jump
event, then placed 1st in the same event at the
Junior Masters in Georgia. Then, when I was 17
I made the Canadian National Alpine Team, so
that’s when my entire focus turned to ski racing.
Mattias Hargin: I come from a big family with
four older siblings. When I was born, the whole
family was into skiing, and my older siblings
were already into ski racing, so it was an easy
choice for me. I grew up in Stockholm, and there
are a lot of smaller slopes in town. At my home
hill, Flottsbro, it takes 20 seconds to ski the slalom
course—it’s only about 20 meters (65 feet).
But that’s where I started racing.
MATTIAS HARGIN AND
PRO FREESKIER
MARCUS CASTON
On filming with WME:
EM: I got an email back in January asking if
I was interested in doing some filming with
WME and Helly Hansen in Chamonix. I originally
pictured myself flying down a race course,
I totally thought I’d be ski racing in the heart
of ski racing’s culture. As our communications
progressed, I realized it was big mountain
backcountry skiing that they wanted to film. I
had never ski toured, and only been on fat skis
PHOTO CREDIT
26 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE
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TOP: The whole crew makes a push to the summit of the Argentière
Glacier on a clear, early morning. BOTTOM: Caston (left) and Aurélian
Ducroz leave rooster tails in their wake.
TOP: Erin Mielzynski looks right at home in the waist-deep powder.
BOTTOM: Mielzynski and Ducroz take the time to go over glacier
travel safety precautions before putting the knowledge to good use.
PHOTO CREDIT
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 27
CC HAMONIX
a handful of times. I told them ‘I don’t think
I’m your girl, I have absolutely no experience in
the backcountry, I don’t know what to expect,
I don’t even have the right equipment.’
MH: This was my first time filming with
WME, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
I had met the other athletes before, but I had
never skied with them. I was surprised to find
out that Erin had never been in the backcountry
before! But filming is a little like ski racing in the
sense that when you’re filming, you have to perform,
and you might have only one shot at getting
it right so you have to be really focused.
TOP: A Grands Montets ski patroller practices high-angle rescue techniques with the
Chamonix Valley in the backdrop. BOTTOM: Patroller Johann Vienny flakes rope in
preparation for more high-angle rescue drills. OPPOSITE: Patrollers take in the view.
On backcountry skiing vs. ski racing:
EM: I think racing helped me adapt to the backcountry
more easily. Racing built the backbone of
my skiing and made me a technically sound skier.
It also helped with safety—not so much avalanche
safety, but I know how to assess risk. That came
up time and time again. I’d be nervous to go down
something, and I had to trust that I knew how to
ski. I raced on ice, on skinny, sharp skis, and I had
to have faith that was enough knowledge.
MH: Racers are used to speed, and really good
technique from a racing background definitely
makes it easier to adjust to conditions in the backcountry.
Yes, you have to learn new techniques,
but having a high comfort level on the snow helps
with confidence, form, and picking up new skills.
28 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
PHOTO CREDIT
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 29
CC HAMONIX
On Chamonix:
MH: My favorite part of the trip was when we
skinned out to a couple of small huts, so remote
and amazing. I’m planning a trip to go back and
ski more of the huts between Chamonix and
Zermatt. The nights in the huts were pretty
special, to be deep in the Alps like that.
EM: We went heli-skiing one day, and it was
the best powder I’ve ever experienced. This was
on the second or third day of filming, Also, touring
to the refuge and leaving the next morning
before the sun rose. That was pretty amazing.
On iconic Cham guide Aurélian Ducroz:
EM: He’s super interesting because everything
he does is very precise, from the way he
skis to the way he dances to the decisions he
makes. He’s never still. At the top of a peak he’s
off in search of crystals, checking the snow, using
the ice axe, always up for anything, he likes
to be on the move. To learn from him was really
a privilege.
MH: I really trusted him when we were out
there, he’s a very calm person, you can tell he
spends a lot of time in the mountains. I felt that
from the first moment I could trust him, and
follow him. He does a lot of extreme stuff.
You’d think his personality would be more intense,
but he’s a really nice, down-to-earth guy.
On what’s next this winter:
MH: I just retired from ski racing at the end
of last season (2019), so I’m transitioning to
freeride and I’m excited to see what my winter
will look like. I will finally have time to do what
I’ve been missing out on! I’m eager to do more
backcountry and powder skiing and explore skiing
even more. It’s still my passion.
EM: I’m bringing my touring gear to training
camp and plan to get out as much as I can. I think
it’ll be great recovery from training. I’d also like
to go to Norway, to be able to ski right down to
the water. This trip really opened my eyes, and
now I just have so many places I’d like to go.
FROM TOP: Hargin takes a breather during the early-morning Argentière
Glacier summit, then hits the powder jackpot on the way down.
WHERE TO GO:
GETTING THERE
The closest airport to Chamonix is
Switzerland’s Geneva International Airport,
55 miles away. Either a private or a shared
transfer is the fastest and most convenient way
to get from the airport to Chamonix. Be sure to
book a transfer in advance through companies
such as ChamExpress or AlpyBus. A shared
ride runs about $30 per person. It’s possible to
take the train, but there’s no direct route and
travel time can be over four hours.
LODGING
The Gare des Glaciers was built for the
Chamonix Winter Olympics in 1924, and was
the original tram terminal for the Aiguille du
Midi. The five-room lodge with views of Mont
Blanc sleeps 22 and is located 10 minutes
from Chamonix; garedeglaciers.com. For
more traditional accommodations, the 23-
room Hotel des Lacs inhabits a charming
1930s building set on a lake with mountain
views and easy access to the slopes.
30 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE
TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
#simplyvolkl
volkl.com
BAVARIAN TO THE CORE.
