Somewhere during the fall of 2009, one of our follower’s on Twitter reached out to me and brought up a unique property in Northern Michigan that I might be interested in checking out and suggested I get in touch with the owner, Joe Omness. Through a number of phone calls and emails, I was very intrigued and Joe invited me up to scope things out. The 2009/2010 season came and went and unfortunately our schedules never aligned.
Determined to make something happen, Joe and I continued to email throughout the course of the summer. Fast forward to the fall. MiSkiReport hires its first-ever intern, Justin Vander Velde. Kind of cool really. Justin, an extremely passionate snowboarder who just happened to be a film student at GVSU. Justin and I sat down at the beginning of the fall semester and chatted about potential video ideas. The usual suspects, gear reviews, how-to’s, interviews, etc. Then I brought up a place I knew of up-north, explaining to Justin that we needed to tell the story of Mt. Mancelona.
After much debate, we came to the conclusion that in order to tell this story properly and capture the true essence of Mt. Mancelona, it was going to require a bit more manpower than the two of us had. The decision was finally made to turn this into somewhat of a class project for Justin’s documentary group at GVSU, a decision I personally had a tough time coming to terms with, but the end result was worth it.
This project is the pinnacle of things that I have been involved with up until this point. A Man and His Mountain not only tells the story of Mt. Mancelona, but it uncovers the true passion that owner Joe has been hanging onto for the past 22 years. After having the privilege of meeting Joe, listening to the stories, and working alongside the crew to capture the history, I ask myself why would I not want to come to Mt. Mancelona? Why would I not want my family to experience this place? After all, isn’t this true ski culture? Perhaps I’m a touch traditional and don’t get that knocked out about the fancy high-speed lifts, gondolas and magic carpets. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy riding in a Cadillac as much as the next guy, but there is a lot to appreciate about rusty t-bars, the smell of raw fuel in a 1960’s Tucker, and an old weathered lodge. This is the natural patina of skiing and snowboarding, captured at Mt. Mancelona.
So I encourage you to take the time and watch the entire film and let us know what you think.
A big thanks to the GVSU students who really made this happen. The story of Mt. Mancelona could not have been told without your help. Thanks to Joe Omness for inviting us in and providing us with the great opportunity and fine hospitality – it was a pleassure. Mike Agrusa for proving to me that MacGyver still exists. Shirley Tracey for sharing her story of growing up on the hills of Mt. Mancelona and the awesome food. Coco (dog) for the constant entertainment.
Crew Bios:
Justin Vander Velde
Grand Rapids, MI
Graduated April, 2011 with a B.S. in Film and Video w/ an emphasis in Documentary
View Justin’s work on Vimeo
Chad Peterson
Lansing, MI
Graduated April, 2011 with a B.A. in Communications w/ an emphasis in non-fiction film and video
Jake Dawson
Kalamazoo, MI
Graduating in 2012 with a dual-major in Film and Video and Advertising/ public relations
View Jake’s work on Vimeo
Mathew Von Dayton
Traverse City, MI
Graduated April, 2011 with a B.S. in Film and Video w/ a emphasis in cinema studies
View Matt’s work on Vimeo
