CARRABASSETT VALLEY —From the early days of Amos Winter, to the World Cup in 1971, to homecoming celebrations for two-time Olympic snowboard cross champion Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf’s place in the American ski industry has been as storied as the colorful characters who call the mountain home.

On Oct. 9, during the resort’s annual Homecoming Weekend, Sugarloaf will celebrate its story when it debuts a new feature film, “Big Mountain. Big Love.”

Featuring high-definition skiing and snowboarding action shot at Sugarloaf during the 2009-10 season, the film showcases Sugarloaf’s history and the unique personalities who helped shape the resort, which has planned a 60th anniversary celebration in January of 2011.

“It’s first and foremost a ski movie, with some incredible HD footage from this past season,” said Brad Larsen, Sugarloaf’s vice president of sales and marketing. “But it’s also an interesting look at Sugarloaf’s past, present and future. Sugarloafers will love it, and we hope that it helps to inspire new generations as well.”

To produce the film, Sugarloaf teamed up with Kurt Miller of Synergy Productions and Chris Keig of WebEye Group. Miller is the son of ski movie legend Warren Miller and was owner of Warren Miller Entertainment from 1980-2007, where he produced many of the most iconic and memorable ski movies in history.

Keig, who directed the movie, is a film producer based in Boulder, Colo., and former head of production for Warren Miller Entertainment. Keig produced the snowboarding action sequence featured in the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics.

“I’ve worked in the ski industry for years and was struck by the allure of this mountain up in northern Maine,” Keig said. “After talking with the people in the area, I realized that this Sugarloaf mentality was not a contrived marketing idea, but an actual personality of all who call the mountain home. I was struck by the strong sense of pride and the family mentality of all who refer to themselves as Sugarloafers.”

The world premiere of the new film will take place at 8 p.m. on Oct. 9, outdoors on The Beach at Sugarloaf.

Sugarloaf will host additional screenings of the movie throughout the fall and winter, and DVDs will be available for purchase at all Sugarloaf retail locations throughout the winter. For more information, visit www.sugarloaf.com.


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