HIGH TECH MADE WHERE WE LIVE AND SKI:
BAVARIA, GERMANY
NEW KENDO 88
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SIDECUT
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that makes it effortless to switch
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the Kendo 88 reaches a new level
of versatility for all mountain
skiing. Add in the proven Titanal
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and there‘s even more reason
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HIGHWAY
TO HELI
PRO SKIERS TYLER CECCANTI AND AMIE
ENGERBRETSON EMBARK ON DUAL ROAD TRIPS
FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE HOMETOWNS OF SEATTLE
AND SQUAW VALLEY TO BELLA COOLA HELI SPORTS’
BRACEWELL’S LODGE, A FEW HOURS NORTH OF BELLA
COOLA, B.C., FOR BIG-MOUNTAIN HELI-SKIING, GUITAR-
STRUMMING, AND ALL THE CAMARADERIE YOU COULD
WANT IN THE REMOTE COAST MOUNTAINS.
PHOTOS BY ZACH ALMADER
32 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
Tyler Ceccanti drops in among the peaks of the Chilcotin
Mountain Range; Ceccanti enjoys a cuppa joe on a down
day; Amie Engerbretson shreds under a cloudless sky; Engerbretson
scopes out potential lines on the topo map; a quick
20-minute heli ride delivers the crew to its destination.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 33
BELLA COOLA
B
LEFT, FROM TOP:
In head-to-toe pink and
purple, Engerbretson is hard
to miss against the walls of
pure white she sprays as
she shreds.
Ceccanti and Engerbretson
mess around during a down
day at Bracewell’s Alpine
Lodge. The pair frequently
goofed around during the
week-long shoot, much to
the entertainment of the rest
of the crew.
CENTER, FROM TOP:
Engerbretson makes her
mark in some fresh pow.
The team worked with a
guide to make sure that
when they found big lines
to ski, the snow would be
safe. This is one of the many
winning spots they came
across outside of Bracewell’s
Lodge.
Ceccanti shows off his K2
fatties as he throws down a
quick trick. The pro freeskier
has been competing in
freeride competitions since
his earliest days at Washington’s
Crystal Mountain.
RIGHT, FROM TOP:
Did someone say breathtaking?
Engerbretson and
Ceccanti hike up to their
designated drop-in point
with some serious views as
their only company. This
was Ceccanti’s eighth
Warren Miller film and
Engerbretson’s third. Just
another day at the office.
Engerbretson and Ceccanti
make some four-legged
friends on the way to Bracewell’s,
located alongside
Tatlayoko Lake. The horses
greeted the pair at the fence,
and Engerbretson, a horse
lover, insisted they stop to
say hi.
Bracewell’s guide, Klemen
Mali, and pilot, Wayne
Goodridge, scoping out
potential locations to ski.
34 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE
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WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 35
BELLA COOLA
B
36 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
TOP, FROM LEFT: Talk about 360-degree views. The helicopter is barely visible among the magnificent alpine landscape before
dropping photographer Zach Almader and cinematographer Jeff Wright off, allowing them to find their angles and set up their gear
before the skiers dropped in; Howard Peak soars out of the surrounding glaciers and plays host to Ceccanti as he shreds a steep,
snowy line. If you squint, you can see him ripping down the mountain early on in his run, not another soul in sight; Ceccanti and new
friend Sasha explore the land around Bracewell’s Lodge. The lodge was established in 1918, and the current owner, Alex Bracewell,
has lived in the area his entire life.
WHERE TO GO:
GETTING THERE
Bella Coola Heli Sports caters to skiers and
boarders who have experience heli-skiing as
well as those who don’t. Despite a truly remote
and rugged location deep in the Coast Range,
the heli op’s base is only a 70-minute flight
north of Vancouver. There are numerous flight
options out of Vancouver International Airport,
and transfer flights to Bella Coola Heli Sports
is included in most multi-day packages. Visit
bellacoolaheliskiing.com for info.
LODGING
Bella Coola Heli Sports is known for offering
excellent small-group heli-skiing over 3.25
million acres in the Coast Mountains of B.C.
Skiers lodge at one of five properties: Tweedsmuir
Park Lodge, Eagle Lodge, Pantheon
Heli Ranch, Mystery Mountain Lodge, and
Terra Nostra Guest Ranch. Bracewell’s Lodge,
featured in the film, is not currently open to the
public, but plans are underway to add it to the
operation’s lodging portfolio in the future.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 37
BELLA COOLA
B
BELOW:
From the lodge, the sunrise
illuminates Alf Bracewell
Mountain, a majestic peak
named for Alex Bracewell’s
father, Alf, a pioneer of the
area. Alf Bracewell is known
for helping carve 30 miles of
the Freedom Road, a mountain
pass in the Bella Coola
Valley, in 1952.
RIGHT, FROM TOP:
Engerbretson shreds against
a shadowy background
while cinematographer Jeff
Wright captures her
on camera.
A candid moment between
Engerbretson and Ceccanti
in the living room at
Bracewell’s Lodge. The
lodge is quintessentially
rustic, completely heated by
wood, powered by diesel
generators, and ideal for a
truly remote getaway.
38 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE
ILLUMINATE
CHRIS BENCHETLER
STYLE: PXV, ECHO/PH AMBER
©2019 Marchon Eyewear, Inc.
REALSKIERS.COM
2020
MOGULS meets
BIG MOUNTAIN
U.S. Ski Team moguls racer
Jaelin Kauf is set loose
on the steeps of Silverton
Mountain under the guidance
of veteran freeskiers Lorraine
Huber and Connery Lundin.
Interview by Megan O’Herron
Photos by Ian Anderson
PHOTO CREDIT
Austrian freeskier
Lorraine Huber
(pictured) lent guidance
to Jaelin Kauf while
filming at Colo.’s
Silverton Mountain.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 41
INTERVIEW
SILVERTON
S
“That is just what we did as a family. Our trips
were ski trips, and whenever we had free time we
went up skiing. It was everything for us.”
Twenty-three-year-old U.S. Ski Team member Jaelin Kauf grew
up chasing her mom, dad (both pro skiers), and older brother
down the hills of Grand Targhee, Wyo., starting at age three.
