Lake Tahoe gets feature spot in Warren Miller's 'Dynasty'

When Warren Miller started showing ski movies in 1949, Northstar-at-Tahoe was a tree farm, Squaw Valley boasted the "World's Largest Double Chairlift" and South Lake Tahoe's Ski Run Boulevard was still a ski run.

The tree farm is now tree runs, double chairlifts don't get marketing attention and the only turns skis make on Ski Run Boulevard are from the confines of a roof rack.

But Miller's iconic ski cinematography remains intact.

And the filmmaker's handiwork will be on display locally when his latest offering, "Dynasty," premiers at Lake Tahoe this week.

The movie celebrates 60 years of Warren Miller Entertainment, combining footage from Miller's vast archives and footage shot during the past winter.

And Lake Tahoe kicks it off, with a 10-minute segment near the start of the film.

"I've seen the Lake Tahoe segment and it looks rad," said Sierra-at-Tahoe spokeswoman Kirstin Cattell. "Warren Miller was here during some of the best conditions of the year last season. It should get people pumped for the season to come."

Although the segment doesn't name specific locations around Lake Tahoe, snow enthusiasts familiar with the area are likely to see something they recognize, Cattell said.

Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley USA, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe all contributed clips to "Dynasty," said Heavenly spokesman Russ Pecoraro.

The clip really catches the vibe of Lake Tahoe in a way previous films haven't, Pecoraro said.

"People who know (Lake Tahoe) will recognize a lot of the places," Pecoraro said. "It's the type of piece that everyone in Lake Tahoe should be proud of."

"I think anybody who sees this across the country is going to be really stoked on Lake Tahoe," Pecoraro said.

Even people who attended the Oct. 16 premiere of "Dynasty" in Utah, the self-proclaimed home of "The Greatest Snow on Earth," got excited about the Lake Tahoe segment, said First Tracks Productions head Anthony Cupaiuolo.

"It went over really well there, so I think that is a good indicator of how it came across," Cupaiuolo said.

"Dynasty" also includes an approximately three-minute segment of 10-year-old Minnesotan Alexis Roland snowboarding mostly at Lake Tahoe using First Tracks Productions' footage, Cupaiuolo said.

It is this breadth of Lake Tahoe footage in "Dynasty" that makes the film unique among Miller's extensive catalog, said Robbie Huntoon, who has produced showings of Warren Miller's movies at Lake Tahoe for the past 25 years.

"In the past, the Tahoe segments have been for a particular resort and this year it is a combination of all the resorts, both North Shore and South Shore," Huntoon said.

Local skiers and riders also get a bigger nod in this year's Warren Miller film than in past years, Huntoon said.

Daron Rahlves, Johnny Mosely, Kevin Quinn, Jessica Sobolosky, Alan Riley, Jamie Burge, Ingrid Backstrom, Errol Kerr, Jason Mack, Kevin Bramble, Kip Garre and JT Holmes all appear in "Dynasty."

The movie marks Holmes' first appearance in a Warren Miller movie since 1995's "Snowriders," when Holmes was 15 years old.

He called being included in "Dynasty" an honor and said filming for the movie was a highlight of his 2008-09 ski season.

It also allowed Holmes to "represent" an area he holds close to his heart.

"What I really like about the segment is it showed all sorts of Tahoe snow," Holmes said. "It showed that we get that killer, deep, face shot powder that people think only falls in the Rockies and the Wasatch. The Sierra Nevada gets the best snow."

If you go

What: Warren Miller's "Dynasty"

When: 6:30 and 9:15 p.m. today and Saturday

Where: Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room in North Lake Tahoe

Tickets: $12

Where else: Dec. 3 and 5 in the MontBleu Theatre