A new documentary, "Will Ski 4 Food," which centers on an Ogden filmmaker and young Utah skiers who helped invent modern freestyle skiing, is set for its world premiere at Snowbasin Resort on October 16, 2026, according to ABC4 Utah and Snowbasin Resort’s events calendar. The film chronicles Gary Nate, who spent nearly four decades behind the camera for Warren Miller Films, and the circle of athletes who advanced the sport with him in the 1970s. The outdoor, festival-style premiere will bring the story back to the Ogden Valley, returning it to the mountains where much of this history began, ABC4 Utah reported. This event is significant for local residents, commuters, and outdoor enthusiasts as it celebrates a pivotal chapter in Utah's ski history, deeply rooted in the Ogden area and Snowbasin Resort.
Gary Nate's extensive career in ski cinematography began in 1973. While promoting his first ski film, he reached out to Warren Miller, a connection that launched a 40-year career with Warren Miller Films, during which Nate documented generations of skiers globally, according to an obituary published by The Standard-Examiner. The documentary's title, "Will Ski 4 Food," traces back to a photograph of Gary Nate holding a cardboard sign with that phrase, as ABC4 Utah reports. This image encapsulates the improvisational and scrappy spirit the film seeks to convey, following young skiers and a filmmaker from Ogden who, in the 1970s, pushed the boundaries of freestyle skiing at a time when the sport was still developing.
The production of "Will Ski 4 Food" is led by Nate's son, Colby Nate. His motivation was to tell his father's story and the journey that defined what freestyle skiing in Utah is today, ABC4 Utah states. Colby Nate produced the film alongside River Hyde and Rob Tovar, according to the production team's own account on willski4foodfilm.com. All three recently discussed the project on the Good Things Utah set in advance of the premiere.
The film delves into the friendships, creativity, determination, and passion that underscore this chapter of Utah ski history, ABC4 Utah reported. The production's website further notes that many of these stories are rooted in the ski culture surrounding Ogden, Utah, and Snowbasin Resort, highlighting how a small group of pioneers pushed the sport's boundaries and helped define what freestyle skiing would become. ABC4 Utah describes the athletes at the story's core as young, passionate individuals willing to take risks and create their own opportunities in a nascent sport. The documentary is framed as a celebration of a legacy that continues to shape Utah's skiing community today, the outlet reports.
The premiere event itself is being shaped as more than just a film screening. Filmmakers and athletes featured in the documentary are expected to attend. Attendees can also anticipate live music, food and drinks, and various giveaways, according to ABC4 Utah. On the production side, the team behind "Will Ski 4 Food" is inviting a select group of founding patrons and aligned sponsors to support the project's completion, as stated on the film's website. This local narrative holds particular relevance for residents of Ogden and surrounding communities, connecting them to the origins of a sport that continues to define the region's outdoor identity.