Skiing was the family activity for the Kaufs. “That is just what we
did as a family,” she says. Her dad, Scott Kauf, ran the cat-skiing
operation at Grand Targhee, so when the kids weren’t racing,
they were out on the cat with Dad. As a young skier, Kauf did
everything from racing to big mountain skiing to skier cross. It
wasn’t until high school that she found her stride as a mogul
skier, but when she finally found it, it stuck.
“There’s just something about the sport. There’s
the speed, there’s the jumping, and there’s the
technical side of it with the tight turns. You have to
perfect every aspect of it.”
After moving to Steamboat Springs, Colo., in 2010 as a high
school freshman, Kauf’s ascension into mogul skiing stardom
came quickly. She made the U.S. Moguls Team in 2016,
and in that same season earned her first career podium and
the Rookie of the Year title. “There’s just something about
the sport,” she says. Mogul skiing combines the critical
aspects of all the different sports she grew up doing—the
Jaelin Kauf grew
up skiing all types
of terrain, which
certainly helped
prepare her for the
big-mountain skiing
she encountered at
Silverton Mountain.
speed of racing, the jumping, and creativity of freeskiing
and skier cross, and the precision and technique unique to
moguls. Since her 2016 breakout season, Kauf has notched
six World Cup wins, two World Championship podiums,
and placed 7th in her first Olympics in PyeongChang in
2018. She has proudly followed in the ski tracks of her parents,
who were both World Pro Mogul Tour champions—
not only in competition, but also in front of the Warren
Miller camera.
“I grew up thinking that the coolest thing you
could do as a skier was to be in a Warren
Miller movie. So when I got invited, I immediately
yelled, ‘Oh my god, Mom, guess what, guess what,
guess what?’”
Like many young skiers, Kauf grew up watching Warren
Miller ski films. Unlike most skiers, though, she grew up
watching her parents star in some of those films. Her mom,
Patti Kauf, was in Born to Ski (1991), and both of her parents
were featured in Fifty (1999), Warren Miller’s 50th
anniversary film where Kauf and her brother, Skyler, were
on set as toddlers. So, when she got invited to be in her
own WME movie, her first reaction was “Oh my god, Mom,
guess what, guess what, guess what?” The chance to fulfill a
childhood dream was way too good to pass up.
42 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Kauf carves the
Grande Couloir,
Silverton’s signature
backcountry descent;
Connery Lundin
in one his favorite
places—mid-air; the
athletes check in
with cinematographers
Tom Day and
Jeff Wright.
“The other two athletes I was skiing with,
Connery and Lorraine, are professional big mountain
skiers. I stalked their Instagrams and watched
some of their videos and was definitely a little
intimidated by it.”
For this segment, filmed in Silverton, Colo., Kauf was joined
by two professional big mountain skiers, Lorraine Huber and
Connery Lundin. Not being a big mountain skier herself, Kauf
says she was “definitely a little intimidated” at first, but that
didn’t last long. Both Huber and Lundin are world champions
in their sport and have experience in front of the camera, so
they coached Kauf on what to do and what not to do throughout
the week. Early in the week, it was just the girls, and Huber
quickly became a role model for Kauf. At the end of the day,
they were all just skiers who loved what they do, and Kauf says
everyone was easygoing and fun to be around.
“I was definitely a little nervous. But for a few of
our heli-skiing runs, Tom was sitting up in the helicopter,
hanging out the side basically right over
us. I thought, ‘Oh my god, if he’s hanging out of a
helicopter, I can’t be nervous!’”
After a few days skiing runs off of Silverton Mountain’s one
lift, the group took to the skies for some signature Silverton
heli-skiing. This was Kauf’s first time in a helicopter, but it certainly
won’t be the last. She admits she was more than a little
nervous getting ready to descend some daunting vertical, but
then she looked up to see cameraman Tom Day leaning precipitously
from the heli door to get the shot. She told herself, “Oh
my god, if he’s hanging out of a helicopter, I can’t be nervous!”
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 43
SILVERTON
S
“It’s not so much the actual skiing that was scary,
but more, what if I mess this up? Some of the shots
were like, make a right turn exactly at that piece of
snow, otherwise you ruin it.”
When you’re deep in the snow of the Rockies, it might be easy
to forget that you’re actually on the job. When the camera is on
the other side of the hill, Kauf and the other athletes had the
freedom to ski the line their hearts desired—with some guidance
from the crew, of course. Other times, film crew guys Day,
Ian Anderson, and Jeff Wright were looking for specific shots,
and they’d pick out the exact spots they wanted the athletes to
make turns. In some moments, the instruction was along the
lines of “Make a right turn exactly at that piece of snow, otherwise
you ruin it,” laughs Kauf. No pressure.
In a classic behindthe-scenes
moment,
Kauf (left) and Huber
discuss logistics
before a run.
“I’d never been to Silverton before, and up until
this winter, I honestly didn’t know a ski mountain
existed there. Once you take the lift up, you’re just
in the middle of the mountains.”
Silverton Mountain is nestled in the San Juan Mountains
of southern Colorado. With a peak elevation of 13,487 feet,
Silverton is the highest and steepest ski area in North
America. There’s only one two-seater ski lift sans safety
bar, so it’s not a mountain for the faint of heart. “Up until
this winter, I honestly didn’t know a ski mountain existed
there,” Kauf admits. Silverton flies under the radar, but is
well-known to big mountain skiers as a great place to get
guided backcountry experience and spectacular heli-skiing
views. Needless to say, it’s on her radar now.
WHERE TO GO:
GETTING THERE
Silverton Mountain is located six miles from
the former silver-mining town of Silverton, Colo.;
silvertonmountain.com. The closest airports
are Durango (63 miles south) and Montrose
(64 miles north), both of which host direct flights
from various hubs in addition to Denver. Denver
International Airport is 380 miles north in the
winter—or about an eight-hour drive. A fourwheel
drive car is highly recommended. However,
there’s no need to rent a car once you’re
in town, as there are shuttles to the mountain
and town itself is delightfully walkable.
