Snow brings invtation to watch, board and ski
Those who are avid football fans understand the anticipation for the season’s first official practice with pads, the first preseason rankings, and of course the sweet, sweet home opener. For those hungry enthusiasts, life just doesn’t feel the same until after the first signs of life in their sport of choice. It’s the same experience for those who long for winter’s first snow. For some, life culminates every winter with the first snow followed a few months later by the first ride in fresh powder on a beautiful, crisp day in the mountains.
Every fall in Logan, many snow crazies celebrate the advent of winter by attending the annual showing of Warren Miller’s latest snow sport film. This fall is no different, as Warren Miller Entertainment prepares to bring its latest production, “Wintervention” to Logan Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall.
In light of the advent of “Wintervention,” The Statesman took the opportunity to sit down with retired Warren Miller photographer and ski and snowboard filming pioneer Gary Nate. Nate has been with popular freestyle skiing and snowboarding for nearly half a century. He has seen snowboarding evolve from its roots as an obscure alternative to skiing to the cultural mainstay and Olympic sport that it is today. Nate was also the first man to film a freestyle snowboarder.
Utah Statesman (US): How did you find yourself being paid to film skiers and snowboarders?
Gary Nate (GN): I went to the University of Utah on a football scholarship and got a degree in Business. I read a book by Warren Miller, and his theory on life was basically finding something you can do for nothing and figure out how to make a living at it. That seemed like a good idea to me, so I did a film, and it happened to be on skiing.
US: Why should Utah State students attend “Wintervention”?
GN: First of all, you get a great day of skiing at The Canyons! Furthermore, even if you’re not a skier or snowboarder, it’s a great movie. It’s the kickoff of winter. If you’re a skier, there’s skiing in there for you, and if you’re a snowboarder, there’s snowboarding in there. There are exotic places. There’s humor. There’s just something in there for everyone. People used to say to me, “I don’t ski. Why should I come to a ski movie?” I don’t kill people, but I still like to go to murder mysteries. It’s entertainment.
US: What do you see in the future of skiing? Do you think skiing will get less and less popular as snowboarding becomes more and more popular, as it has in the last decade?
GN:I think it’s about 50/50 right now, and I think it will remain about the same. Skiing has changed so much because of the wide boards and the different cuts on the skis. It’s almost like skiing on two snowboards. I just see it going the same way it’s been going, only with skiing getting a little more radical. It’s true that popularity will continue to increase because people will continue to innovate and push the envelope.
US: Having been involved in both the worlds of skiing and snowboarding, do you believe there’s a rivalry between the skiers and the snowboarders like there was several years ago when some people viewed skiers as the “old fogies” and the snowboarders were viewed as the stereotypical rebellious teens?
GN: I don’t think there’s as much now as there was. Now they’ve kind of accepted each other, and we’re all riding the same mountain with a big smile on our face.
US: Have you ever filmed for Warren Miller at Beaver Mountain?
GN: Yes, absolutely. A couple times. We’ve filmed some freestyle up there.
US: When it comes to quality of snow and mountains, how does Utah stack up with the rest of the world?
GN: We do have the best powder on the face of the Earth. We have the driest powder, it’s amazing. Everywhere else I go, they say, “Is this as good as your Utah powder?” We’re very lucky to have all these resorts in our backyard all with Utah powder.
US: Do you have a favorite place to ski?
GN: People would always ask Warren where his favorite place to ski was, and he would always say, “Anywhere where the snow is good, and I’m with good friends.”
Tickets for “Wintervention,”can be obtained in advance from Al’s Sporting Goods and the CCA Box Office in the Chase Fine Arts Center. For more information, visit warrenmiller.com.
– mike.rees@aggiemail.usu.edu