It’s not a secret that Montanans love to ski. And while it’s well known that our state is home to some of the best skiing in the country, what even some of the biggest ski enthusiasts don’t know is just how many ski areas are close at hand. On January 1, 2012, Montana native Cory Birkenbuel set out to ski all sixteen of Montana’s ski areas in sixteen days and make a film about it. Montana’s Sweet 16 was made to promote skiing in   Montana and to inspire Montanans to explore the state in its winter glory. The film is Cory’s senior internship project for his business degree at the University of Montana Western. He was tossing around the idea for more than five years but was never able to follow through for various reasons. Eventually, things started falling into place and he was able to get the ball rolling thanks to encouragement from his professors, family and friends along with support from various agencies and businesses throughout the state.

Born and raised in Dillon, MT, Cory spent his winters on Maverick Mountain. His mother was a ski instructor there and took him along even as an infant. He became an instructor himself as a teenager and continued teaching there for ten years. Cory’s idea and motivation for this project came out of his passion for skiing and his love for Maverick Mountain. He wanted to see if other ski communities in Montana felt this strongly about their mountains. In talking with Cory, it is clear that he feels an incredible loyalty to his home state and is excited about sharing his experience and inspiring other skiers to venture away from their mountain to other areas. “The point is to get people skiing”, he said.

Cory’s companion on the trip was his friend Kevin Hilton, also a Dillon, MT native. They met when Cory taught Kevin how to ski at Maverick Mountain over twelve years ago. Kevin did the filming and editing for the project. Together they drove 3,284 miles over the sixteen days to reach all of the ski areas efficiently:

This meant a lot of long physically exhausting days for Cory but when he talks about the project, his energy and enthusiasm are contagious. You want to go out and ski immediately. All of the factors leading up to the trip fell into place and he says he couldn’t have been more pleased with the final product. The camera rolled even when Cory wasn’t skiing and as a result, the film is personal and emotional.

While the focus of the film is obviously the ski areas, what is on display just as much is the Montana lifestyle and Montanans themselves. The devotion that people have to the place they came from and where they learned to ski is impressive. They are proud of where they live, work and ski. At each stop on his trip, Cory met and interviewed incredible people. Everyone seemed happy to talk about “their” mountain and show him what they like about it. A couple of the ski areas are run strictly by volunteers who speak about why they dedicate their time and energy to keeping the mountains open. This is not just a collection of footage of people skiing. It documents a way of life and a passion for the outdoors.

Although some areas, like Bridger Bowl, were experiencing below average snowfall in January 2012, other areas, like Red Lodge, were having a good season. Cory was able to experience a wide variety of skiing conditions. In some scenes Cory, or one his friends, wear a helmet cam that gives a first person view of runs that many viewers will rarely, if ever, take. Much of the footage is truly stunning. The scenery from the mountain tops and chair lifts is breathtaking. Some scenes are filmed through falling snow while others are on clear days. At Great Divide, the crew filmed and skied at night. The film is an hour and thirteen minute reminder that we are surrounded by so much beauty in our state. The movie’s soundtrack is compiled entirely of music made by Montana artists and it all fits well alongside the images it accompanies. For Montanans who ski, the movie will serve as a reminder as to why we live here. For those who don’t ski it may inspire them to give it a try.

Montana’s Sweet 16 premiered at Maverick Mountain on September 29. It will be part of the Coldsmoke Film Festival in February and will be in other film festivals in early 2013.

Ramona Graziul’s “home mountain” is Bridger Bowl but she has been inspired to try some new hills this winter. Photos MS16