LODGING + DINING
The newly renovated Wyman Hotel sits on
Main Street in an historic 1902 building that’s
close to dining, shopping, and bars. The 16-
room boutique hotel offers six rooms types,
including options with single or double bunk
beds for a maximum occupancy of five. For
dinner check out the Avalanche Brewing
Company for from-scratch pizzas and craft
beers plus wraps, tacos, and salads. Bonus:
Avalanche is moving to Main Street in
November 2019, where it will double its
brewing capacity and triple its kitchen space.
44 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Always Good Times
RIPSTICK 106 BLACK EDITION
_LIGHT WEIGHT
_SMOOTH RIDE
_POWERFUL REBOUND
Good times are what Glen Plake is all about. He
designed the Ripstick series to be the best of both
worlds: effortless in powder and rips the hardpack. Add
the state of the art Black Edition carbon construction,
it goes beyond both worlds and generates more
power and response in any terrain, in style.
ELANSKIS.COM
THE
WIEGELE
Where world-class guiding
meets world-class skiing.
WAY
BY JESSI HACKETT
PHOTOS BY JOSH HASKINS
46 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Athletes Jim Ryan
and Austin Ross
await their ride
accompanied by
longtime Wiegele’s
guide Bob Rankin.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 47
WW IEGELE
Ross gets schooled in
the ways of Wiegele.
48 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
A WINDING, TWO-LANE HIGHWAY SKIRTS A RIVER LINED BY
MAJESTIC LODGEPOLE PINE AS I MAKE MY WAY NORTHEAST
FROM KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA. AFTER A BEAUTIFUL
TWO-AND-A-HALF HOUR DRIVE DEEP INTO THE INTERIOR OF
THE PROVINCE, I ARRIVE AT THE SMALL, SINGLE-BREWPUB
COMMUNITY OF BLUE RIVER—HOME OF WIEGELE WORLD,
A SKIER’S DREAM. AT LEAST IT’S THIS SKIER’S DREAM.
There are no other heli-skiing operations in the world quite like Mike
Wiegele Heli-Skiing (MWHS). With 50 years of operation under its belt,
this luxurious resort makes it its core mission to embrace the pure love
for powder skiing that drove Austrian–born Mike Wiegele to start this
operation in 1970.
As the story goes, after nearly 10 years of ski touring and exploring the
Monashee and Cariboo mountain ranges in interior B.C., Wiegele took a
chance at running his own helicopter guiding service. Garry Forman, heli
pilot and owner of Yellowhead Helicopters Ltd., would fly the helis and
Wiegele would guide. But with no guests signing up for trips initially,
Wiegele wrote to Warren Miller, extending an invite to come up and give
his operation a go, free of charge, so long as Miller would include Wiegele’s
fledgling operation in one of his films. Today, Wiegele laughs as he admits
he wrote other filmmakers, but Warren was the only one to take advantage.
“I just wanted people to come up here to ski,” he says.
Fifty years and a whopping 26 Warren Miller film inclusions later,
Wiegele World is considered a bucket list ski destination for people all
over the world, and at 80 years old, Wiegele himself is still the key stakeholder,
opting to attend all of the guide meetings that take place every
single morning before skiing and every afternoon after skiing. With a
unique approach to snow safety and having spearheaded and facilitated
the creation of the Canadian Ski Guide Association in the late 1980s to
help grow the field of educated and capable guides available in Canada,
the Wiegele experience is as much about world-class guiding and snow
safety as it is about world-class skiing.
Wiegele’s “5 Step Checklist” for terrain risk management differs from
other avalanche-forecasting methods. Wiegele factors in “Cosmic Solar
Radiation” (CMR) as Step 2 in checking snow stability. While it has not
been adopted across the entire ski industry, the idea is that “radiation enters
the snowpack, melting tiny particles of snow and emitting water vapor
in the process,” Wiegele describes. This step factors in humidity, temperature,
and load into a graph with relation to tidal times and has been used by
Wiegele and his guides since 1987.
“I’ve always looked for a sense of character and humility,” he says
when asked what sort of person makes a strong guide. “Aggression is bad
and so is ego.”
With 43 years and counting, Senior Lead Heli-Ski Guide Erich
Schadinger is the most-veteran guide on staff at Wiegele’s. Born in Canada
to Austrian parents, Schadinger went to Austria for Mountaineering
School in the early ’70s and found his way to Wiegele’s by 1978. At that
time, there were a total of six guides. Today there are 35.
“How our boss has raised us and the facility, and how he’s passed on
his mountain awareness and knowledge are all what make this operation
unique,” says Schadinger, who answers the question while simultaneously
completing his hour-long workout routine that he does every day—after
a full day of guiding and skiing. “I like to be calmer and slower when
I’m out with guests,” he says. “Things can happen really quick and so I
like to give explanations.”
Schadinger, 64, guides every day of the season, which runs from December
to the first week of April. He’s an admirable leader, whose quiet yet
friendly approach has lent itself to mentorship for multiple guides who
have come after him. One of those guides is Ryan Bush, a 26-year-old local
from Kamloops. Bush is a prime example of the development efforts at the
grassroots level that MWHS has invested in its local community.
At the age of 19, Bush completed his Level 1 certification through the
Canadian Ski Guide Association. “When it was time to complete my Level
2, Mike told me he’d reimburse me a good portion of the course if I passed
it,” Bush says. “And if I didn’t, I’d have to pay for it in full.” Luckily, he
passed—and has been guiding at Wiegele’s for the last eight years.
“With this job, there isn’t a day I ever want to take off,” says Bush.
Around 1,300 guests come to MWHS between December and early April,
and if the weather allows, every day is a potential ski day.
