Granby, Colorado — Over the past few years, Teton Gravity Research has partnered with Indy Pass to highlight the opposite of what the ski industry appears to become: hometown ski areas with affordable prices. Their first film was In Pursuit of Soul, which covered the impact of independent mountain resorts.
In 2022, TGR released In Pursuit of Soul 2: Midwest Independence, a documentary about ski areas in that region.
For this year’s film, Teton Gravity Research has created a film documenting non-profit ski areas. Mountains Not For Profit examines four ski areas: Antelope Butte, Maine’s Black Mountain, Shames Mountain, and Whaleback Mountain. These four ski areas are restoring the soul of the ski industry.
“At the Indy Pass, we support all of our independent mountains, for-profit, non-profit, and co-op. We jumped at the chance to work with TGR and help tell the impactful stories of some of our non-profit/co-op mountain partners,” said Erik Mogensen, Managing Director at the Indy Pass. “We went all in because the message behind this film is so important, and we profoundly believe in these mountains. All mountains, are vital to their communities and the future of skiing.”
The film is directed by Drew Holt, who produced Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season and In Pursuit Of Soul. Here’s what he had to say about being part of creating this film:
“This is a really important story in following up on our previous films in this space, In Pursuit of Soul. The people who help these non-profit/co-op mountains survive and thrive are really special – and the people who are supported by these mountains and these communities are inspiring – they absolutely keep the soul of skiing alive.”
I’m excited to see Whaleback Mountain as part of this documentary. It’s one of my local mountains, and it seemed like they would close for good in 2013. This non-profit model saved the mountain, and it slowly became a year-round community hub. I was there for their Fall Flannel Fest last week, and it sounds like they have various noteworthy improvements on deck for this winter.
The film will be released on Teton Gravity Research’s YouTube page on November 26th. Before then, they’ll be premieres near the four ski areas featured in the film: November 1st in Terrace, BC, November 8th in Sheridan, Wyoming, November 16th in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and November 22nd in Rumford, Maine.
Image/Video Credits: Teton Gravity Research, Whaleback Mountain