California

Name a person who inspires you to be a better skier?

All my male and female ski buddies that create a group energy that cannot help but keep me psyched and on  my game.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Winter sports and really all sports should be accessible for the disabled. When I see the smiles on the faces of those people making their first turns I am truly inspired. I also cannot stay enough about the professionalism of the Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol. They should have the finest equipment available to keep us all safe.

Breakfast of champions?

A cup of Joe with friends and the great staff of the Members Locker Room at Palisades Tahoe and then any bowl of my mountain filled with snow flakes, of course, and topped with big dollops of powdered sugar and a “latte” of that all day long!

Favorite chairlift and why?

KT-22 aka “The Mothership” at Palisades Tahoe. The diversity of challenging pistes, varied exposures and conditions, offers skiers and riders the most awesome 1800 ft. of vertical they could want.

The most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this year? (books, podcasts, TV shows)

I’m interested in anything to do with science and the Universe and the new discoveries being made every day. A first descent of Olympus Mons on Mars is a dream I have. At 20 miles high and ruby red snow, a nonstopper would make an entire WME movie!

Fictitious character you most identify with from a book, movie, etc. and why?

James Bond. He gets a lot of action in all regards.

Highlight memory from filming with WME for this year's film?

I enjoyed getting up on the mountain before the general public and reveling in the beauty and quiet serenity of a ski area getting prepared for a day of joyous activity and, of course, getting some freshies with the cameras  rolling.

Gear you are loving right now, on or off the ski slopes, and why?

Volkl skis, Salomon skis and bindings, Helly Hansen clothing, and the great Arc’teryx pants and jackets that really keep me dry on the wet days.

What is a cause you care about that you'd love to share with the Warren Miller audience?

I care about the environment. Litter is offensive. The beauty of nature cannot be enjoyed if we have little respect for it.

How do you think the year 2020 will shape the future of skiing?

Besides the mask mandate I was extremely impressed with the actions taken by the employee and staff of my mountain. Courtesy ruled and I am proud of each and every employee that enabled Palisades Tahoe to stay open for the entire season.

What is your vision for the future of skiing?

The popularity of skiing/riding is definitely on the rise, good for the industry but not without an impact on those of us who enjoyed less crowded slopes and facilities. Less expensive pass prices have had a big impact as well.  Uphill capacity, always an issue, shorter lift lines, ease of access to and from the mountain, upgrades to lifts and infrastructure, and mountain safety, are issues that must be addressed by the industry to reduce the frustrations of the ever increasing customer base.

Favorite classic ski film and why?

I really enjoy “Hot Dog..The Movie”. Filmed at Squaw Valley and the local Tahoe area, many of its cast of talented characters are people I still ski with. It stands out as a cult classic on par with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.

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Don't miss Doug in our 72nd film, Winter Starts Now, dropping Fall 2021!

FEATURED ATHLETE: JONNY MOSELEY 

 

 

Wish I could remember back that far. The photos are awesome. I do remember losing my sick Oakley blades I won when I was 10. Damn, I miss those still. I remember sleeping in the car a lot on long drives.

 

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?

Gold Medal

 

Any nicknames?

Jmo, JBAM, Slomo, Motown (Karaoke AE), Mozor, Kzor, Mose, Jonathan, Jonny F-in Moseley, Stinky

 

Favorite ski films?

Extreme Winter, Blizzard of Ahhhs, Degenerates, and Art of Flight.

 

 

Current favorite piece of gear? Why?
Marker Duke Bindings. They have opened up the world to me. I can look at things differently now with this AT set up.

How do you like spending your down days?
Movies, writing and working on my Youth Project. I have a foundation for kids.

Fondest memory from learning to ski or ride?
My fondest is my earliest. Riding on my dad's back down a bump run. I was less than a year old and remember everything about one portion of it.

Do you have any hidden talents?
Music... The need to create and inspire music through amazing artists.

What would your superpower be?
Climbing; Spiderman skills

Spirit animal?
Eagle

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
They are all connected. So I'm proud of the battle and I'm still here and still battling.

Do you have any pets? What are their names?
No...used to...I have plants now. The same two plants for 28 years.