White, jagged peaks draped with snow poke out of dispersed clouds
and long, even-pitched cascading ski lines beg to be explored from
every direction. Between the Monashees, the Cariboos, and a recently added
Rocky Mountain tenure, there are 1.5 million acres of skiable terrain and
over 1,000 named runs, such as “Warren’s Way” and “BooBoo Juice.”
Working hard comes easy when it feels like play. Case in point: 30-year
veteran guide Bob Rankin. “It’s like the mice have been put in charge
of the cheese,” he laughs. Like Wiegele’s wife Bonnie has said, people
thought her husband was a little cuckoo. And he probably was, Rankin
jokes when discussing the risks Wiegele took when starting this operation
50 years ago. “But you know, he’s built up this amazing place and I’m
pretty happy he did.”
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 49
WW IEGELE
50 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT:
Ross and Ryan celebrate an epic run during some of
the best weather of the trip.
Last winter, Bob Rankin celebrated his 60th birthday
and 30th season of guiding at Wiegele’s.
Ryan goes deep during an early-morning run.
Mike Wiegele reminisces over old ski films during a
quiet moment at his lodge. Mike and Warren were great
friends and partners throughout both of their careers.
Ryan, Ross, and Rankin under the sign for the run
Mike dedicated to Warren after the filmmaker’s passing
last winter.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 51
WW IEGELE
ABOVE: A good sport in the truest sense of the term, Ross took one for the team during a Truth or Dare session with Ryan at the Wiegele
compound. Yes, that’s Ryan at the wheel of the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas.
WHERE TO GO:
GETTING THERE
Mike Wiegele Heli-Skiing is located in Blue
River, B.C., with a permitted tenure of 1.5 million
acres across 1,000 peaks in the Cariboo and
Monashee mountain ranges. The most convenient
airport is in Kamloops, B.C.; Air Canada
and West Jet offer daily service from Vancouver
and Calgary. The drive to Blue River from
Kamloops takes about two-and-a-half hours;
Saturday transfers to and from Wiegele’s are
included in the rate when you book a
seven-day package. For info, visit wiegele.com.
LODGING
Wiegele’s is a full-service luxury resort with
four different types of accommodations to suit
every type of traveler. Blue River Resort offers
easiest access to the most amenities, including
the Powder Max dining room and cocktails at
the Silver Buckle Lounge. The 17-room Albreda
Lodge is ideal for private and semi-private
groups. For more intimate options, consider the
six-room log Bavarian Estate House or Eleanor
Lake Estate, a private home. No matter where
you sleep, you’ll be close to the heli pad.
52 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
A DIFFERENT ADVENTURE EVERY DAY.
No other ski destination gives you more. With 4 world-class ski resorts and a seemingly endless number
of bars, brewpubs, sporting events, museums, restaurants, food trucks, and concerts, you’ll find just the
adventure you’re looking for. This is Salt Lake. This is Ski City. PLAN YOUR TRIP AT SKICITY.COM»
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RAISING
RIPPERS:
KIT DESLAURIERS’ GUIDE
TO JACKSON HOLE
IAN ANDERSON
Timeless athlete Forrest Jillson
grew up on the slopes of Jackson
Hole Mountain Resort, where his
father was a ski patroller.
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 55
JACKSON HOLE
J
ABOVE: The family trekked to Everest Base Camp during a 20-day trip in September
2017. “The kids asked to go,” says Kit DesLauriers. “They’d heard all about it.”
BELOW: Grace and Tia can tick Japan off their bucket list thanks to a visit last winter.
Ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers has traveled
the world in pursuit of mountain adventures—as
if being the first person to complete
ski descents from each of the Seven Summits
doesn’t give that away. In 2001 DesLauriers, along
with husband and fellow ski mountaineer Rob,
settled down in Jackson Hole’s mountainside
Teton Village and set forth on a different kind of
adventure: parenthood. Not surprisingly, the two
DesLauriers girls, Grace, 11, and Tia, 10, are total
rippers. They joined their folks in front of the
camera on their home slopes alongside athletes
Forrest Jillson, Cam Fitzpatrick, Caite Zeliff, and
Jess McMillan to film a segment for Timeless,
making the business of appearing in ski movies a
true family affair.
Despite being arguably one of the most successful
and prolific ski mountaineers ever, Kit
DesLauriers says that she’s never pushed her
kids to compete. “I was given the opportunity to
become who I am because of the way my family
raised me,” she explains. “I want them to have the
latitude to decide what their passions are. I’m not
driven to make my kids ski race.” Both girls tried it,
but it didn’t stick. Grace has recently started getting
into the backcountry (with mom’s guidance)
and Tia enjoys Nordic skiing in a local program. “I
would like them to ski race because it provides a
good foundation, but they don’t have the competitive
spirit for racing, at least right now.”
That’s not to say that the girls are not driven.
Grace climbed the Grand Teton last summer at
age 10, and Tia has already bagged the Middle and
South Tetons. And the family has traveled all over
the world, plowing pow in Japan, carving turns in
the Dolomites, and trekking to Everest Base Camp
when the girls were only 6 and 8. “It’s so important
to us that our kids understand our mountain tie,”
DesLauriers says. “This culture of a welcoming
tribe of people has been so impactful in our lives,
and we want them to know this kind of hospitality.”
At the end of the day, the kids know that they
need not venture too far from their front stoop
to find all the adventure a girl can dream of—
adventure that can sometimes result in playing
hooky from school. “The day Grace decided to ski
Corbet’s, she was heading out to school and she
looked at the clearing sky and said, ‘It’s been snowing
for three days, I bet it’s a good day to do it,’”
says DesLauriers. That was winter of 2017-18. This
past winter she got her first touring setup and can
now skin up Teton Pass with mom and dad. Not
too shabby.
Yet none of that holds a candle to Grace and
Tia’s favorite thing to do at Jackson Hole. “Getting
a waffle at the top of the Tram,” DesLauriers
laughs. “That’s in the film, of course.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DESLAURIERS FAMILY
56 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE
TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
THE DESLAURIERS
FAMILY’S JACKSON
HOLE TIP SHEET
WE ASKED KIT TO SHARE SOME OF
HER FAMILY’S FAVORITE SPOTS IN
TOWN AND AT THE MOUNTAIN.
