‘Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story’ is a ski legend’s last film. And it’s a must-watch for anyone who truly loves to ski.
“Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story,” which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2019, will be available online to stream on Discovery+ on Feb. 25.
The film follows the life and times of the legendary filmmaker Warren Miller, featuring interviews with professional extreme skiers, Olympic gold medalists, and filmmakers. The film also features Miller’s final interview before his passing in 2018.
“OK, uh, where do I sit?” Miller asks as he meanders into a room filled with screens, backdrops, tripods, and cameras. “Yeah, times have changed,” a producer jokes with Miller. “Oh boy, have they.” Miller bought his first 8mm film camera in 1946.
“We left the city to go to the mountains. That’s when you’re assumed to be a ski bum,” Miller says.
In 1946, he and his friend Ward Baker left the warm coast of California and drove up to Sun Valley, with nothing but some skis and a teardrop trailer (no heat). They had no chairlift passes, no lodging. And they stayed the whole winter — climbing up and skiing down.
Skiing, in Miller’s words, opens a gate to freedom. It’s unlike most other sports on Earth. And that thrill, that experience, is what Miller channeled in every single one of his films.
“Through his annual films and national tours, [Miller] was a driving force in the development and promotion of the ski industry in the U.S. and the world,” the film team wrote.
Miller shot, edited, narrated, and directed 56 films from 1950 to 2004. His legacy continues on with Warren Miller Entertainment, his namesake film company.
Patrick Creadon is the director of “Ski Bum.” Learn more about how to watch it here. And check out Warren Miller’s most iconic films here.