Can you speak any other languages? What other languages would you like to learn?
I would love to learn Italian. I go to Italy twice a year

What is your biggest goal/something you hope to achieve in your ski career?
I want to be in influence. That somehow my combination of experiences inspire others to love this sport or the lifestyle involved.


Featured Athlete: JT Holmes 

 

 

Name a person who inspires you to be a better skier?

Shane McConkey (deceased), Timy Dutton (deceased), and Jeff Engergretson (alive and working for WME).

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Buy an airplane, payoff my families debts, then helicopter ski, or maybe purchase my own ski resort.

Breakfast of champions?

Breakfast sandwich from Wildflour Baking Company in Squaw Valley's Olympic House.

Favorite chairlift?

KT-22 at Squaw Valley.

The most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this year? (books, podcasts, TV shows)

Blitzed by Norman Ohler.

Fictitious character you most identify with from a book, movie, etc. and why?

James Bond because he uses clever pieces of gear to outwit his opponents with a confident swagger.

Highlight memory from filming with WME for this year's film?

Speedriding at Solitude right off the chairlift as well as in their nearly endless lift acccessed backcountry.

Gear you are loving right now, on or off the ski slopes, and why?

Alps & Meters Patrol knit sweater and their Alpine WInter Trouser. Both are warm, breathable and very stylish. I like their stuff because of the comfort and because I look different than anyone else on the mountain. I get compliments on my attire all day!

What is a cause you care about that you'd love to share with the Warren Miller audience?

Red Bull's Wings For Life. They raise money for spinal cord injury research.

How do you think the year 2020 will shape the future of skiing?

It was nice to stay at home and ski Squaw Valley rather than travel a bunch. COVID travel bans definitely had their silver linings.

What is your vision for the future of skiing & snowboarding?

I would like to see North American skiers and riders skiing with parachutes inbounds just like they do throughout Europe and Scandinavia. I have seen families of four with kids 11 and 14 speedriding like it is no big deal. In fact, it is not a difficult activity and it should not have the stigma of an extreme sport.

What do you do to calm your butterflies before a big line/moment?

Take slow deep breaths, then exhale with my lips softly closed but relaxed. This makes that horse like sound and flappy lip movement. If you are too tense to flap your lips, you should take a moment to calm down and push the fear aside.

Favorite classic ski film and why?

That is a tough one but it is hard to beat Hot Dog: The Movie. It is hilarious and captures the vibe of early days Squaw Valley freestyle skiing.

What makes the Warren Miller films different than other films you have done?

The cool thing about the Warren Miller program is the tours. Just the fact that it’s still based around having everybody in one room and you feel that energy and pre-season ski stoke, and that just really fires me up, to go and shoot stuff that I know is going to get people off their seats and just stoked.

So you have spent some time speed riding. Is it one of your favorite ways to ski?

Speed riding is adding a fourth dimension to skiing. Suddenly you're able to ski all sorts of places that otherwise aren't available, and you do that by flying over the sections that are un-skiable or even just undesirable to ski, and what that does is it allows you to just ski the highest quality ski experience, and then you're using the wind as transportation to the next high quality ski experience. It's almost gluttonous with the amount of fresh tracks we're able to get and the amount of fun we're able to have.

It's a pretty innovative way to ski, what motivates you to keep innovating?

First of all, it's just fun. Second, doing something new that is really uncommonly done or never done before, that adds kind of an exploration element to it where you feel like you're figuring something out and conquering new territory and it really kind of triggers a new type of motivation. You brainstorm something interesting to do and then you figure out what toys you need to bring or develop in order to make it possible and then when you do complete it, it's not only fun but also an accomplishment feeling. That's really what motivates me.

Anything you would say to someone looking to give speed riding a go?

Everybody needs to try speed riding. Put it on the bucket list and then scratch it off the bucket list and put it on the now list, because it’s just so dang fun. I know a lot about having fun - I'm an expert at having fun, and this is really fun. And it’s not that hard.

 

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Don't miss JT in our 72nd film, Winter Starts Now, dropping Fall 2021!