A new documentary 50 years in the making is set to premiere at Snowbasin Resort on October 16, telling the story of an Ogden filmmaker and the young Utah skiers who helped invent modern freestyle skiing. Will Ski 4 Food centers on Gary Nate, who went on to spend nearly four decades behind the camera for Warren Miller Films, and the small circle of athletes who pushed the sport forward with him in the 1970s.
The film's world premiere takes place October 16, 2026 at Snowbasin Resort, according to ABC4 Utah. The outdoor, festival-style premiere will bring the story back to the Ogden Valley, per the same report, returning it to the mountains where much of the history began. Snowbasin's own events calendar describes it as the world premiere of a documentary about Gary Nate, the ski cinematographer who spent nearly 40 years behind the camera for Warren Miller, and the athletes who shaped skiing alongside him, according to Snowbasin Resort's events page.
From a Cardboard Sign to a Career Behind the Lens
The documentary's title traces back to a single photograph: Gary Nate holding a cardboard sign that reads Will Ski 4 Food, as ABC4 Utah reports. That image captures the scrappy, improvisational spirit the film is built around, 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 finding its footing.
Nate's own path into that world began in 1973, when, while promoting his first ski film, he reached out to Warren Miller, according to an obituary published by The Standard-Examiner. That connection launched a 40-year career with Warren Miller Films, the obituary notes, during which Nate documented generations of skiers around the world.
A Son's Mission to Tell His Father's Story
The project is led by Nate's son, Colby Nate, who wanted to tell his father's story and the journey that defined what freestyle skiing in Utah is today, per ABC4 Utah. He produced the film alongside River Hyde and Rob Tovar, according to the production team's own account on willski4foodfilm.com, and all three came to the Good Things Utah set to discuss the project ahead of the premiere.
The film explores the friendships, creativity, determination, and passion behind a chapter of Utah ski history, per ABC4 Utah's reporting. The production's website frames it similarly, noting that many of these stories are rooted in the ski culture surrounding Ogden, Utah and Snowbasin Resort, and that a small group of pioneers pushed the boundaries of the sport and helped define what freestyle skiing would become.
Celebrating a Legacy Still Shaping the Sport
ABC4 Utah describes the athletes at the center of the story as young, passionate, and willing to take risks and create their own opportunities at a time when freestyle skiing was still developing. The film is framed as a celebration of a legacy that continues to shape Utah's skiing community today, the outlet reports.
The premiere itself is shaping up as more than a screening. Filmmakers and athletes from the film are expected to attend, and the event includes live music, food and drinks, and giveaways, according to ABC4 Utah. On the production side, the team behind Will Ski 4 Food says it is inviting a small group of founding patrons and aligned sponsors to support the completion of the project, per the film's website.
