Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, winter sports enthusiasts fill the historic Frauenthal Theater in downtown Muskegon for Warren Miller Entertainment’s latest exploration of some of the most spectacular scenery and toughest skiing terrain in the world.
Watching the newest iconic winter sports film is a seasonal tradition in large and small communities across Michigan and across the country. For skiers and snowboarders, winter starts with Warren Miller, and this year the film is “Chasing Shadows.”
“The show itself is a good thing for the community and it gets people fired up about being active in the winter,” says Andrew Horton, a past Muskegon event sponsor and owner of Northern Edge Snowsports in North Muskegon. “Skiers and boarders do look forward to it.”
The 66th edition of the winter sports action film series celebrates the renegade spirit of those who love the sport. As Warren Miller once said, “A pair of skis are the ultimate transportation to freedom.”
Although Miller, now in his 90s, is no longer involved in the making of the films, this year’s “Chasing Shadows,” like its predecessors, takes viewers on an inspiring cinematic journey as elite skiers and boarders find that freedom while chasing storms, dreams and premier powder on the world’s highest peaks.
“Chasing Shadows” features interviews and footage from some of the biggest names in the sport, including J.T. Holmes, Seth Wescott, Caroline Gleich, Steven Nyman, Marcus Caston, Ingrid Backstrom and more. They explore the French Alps, Alaska’s Chugach, Utah’s Wasatch, the Chilean Andes and the mightiest range of them all: the Himalayas. Other highlights are the U.S. freestyle team and fringe snow sports such as monoskiing, powdersurfing and speedriding.
Some events offer exclusive resort and retail savings, including free and discount lift tickets and the chance to win ski vacations, gear and other swag.
“You’re there with a lot of people who are excited about winter, so it’s fun,” says Ken Griffin, director of marketing for Boyne Resorts. “Really, for us, the people who go to Warren Miller movies are the pied pipers — the people who can’t wait for winter. They take their excitement back to their friends.”
Boyne Resorts has been a regional sponsor for more than a decade and offers a 2-for-1 lift ticket coupon and prize drawings for a weekend getaway or season pass to those who purchase a ticket. The resort sends representatives to about 30 showings, more than 20 of them in Michigan. Several cities, including Flint, Three Rivers, Kalamazoo, Marquette and Mt. Pleasant, offered November viewings, but there’s still time to get your Warren Miller fix and reignite the excitement for the season ahead. For more information, visit skinet.com/warrenmiller.
— Marla R. Miller, Michigan BLUE Magazine.
Photography Courtesy Warren Miller Entertainment/ Sverre Hjornevik & Ian Provo
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