The film Michigan’s Skiing Legacy combines director and producer Ryan Busch’s two greatest passions: filmmaking and skiing.
“I just saw an opportunity to tell this story once I found out that the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is located in Ishpeming, and understood the whole complexity of everything,” said Busch. “My motivation was just to tell the story.”
Ishpeming is considered the birthplace of organized skiing in the U.S. as it’s home to one of the oldest ski clubs in the country. Busch found that the U.P. has contributed greatly to the sport of the years.
He wants his documentary to educate people on that history as well as the culture of Midwest skiing.
“I think there is just that grit and ruggedness and determination to share our passion for gliding on snow and embracing winter up here,” said Busch.
Skiing legends, historians, and local ski hills are featured in the documentary including Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort and Gogebic Community College which has one of the few ski area management programs in the country.
Busch hopes people that see the film have deeper understanding and appreciation of the skiing heritage in the Midwest and perhaps inspire people to preserve it.
“If you ever look at an old map of the old abandoned ski areas, there used to be a ski area in the backyard of every community, and now they're limited, but the ones that are still operating today really could not be present, even on a volunteer standpoint, if not for the people that have dedicated their love and passion for skiing and snowboarding,” said Busch.
The documentary was a Making Waves grant recipient at the 2024 Fresh Coast Film Festival.
Busch is kicking off the film tour for Michigan’s Skiing Legacy with a showing at the Historic Ironwood Theatre Friday. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. with the film starting at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased online or in the box office.
You can view the trailer for the film here.
There will be more screenings throughout the U.P. and northern Michigan over the next several weeks including one on Feb. 4 at the Hall of Fame as part of the 100th anniversary ceremony of Suicide Hill.
