SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Office of Tourism’s sponsorship of OFF THE GRID marks the first time that any state entity has sponsored the Warren Miller film tour, in the 57-year history of the series of action winter sports films.
“An increase in our advertising budget due to the generous support of the Utah Legislature has allowed us to partner with Warren Miller for the first time,” said Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism, Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our new Utah Life Elevated brand to ski enthusiasts across the country.”
The Warren Miller tour crisscrosses the country from October to December 2006 as a limited release with 400-plus screenings in more than 180 cities in 35 states. City stops include New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Often arriving in town for one night only, the screenings have historically marked the official start of winter for skiers from coast to coast. The film’s star athletes attend many screenings, generating audience excitement and a festival-type atmosphere.
“Warren Miller Entertainment is the most recognized and respected name in the action sports film industry. It is only fitting for Utah, the home of The Greatest Snow on Earth®, to team up with them,” added Nathan Rafferty, Ski Utah’s president. “We’re pleased that the State recognizes the Warren Miller films as a viable outlet to promote Utah skiing. Utah’s sponsorship of this tour coupled with the epic snow footage in our segment provides unmatched exposure for our superior ski product to hundreds of thousands of skiers nation-wide.”
OFF THE GRID features an 8-minute Utah ski segment featuring renowned, locally-based athletes Jeremy Nobis, Jamey Parks, Jamie Pierre, Julian Carr and Jenn Berg. A Utah commercial will air before each screening to provide additional exposure for the state’s ski industry.
Local Screening Schedule:
Oct. 19: Park City, George S. and Delores Dore’ Eccles Center, 8 p.m.
Oct. 20: Salt Lake City, Abravanel Hall, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.
Oct. 21: Ogden, Peery’s Egyptian Theatre, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Nov. 9 and 10: Logan, Kent Concert Hall at Utah State University, 8 p.m.
Please direct questions and interview requests to:
Karen Boe
Boe Marketing
Office: (801) 484-8971 | Cell: (801) 230-5404 | Email: marketing1slc@aol.com
Warren Miller Utah Athlete Bios
Jenn Berg - Salt Lake City, UT
With a multitude of SKI Magazine appearances and skiing for several film companies, not to mention her fifth Warren Miller movie, Jenn has continued to show her presence in the ski industry. After spending ten years in Truckee, California, Berg has made the move to Salt Lake City, Utah. Jenn can now be found skiing every inch that the Wasatch Mountains have to offer.
Julian Carr - Salt Lake City, UT
Racking up over 2,100 vertical feet in cliff drops is just one thing that Julian Carr accomplished last year in Utah. He has made a name for himself as one of the best freeskiers in the world and also as one of the top hucksters; putting himself out in the air with the world's best, Jamie Pierre. Carr does not think of himself as the rock star skier he is, but simply says "It's simple, I just love cliffs."
Jamey Parks - Salt Lake City, Utah
Jamey Parks grew up skiing and racing in Vermont at Mount Snow and Sugarbush. Before graduating from University of Colorado in 2000, Parks spent two years racing in Steamboat Springs. Since college, he has been living and skiing in Salt Lake City because of the awesome snow. After qualifying for the X-Games, Jamey was picked up by both Salomon and Scott. Recently, Parks has been focusing more on photos and film and really enjoying his time in the backcountry as he searches for great turns, cliffs, and lines.
Jeremy Nobis - Park City, Utah
After Jeremy Nobis experienced a respectable, though unremarkable, career as an Olympian and World Cup racer, he quit ski racing at twenty-six. Now, at thirty-four, he is known as "The Icon" among freeriders in Europe and America. Nobis has also been called "Psycho Nobi." As a skier, it was either full-throttle on or off. Top finishes at the World Extreme Championships (1996) and the X-Games (1999) landed Nobis on several magazine covers, a peak achievement for athletes in the freeskiing world. Consequently, filmmakers instantly recognized Nobis as a unique talent.
Jamie Pierre - Salt Lake City, UT
“Escaping Death” is Jamie Pierre's middle name. Residing in Utah has afforded Pierre endless opportunities to drop some of the biggest cliffs known to man. After setting the record for the largest cliff drop at 145 ft, Pierre decided that wasn't enough. Last year he did the unimaginable by dropping 255 feet in the Teton backcountry, shattering his previous record and most likely creating a record that will stick for quite sometime.