1
DON’T-MISS BREAKFAST SPOT
“We like to go to Picnic for breakfast,
in town. It’s the sister restaurant of
Persephone, which is another really
popular and delicious option, also in town.
We also love the Juicery, next to
Persephone, on the busy side of town.”
2
FAVE ON-MOUNTAIN LUNCH
“Hands down Piste Bistro, at the top of
the gondola. If we want to have a special
lunch, or have family or friends visiting,
we hike the headwall then ski down to
Piste for lunch. The girls love it.”
3
A FAMILY AFFAIR: The DesLauriers have wasted no time introducing daughters
Grace and Tia to the wonders of the outdoors, from skiing and climbing missions right
outside their Teton Village back door to far-flung adventures in Japan and Italy.
DATE-NIGHT DINNER
“You can’t beat Il Villagio Osteria, in the
village. Great menu and ambience. For
something more casual, we love OYG
[Old Yellowstone Garage].”
4
GREAT FAMILY HOTEL
“Teton Mountain Lodge [disclaimer:
husband Rob helped develop it]. The food
is amazing at Spur, you can eat there for
a week and be happy. The indoor pool
is great, the location is so easy, it’s such
a comfortable family place—nice without
being over-the-top luxe and unattainable.”
5
PHOTO CREDIT
GRACE AND TIA’S FAVORITE
TERRAIN AT JHMR
“It’s evolved over the years, but right
now I’d say Thunder. They love to lap
Thunder. Then this season, we had so
much snow, they really enjoyed skiing
the powder on the lower faces.”
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 57
Morgan Hebert attempts
to hand plant on a lip
in the shadow of the
Matterhorn.
MADE IN
Photos By
Rob Kingwill
SWITZERLAND
Athletes Ryland
Bell and Morgan
Hebert embrace
the classic
Swiss towns of
Lenzerheide and
Zermatt.
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 59
SS WITZERLAND
THIS PAGE, FROM TOP:
Hiking to “get to the goods,” as photographer
Rob Kingwill puts it, was
in no short supply on this trip. Hebert
and Ryland Bell bring up the rear
as Kingwill snaps photos from the
front. “We got to a point where they
were pretty haired out,” he says. “I
managed to do a couple of climbing
moves to get us to this really beautiful
line that went all the way to the
valley floor.”
Zermatt is a hub for heli-skiing, as
well as big-mountain rescue training.
“There’s a TV show on the heli crew
there called ‘Air Zermatt,’” Kingwill
explains. “They’re definitely some
of the world’s best rescue people.”
The group’s own guide in Zermatt
was kind but tentative. “I think we
scared him a little bit,” Kingwill jokes.
“[We told him] ‘It’s fine dude, let’s
just ski down this little chute, it’ll be
awesome,’ and he was like ‘No, I go
around. Don’t die!’”
60 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Bell rips through
Swiss powder on the
first day of the trip.
With great conditions
and stellar
views of Lenzerheide,
this ridge is
about as good as
it gets. “We were
super surprised
that even though it
hadn’t snowed for
weeks, conditions
were pretty stable
and there was still
pow,” Kingwill says.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 61
SS WITZERLAND
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bell carries his board through the streets of Lenzerheide on his way back from a day of shredding.
The town is perfectly Old World Europe, says Kingwill: quaint churches, stone walls, and friendly faces whose families have populated the
area for generations; Hebert sprays a wave a powder behind him as he descends a rock chute in one of Kingwill’s favorite shots of the trip.
“Quintessential Switzerland. It really just felt like such a pinnacle moment”; a cog railway filled with skiers and snowboarders travels up the
mountain towards the Gornergrat. Kingwill has one word for this uniquely Swiss experience: “Magical.”
62 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
SKI MAGAZINE
WA R R E N M
I L L E R
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SS WITZERLAND
Hebert and Bell traverse a boulder in the shadow of the Matterhorn, a symbol of culture in the Alps for centuries. Seeing it in person is “the
experience of a lifetime,” says Kingwill. “To ride underneath it and feel the energy of that mountain is something that anybody who loves
mountains should experience.”
64 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Bell launches off a rock at the bottom of a dicey run during one of the first descents of the trip. He hiked
1,500 vertical feet to earn this shot, bringing down tons of snow along with him. “The sound was just
ricocheting out of the valley,” says Kingwill.
FROM LEFT:
Hebert and Bell in front of an old log cabin during
their two-mile uphill walk back to town. “We stayed
out too late and all the gondolas closed, so our
guide turned to us and he was like, ‘You guys like to
walk, right?’” Kingwill laughs.
Director Chris Patterson sets up a shot while Bell
confers with the guide, who Kingwill describes as
“the most classic Switzerland guy ever.”
Bell and Hebert get ready to feast on some fondue.
“We ate like kings—it’s almost worth going to
Switzerland just to eat,” says Kingwill.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 65
SS WITZERLAND
Hebert tears down the
mountain with a massive
cloud of powder in tow.
Kingwill shot this sequence
so tight that many of the
frames missed Hebert
completely—but this one is
perfect
WHERE TO GO:
GETTING THERE
Fly into the Zurich or Geneva airports; both
have regular train service to Zermatt from their
in-airport stations. (The train ride takes threeand-a-half
and four hours, respectively, and
usually requires you to change trains once.)
Zermatt is a car-free town, so there’s no need
to rent one. Don’t miss a trip on the Glacier
Express train between Zermatt and St. Moritz,
a scenic eight-hour trip through the Alps. Get
details at myswitzerland.com.
LODGING
The pedestrian village of Zermatt is classic
Switzerland in every sense, so your accommodations
should be, as well. Hotel Hemizeus is
a family-run lodge with on-site spa and Matterhorn
views located 20 minutes from town.
