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To Benefit Mountain Alliance, Film Fest Celebrates Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding Nov. 16 in Boone

Photo by Ken Ketchie

Nov. 12, 2012. Great snow is predicted for winter 2012-13—get ready to ski at the High Country Nordic Association’s second Backcountry Film Fest on Friday, Nov. 18.

The $5 admission to the 7  p.m. event at Watauga High School Performing Arts Center helps support Mountain Alliance, a Boone nonprofit that provides leadership, service, and adventure learning opportunities to Watauga High students. A portion of the funds also go to Nordic Association efforts to create rental availability of backcountry winter sports equipment in the Boone area.

“Last year this successful event brought the snow sports community together for an evening of inspired backcountry riding,” says Nordic Association president Russel Hiatt.

Two critically acclaimed films are featured; Signatures, an epic, highly artistic tour of Japan’s snowy summits with great snowsport scenes by alpine skiers, snowboarders and telemarking Nordic skiers (by Sweet Grass Productions). The second film, Flakes, is a big budget slope extravaganza with many big name ski and snowboard athletes (by Powderwhore Productions). [Media: please follow your own sensitivities with attribution.]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0LjDFewj6E[/youtube]

The two-plus year-old High Country Nordic Association (HCNA) is dedicated to spreading enthusiasm for cross country and telemark skiing on the trails and meadows of the Southern Appalachians when big snow arrives in the High Country.

Through events like the Film Fest (where the group’s car decal will also be for sale) and the upcoming Third Annual Telemark Festival at Beech Mountain Resort on January 12th, the HCNA hopes to make it easier for local people to try telemark skiing or snowshoeing. 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcorGsIUPQ0[/youtube]

Hiatt says, “We hope these films inspire locals to take a new perspective when snow turns our mountains into winter playgrounds. We’re all about growing participation in the sport of telemark skiing, but many of us are avid cross country skiers and boarders, too.”

Visit the group’s Facebook page. Just type in High Country Nordic Association at facebook’s home page or http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/173986319312664/.