Behind the Scenes with Warren Miller’s Face of Winter

Lisa Condit recently spoke with Amie Engerbretson about the upcoming film, Warren Miller’s Face of Winter presented by Volkswagen, being shown at The Hanover Theatre on Friday, November 2. Read on for highlights from their interview, or listen to the full conversation below!

Lisa: I’m excited to be here with Amie Engerbretson, who is featured in the Iceland section of Warren Miller’s Face of Winter presented by Volkswagen. We love having the Warren Miller films here every year. You are quite the accomplished woman. Skiing since you were 10 months old?!

Amie: Yes. My first time on skis, I was 10 months old. I think that’s a product of my dad being so passionate about skiing. At the time, my dad was a professional skier. I loved it right away. We have childhood videos of me skiing the driveway, and, even though I couldn’t talk, I’m saying “again, again, again.”

Lisa: It’s amazing that you can follow your passion and be with an organization like Warren Miller Entertainment that flies you all over the world. Tell us about the latest journey that you go on in this latest Warren Miller movie.

Amie: This year, we went to Iceland, and it was really cool for a couple of reasons. First of all, I always wanted to ski in Iceland. It was my first time over there, and I was really blown away by Iceland. It was gorgeous. It’s like going into a story book. And you have Warren Miller. Without Warren Miller, I wouldn’t be a professional skier. What he started 30-40 years before I was even born created a lifestyle, created a path for people to follow that didn’t exist before. Going on this trip was one of those classic Warren Miller adventures where you’re seeing amazing things and the skiing is awesome. Yes, it’s a ski trip, but what Warren Miller set out to do with these movies is that it’s an adventure you’re after.  The skiing was fantastic. We were skiing all the way down to the ocean. It’s the Arctic Sea up there, and the sun didn’t set until about midnight. Sunset lasts for like three hours. It was just gorgeous.

Lisa: Was any of that cinematography captured for us to see?

Amie: We captured all of it. It’s all in the movie! There are so many locations this year. And it’s also a tribute. Warren Miller passed away this year after an amazing, long adventure-filled life. The movie this year is just going to celebrate Warren Miller and his passion for skiing and adventure and bringing people together.

Lisa: Tell me about the community of athletes that he fostered.

Amie: I think a lot of us wouldn’t be doing this without Warren Miller. He started this lifestyle for professional skiers and adventurers. For that, we’re so grateful. For this trip, I went with an Australian skier. I had never met her before, but on this trip, we became friends for life. We found we had so many shared passions and goals. I think that’s one of the best parts of these movies. I’ve done segments with my best friends, and I’ve done segments with total strangers, and, both ways, it’s a blast.

Lisa: Any words of advice?

Amie: The one thing I always tell people is that I treat my skiing as a career, and I treat myself as a skier, as a brand so what people see on my Instagram, or in the movies is me having a great time, but there is a lot of work behind it. It involves computer work, writing proposals and pitches, and treating it like a business. You have to show your value. It’s fun, but it’s still a job and you need to respect that!

Lisa: That is the best advice I have heard yet!

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