In Arosa/Lenzerheide, Sunstar is a sprawling,
family-friendly resort-style hotel with 107
rooms and amenities such as restaurant, bar,
spa, fitness center, indoor pool, and shuttles to
the ski areas.
66 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
PRESENTS
World Tour
Sweepstakes
®
GRAND
PRIZE
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PRIZE
FOURTH
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A 7-night trip for two to
Switzerland on Swiss
International Air Lines
with lodging in Zermatt
at the Hotel Zermatterhof.
A 7-night trip for two to
Austria’s Tirol region
including lodging and
skiing in the Arlberg
and Ötztal ski regions.
A 4-night trip for two
to ski at Jackson Hole,
Wyoming including
lodging, lift tickets,
and more.
A 3-day, 4-night trip
for two to Crested
Butte, CO, and Helly
Hansen outerwear kits
for winner and guest. No
transportation included.
A 5-day deluxe heliskiing
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Wiegele Helicopter
Skiing with unlimited
vertical and more. No
transportation included.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 49 continental U.S. and DC (void in Hawaii) and
Canada (void in the province of Quebec) age 21 or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited by law. Ends: 11:59 p.m. PT on 1/31/20. Visit
warrenmiller.com to enter or submit the sweeps entry card at the show. See Official Rules for details. Sponsor: Warren Miller Entertainment, Inc.
Baker Boyd drops into
spring corn off the
slopes of Obergurgl,
Austria.
BY JENNY WIEGAND
PHOTOS BY MATT HARDY
AUTOBAHN
ADVENTURE
In search of high-speed adventure, Aspen native
Baker Boyd and Whistler local Ian Morrison head
out on a road trip from Munich, Germany to the
Austrian Alps, home to some of the best freeride
terrain in Europe. From the minute they hit the
Autobahn, the duo has one mission: Charge.
TRIP
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 69
AA USTRIA
ABOVE:
Boyd and Ian Morrison
work to get the goods
beyond Sölden’s pistes.
If the backdrop looks
familiar it’s because
you’ve seen it in the
2015 James Bond flick,
Spectre.
LEFT:
Boyd and Morrison enjoy
the views from the top
of Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
ski area at 3,000 meters
(9,800 feet).
RIGHT:
Boyd sends a 360 over
Zürs, one of the five ski
towns connected by
Arlberg’s slopes.
70 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
LEFT:
The Top Mountain Star,
a stunning summit bar
at the top of Hochgurgl,
is perched above the
Austrian-Italian border
and offers spectacular
360-degree views of the
surrounding peaks.
BELOW:
A stormy day in Sölden
didn’t interfere with the
athletes’ agenda to hit
every feature in sight.
Morrison throws it back
with a spread eagle
under Sölden’s tram.
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 71
AA USTRIA
1 2 3
ARLBERG
Dubbed the “Cradle of
Alpine Skiing” because
this is where modern
ski technique was
pioneered, the Arlberg
region is Austria’s largest
ski area (and the world’s
5th largest). Eighty-eight
lifts connect Arlberg’s
five historic ski towns of
St. Anton, St. Christoph,
Stuben, Lech, and Zürs,
forming a massive web
of nearly 200 miles
of groomed slopes.
Info: skiarlberg.at/en
OBERGURGL-
HOCHGURGL
Thanks to a high base
elevation, the Obergurgl-
Hochgurgl ski area,
dubbed the Diamond of
the Alps, is one of the
most snow-sure resorts in
Austria. Nestled at the far
end of the picturesque
Ötztal valley, the ski
area comprised of two
resorts is connected by
a gondola and offers up
miles of groomed slopes
and freeride terrain.
Info: oetztal.com
SÖLDEN
Europeans jonesing for
ski season to start head
to Sölden, also located
in the Ötztal valley and
home of the Rettenbach
and Tiefenbachferner
glaciers, which open
in September each
season. These glaciers
offer more than 21
miles of runs; when the
adjacent slopes of the
Sölden ski area open,
that increases to 89
miles of piste perfection.
Info: soelden.com
4KITZBÜHEL
Kitzbühel became
synonymous with skiing
when ski pioneer Franz
Reisch imported the first
wooden skis and skied
down the steep slopes
above the quintessential
Austrian town in 1893.
Today, thousands of ski
racing enthusiasts flock
to the historic mountain
town in January to cheer
and party at ski racing’s
most spectacular event:
the Hahnenkamm.
Info: kitzbuehel.com/en
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH COCHRAN
72 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
1 2
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF LECH ZUERS TOURISM/CHRISTOPH SCHOECH; COURTESY OF ÖTZTAL TOURISM; COURTESY OF KITZBÜHEL TOURISMUS/MICHAEL WERLBERER; COURTESY OF BERGBAHNEN SÖLDEN
3
Lech Zürs am Arlberg
The Tiefenbachkogl viewing
platform, Sölden
WHERE TO GO:
GETTING THERE
The most convenient access point from the U.S.
to the Austrian Alps is Munich, Germany. Fly
into Munich International Airport, a two-hour
drive from Kitzbühel and a three-hour drive
from St. Anton. If renting a car and driving, be
sure to pick up a “Vignette,” a road tax sticker
needed to drive on highways in Austria.
STAY
Kitzbühel: Gasthof Jodlbühel, jodlbuehel.at;
Sölden: Hotel Das Central 5*, central-soelden
.com; Arlberg: Hotel Maiensee, maiensee.com
SIGHTS AND SLOPES
Kitzbühel: If you can, plan your visit to
coincide with the Hahnenkamm World
Cup Downhill race on Jan. 24-27 to experience
Kitzbühel’s ski racing culture and
après. Sölden: Check out 007 Elements,
a James Bond installation situated at
the top of the mountain where scenes of
Spectre were filmed. Hochgurgl: Take in
stunning views from the Top Mountain Star.
Arlberg: Experience world-class freeriding
by booking a guide and skiing the famed
Valluga North Face.
