If you poll the folks here at Warren Miller it’s a safe bet that everyone will list skiing, boarding, or outdoor adventure as their greatest passion. As for me, I’m a bit of a misfit in this world of cinematography and powder hounds. My greatest passion isn’t skiing or the outdoors. It’s Bruce Springsteen.

Don’t get me wrong. I love skiing, but I love Bruce Springsteen more. Way more. Let me set the scene. I own a life-sized cardboard cutout of Bruce that’s traveled with me around the intermountain west and accompanied me to many work parties and date nights. I’m not joking. In the third grade, my class was asked to paint self-portraits and mine bore a striking resemblance to Bruce. This solicited a call home from my teacher for not following directions or some nonsense. Last month, I had the honor of meeting him in Denver. Although our meeting was short (seven seconds to be exact) it will go down in history as the best day of my entire life. Heck, I feel bad for my future husband because our wedding will definitely take a back seat to the time I met The Boss.

There are many reasons why I love The Boss. To name a few: his lyricism, passion, persistence, and ability to rock the house. So, when my actual boss at Warren Miller asked me to create a playlist with my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs to ski to before my seasonal job here wrapped up, I knew it would be hard to be concise, but I gladly accepted.

You see, creating this playlist and post fits into my master plan: convert the deaf ears of the millennial generation to one day sing The Gospel of the Boss. It’s been a long ride on the struggle bus trying to convert my ski buddies. They prefer artists like LCD Soundsystem, Odesza, or music with enough “womp” to knock you off the lift. I get it – Bruce isn’t for everyone, but his music echoes sentiments that closely parallel ski culture and the attitude so many of us have about skiing – freedom, escapism, chasing your dreams. These feelings are what I chase when I ski. For me, it makes sense to listen to Bruce when I’m on the hill. His music forges the perfect soundtrack.

The mug I created to commemorate the best day of my entire life.

With this post as my soapbox, I’m going to sing The Gospel of The Boss in hopes that you’ll play a few of his tracks the next time you hit the resort or backcountry. Enjoy!

Born to Run
Mmm, classic Bruce. Thankfully, this song isn’t about actual running because if it were, I couldn’t relate. It echoes the themes listed above: freedom, escapism, and chasing your dreams. That is what skiing is about for me! Escaping the office, the responsibilities of life and doing what I enjoy. "Born to Run" is the fuel that gets me on the hill and keeps me coming back for more.

Growin’ Up
This old school song is as good as any bass-heavy electronic track out there. I skip ahead to "Growin’ Up" when I’m cruising down groomers on warm spring days.

E-Street Shuffle
Another oldie but goodie, this song’s funky riffs and quirky lyrics keep my energy levels high even when my body feels fatigued.  

Wrecking Ball
"Wrecking Ball" is a battle cry and it’s become my anthem. The message: Bring it on because I’m ready to give it my best shot! This song’s meaning casts a wide net. You can apply it to almost any circumstance in your life – whatever comes your way, give it your best and your all. On the hill, I listen to "Wrecking Ball" when I need a tune to get my mind ready for a challenging bump run or aggressive line through the trees. Somehow it gives me confidence with just a touch of cockiness, which I often need when I get scared or stuck in my head.

The Fuse
Sometimes powder skiing is best accompanied by a slightly slower paced track that’s easy to move with like "The Fuse". It provides the perfect amount of heavy base and trancy drum beat.

The Rising
"The Rising" builds in anticipation as do the drums, bass, and vocals until they clash in a righteous chorus of triumph and passion. I love listening to "The Rising" on back country tours. The intro and first few verses power me uphill until the chorus hits.

Mary’s Place
This is by far Bruce’s best après song. It’s about getting everyone together to party and have a good time. Throw it on for your post-ski tailgate and turn it up!

No Surrender
The title pretty much sums up why this song is one of my go-to’s on the hill, but I’ll give you some context. "No Surrender" is about breaking loose, sticking it to the man (as Bruce often sings about) and vowing to never retreat. The lyrics throw me back to high school when I was stuck in Illinois. It served as a reminder that I was getting closer to escaping the flatlands and starting a new life in Colorado.

Thank you Warren Miller Entertainment for an incredible tour season and thank you Bruce for a life filled with adventure and rock 'n' roll!
-Amanda

Amanda Markert was the 2016 Marketing Assistant at Warren Miller Entertainment. We wish her well and can't wait to find her on the slopes this winter, skiing with Springsteen.