A new documentary is set to chronicle the early days of freestyle skiing through the story of Ogden, Utah native Gary Nate and the group of athletes and innovators who helped shape the sport.
The film, titled Will Ski 4 Food, is being produced by Nate’s son, Colby Nate, alongside River Hyde and Rob Tovar. The project grew out of a personal effort to document Gary Nate’s remarkable career and has developed into a larger look at an influential period in skiing history.
From Independent Ski Filmmaker to Warren Miller
In 1973, Gary Nate left his job to pursue an independent ski film project. That decision eventually launched a nearly four decade career filming with Warren Miller and documenting some of the sport’s most influential athletes and developments.
His story provides the foundation for Will Ski 4 Food, which explores the community surrounding the early freestyle skiing movement and the people who pushed the boundaries of what was possible on skis. Many of those stories are connected to Ogden and Snowbasin Resort, where a number of the athletes featured in the documentary trained and competed.
A Look at Freestyle Skiing’s Early Days
The documentary features a collection of athletes and pioneers who played roles in the development of freestyle skiing. The featured legends include Bobbie Chambers, Doug Coleman, Mike Hart, Jeff Hyde, Tom Leavitt, Craig Olsen, Bob Salerno, Kenny Wright, Robert Young and Bobbie Burns.
The film will also feature Deno Dudunake, Tom Jungst, Scot Schmidt and Wayne Wong.
Together, their stories offer a look at a formative period when a relatively small group of skiers began experimenting with new approaches to the sport and helped establish many of the foundations of modern freestyle skiing.
Preserving Ski History
Colby Nate is leading the project as director, with Hyde and Tovar joining him on the production team. The filmmakers are currently seeking founding patrons and aligned sponsors to help complete the documentary.
Those supporters will be recognized as partners in preserving a significant chapter of ski history and bringing the stories of these early pioneers to a wider audience.