It’s Warren Miller time

Colorado, skiing, snowboarding, Warren Miller | dlacord | Thursday, November 4th, 2010 at 8:33 am

John Morrison in Antarctica

Four words: Penguins, pow pow and polar bears. Or is that five words? Whatever.

It’s one way to describe this year’s Warren Miller extravaganza.

Called “Wintervention,” this year’s ski film focuses on ski and board addicts who throw aside jobs, responsibilities, families, and finances in the pursuit of snow. Sure, the plot is a little thin, but it works because, after all, it’s November.

If you haven’t gotten tickets, you still can – it’s Friday and Saturday at the Pikes Peak Center (go to www.pikespeakcenter.com for more info). If you aren’t local, you can get dates for other locations here.

And if you haven’t been daydreaming about powder, this film will fuel your imagination and make you check the calendar for possible “sick days.” Vail Resorts and Telluride are featured prominently in this year’s show, but don’t look for freebies there – ticket holders will go home with buy one/get one offers at Steamboat, Winter Park and Crested Butte, along with a coupon for Colorado Ski & Golf.

This is the 61^st year for WM, but there’s no footage of Warren or his distinctive voice. Miller sold his company in the 1980s to Warren Miller Entertainment. Now, after considerable legal wrangling, the two are separate entities, with WME only owning Miller’s name in ski films and magazines and Miller himself relaunching the Warren Miller Company.

But that’s boring. Let’s talk “Wintervention.”

As in previous years, the film crew travels the world, starting in Antarctica and ending in Norway, 500 miles from the North Pole. In between, there are jaunts to Austria and British Columbia, with a long visit at Vail Resorts and a loving tribute to Telluride. Colorado’s ski legends feature prominently, with Chris Anthony and Chris Davenport getting the most screen time. And Lindsey Vonn even makes an appearance, answering the burning question: what do ski racers do when they aren’t training?

You say you’re not a big mountain kind of person? Heli-skiing isn’t on your to-do list? You’ve never skied anywhere except Colorado? Go for the penguins.

– Deb Acord

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