4
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area
Kitzbühel
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 73
Eldora Mountain Resort may not be a
household name, but its fans are devoted
to this place known for building community
and welcoming all. Here. U.S. Snowboard
Team member Chase Blackwell
shows how it’s done in Eldora’s vibrant
park and pipe scene.
74 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
HOME
GROWN
MEET THE DIVERSE TAPESTRY OF
ELDORA LOCALS AND DIEHARDS WHO
COMPRISE THE TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY OF
BOULDER, COLORADO’S BACKYARD HILL.
PHOTOS BY IAN ANDERSON
AND IZZIE RAITT
IAN ANDERSON
WARRENMILLER.COM TIMELESS
SPECIAL ISSUE SKI MAGAZINE 75
EE LDORA
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
Longtime Eldora rider and
local shop owner Raul Pinto
spends much of his winters on
the slopes of Eldora mentoring
young riders and strengthening
the mountain’s vibrant snowboarding
community.
Eldora’s annual end of season
pond skim turned into a chance
for a movie cameo in Timeless.
Good thing this competitor was
dressed for the occasion.
Pinto doing what he loves.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: IAN ANDERSON; IZZIE RAITT; IAN ANDERSON
76 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE
TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
ELDORA
E
ABOVE: Nederland
locals Barb and Scott
Henderson do what they
enjoy most—carving the
slopes of Eldora.
RIGHT: The pair, both
former ski racers, have
traveled the world but
chose to settle down in
tiny Nederland, where
they can see the slopes
of Eldora from their deck.
WHERE TO GO:
GETTING THERE
The closest skiing and snowboarding from
Boulder, Colorado can be found at Eldora
Mountain Resort, about 20 miles up Boulder
Canyon just outside the town of Nederland.
Ride the RTD’s N Route bus from Boulder, which
deposits skiers and riders steps from the resort’s
Alpenglow Chair. In Boulder, catch the bus at
the Transit Center, the Boulder County Justice
Center, or Settler’s Park. Visit rtd-denver.com
for this season’s schedule.
IN TOWN
The quirky town of Nederland couldn’t be a
better home base for Eldora. Stop into Salto,
where owner Karina Luscher roasts coffee
beans in-house to ensure a taste and quality
that’s up to her standards. Take home a bag of
her Salto blend. Crosscut Pizzeria & Taphouse
makes tasty pies made with Colorado-milled
flour and serves wine and beer on tap. Finally,
for $2, take a spin on the Carousel of
Happiness, a restored 1910 carousel.
IAN ANDERSON (2)
78 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
THIS IS PRO SKI RACING
BRINGING DUAL PRO SKI RACING TO THE WORLD
W O R L D P R O S K I T O U R . C O M
BB ACK P A GE
70TH ANNIVERSARY
HIGHLIGHT REEL
A look back at the WME crew’s favorite films over the years.
2009: DYNASTY
“This film contains so many
iconic Warren Miller elements.
Adaptive athletes battling on
the skier cross course in Aspen
at Winter X Games, remote ski
touring under the midnight sun
in the Lyngen Alps of Norway,
and of course one of the best
stories of all time, a journey to
the Altai Mountains in China to
ski with a family who has been
making their own skis for generations.”
– Josh Haskins, Producer
2018: FACE OF
WINTER
“Loved the
cross-country
segment featuring
Jessie Diggins. That
moment in Olympic
history shook the
whole world. To see
it on film gave me
chills.”
—Forrest Jillson,
Athlete
1964: THE SKIERS
“This movie from way-back-when featured a
high schooler named Rebel who had killer
flow and was surely one of the pioneers of the
micro-tranny.”
—Jim Ryan, Athlete
2003: JOURNEY
“This movie included
a segment filmed in
France featuring wing
suits. It was insane. It
was when wing suits
were first coming out
and this Frenchman
set the record for the
longest flight. I was a
kid and my mind was
blown!”
– Tyler Ceccanti,
Athlete
2012: FLOW STATE
“In the film, Jess
McMillan is eating at
a diner when she receives
a text from Chris
Davenport and Ted
Ligety inviting her to go
heli-skiing. She pays her
bill and hops in a race
car to make it to the heli
pad in time for take-off.
That’s my dream ski
movie segment.”
—Caite Zeliff, Athlete
1994: VERTICAL REALITY
“I always remember the segment
shot in India in this film. Neon
one-piece suits, riding elephants,
locals skiing on handmade skis.
It’s got it all.”
—AJ Oliver, Athlete
2015: CHASING SHADOWS
“Going to Nepal with
Seth Wescott was one epic
adventure!”
– Rob Kingwill, Athlete
2010: WINTERVENTION
“Getting to film in my
hometown of Lech was a
huge honor.”
– Lorraine Huber, Athlete
2007: PLAYGROUND
“Filming in Dubai was an
amazing experience.”
– Austin Ross, Athlete
2001: COLD FUSION
“There are so many good films,
but this one featuring the Alaska
segment with Rob Kingwill
and Julie Zell is my favorite.”
– Cam Fitzpatrick, Athlete
1991: BORN TO SKI
“My mom was in a really
badass all-girls segment with
one-legged skier Dianna
Goldman in this movie.”
—Jaelin Kauf, Athlete
WARREN MILLER FILM ARCHIVES (5)
80 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
Proud sponsor of fresh tracks.
Available 4MOTION® all-wheel drive.
Face winter with the Volkswagen Atlas, Tiguan, and Golf Alltrack.
Volkswagen is a proud presenting sponsor of Warren Miller’s film
Timeless. Go to warrenmiller.com to further your experience.
©201 9 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Proud sponsor of fresh tracks.
Available 4MOTION® all-wheel drive.
Face winter with the Volkswagen Atlas, Tiguan, and Golf Alltrack.
Volkswagen is a proud presenting sponsor of Warren Miller’s film
Timeless. Go to warrenmiller.com to further your experience.
©201 9 Volkswagen of America, Inc.