China

The old and the new schools of Western skiing aren’t discernable when they’re compared to the 3,000-year-old skiing culture inhabiting the wilds of Northwestern China. Join legendary Warren Miller athlete Chris Anthony and new-schooler Austin Ross as they trek on handmade, horse-drawn sleds into China’s interior on a search for the birthplace of skiing. Austin explains, “Every kilometer that we traveled, we kept going back in time a little.” Relying on nothing but their horses, handmade sleds, indigenous guides and each other for protection from avalanches, storms and the bitter cold, Chris and Austin discover what it means to truly be an outsider. They eventually arrive in an ancient Chinese mountain community, where immaculate log cabins are nestled perfectly in a hidden skier’s utopia: “Ski in, ski out, with perfect blower powder.” Although it spurs interest for its shiny materials and complex design, Chris and Austin’s modern equipment is no match for the locals’ horsehair skins and hand-carved wooden skis. They simply can’t compete with this community’s distinctive techniques, equipment and terrain. Our American friends may stick out blatantly within this ancient Chinese civilization, but it becomes clear that no amount of cultural diversity can challenge the borderless brotherhood of skiing.