Mike King has been a common name in the world of skiing for sometime. The long time Lib Tech rider was one of the first skiers signed by 686, and for good reason. His unique view of the mountain and playful style is incredibly entertaining to watch. He can straight line, carve and huck with the best of them. Mike King is a true renaissance man of skiing.
However, you probably haven’t seen much of him the last couple years. Turns out that Mike from Michigan, (no not that Mike from Michigan), was busy working on a two year project back home in the heart of America. Prior to 2020, King had a dialed formula for seasonal occupations. His pro skiing career took him west in the winters, where he would live in his van and ski till the cows came home. When summer hit and snow withered away, he would head back home to the great state of Michigan working on his family orchard harvesting the finest fruit you ever tasted. But when COVID brought the world to a halt, King had to adjust. The reality of living in a van during a shutdown became clear, and this freeride cowboy was forced to call it mid winter and head for home.
Forced to analyze his ski career, Mike began to rediscover what it meant to ski at home. “Lake Effect” is a heart felt and authentic account of King’s travels during this turbulent time. Beyond the excellent skiing (which there is plenty of) the film taps into the emotional center of something we all have come to know very well; change. It’s scary, unorganized and often times leaves us feeling deserted, but change can lead to incredible opportunities that never would have existed before. “Lake Effect” is a prime example of the latter. King met the moment with an inspiring amount of courage and optimism, keeping his ski career alive while showing us all that it’s not where you ski that matters, it’s how you ski it. From ripping the Lake Michigan sand dunes to inspiring a new generation of Midwest rippers, Mike King is doing it all.
After we finished the movie and wiped away our tears of joy, FREESKIER got the man of the hour on the horn to answer a few questions we had. Full film and Q&A can be found below.
From Mike & The Team:
Lake Effect is an award-winning two-year Michigan ski film highlighting the joys of backyard adventure, and the shifting perspective of Mike King, a professional skier who has only sought adventure from the peaks of mountain tops in the far reaches of the West for a decade. In 2020 when COVID-19 encouraged lockdowns &travel restrictions, Mike’s life on the road came to a screeching halt. This abrupt change inspired Mike to take the hurdle as an opportunity to rediscover the unique, untapped terrain, ski culture, and the people thriving right here in his home state of Michigan. Throughout filming Lake Effect Mike realized you don’t need to travel far to have an epic adventure. Rather some creativity, curiosity, and the willingness to walk out the door to the abundance that starts right in our backyards.
Check out the “Lake Effect” website here for more info
What was the most rewarding part about making a ski film in your home state of Michigan?
There were so many rewarding aspects of making a ski film in my home state of Michigan. I was excited to explore places I’ve always overlooked, then to realize the immense beauty and how fun the skiing was. After I started to put out some content and let people know I was filming here, I couldn’t believe the amount of people I was inspiring from little kids to adults. It felt like the Midwest ski community was waiting for something like this. It all made me realize the impact a skier could have here compared to being out west where there is no shortage of incredible skiers and projects.
How did it feel to be back on the family farm throwing tricks where you grew up?
It was incredible to be back making jumps in the orchard. So much nostalgia. Not going to lie, in the process I had little confidence and then in the end was like, “Oh sick, it worked!”
What was your favorite line, run or trick from the film? What makes it stand out?
Oh man, I wouldn’t say I have a favorite. I was super stoked to find some incredible, challenging big mountain type of lines in the Upper Peninsula, but I’d say skiing the [sand] dunes would stick out the most as it was so different from any any line I have ever skied. It was so cool to have this crazy blue lake in the backdrop to ski down to. It was really fun and the views were unbeatable. The turns maybe weren’t the best but that’s just one part of it. The experience as a whole was on another level.
Were there any massive surprises you encountered while filming?
I would say there weren’t any huge surprises other than the fact that I had more fun than I thought I would. The skiing and the powder were better than I expected. The blower days don’t happen as much as some would like.
To your knowledge, has anyone else skied the Lake Michigan sand dunes?
Yeah, we have heard of some people skiing the dunes but with little success. The second year we went back out and saw some tracks, so it might be happening under the radar.
What do you hope passionate skiers across the world take away from this film?
You know, I never really thought about how I wanted skiers from around the world to take this film. I never intended to tell the story that became this film. At first I wanted to make an awesome, fun, rock and roll “ski film” to make the Midwest hyped and to show young kids in Michigan that we have everything we need right here to live our ski dreams. Because as a kid in Michigan, all I wanted was to go west. That’s where the industry was; the films, the pros, everything. As soon as I could I did exactly that.
I also wanted giving recognition to the ski community that was created here and is thriving in the shadows of the industry. But as I was skiing here over the last two years, my priorities in life started to change. I was feeling satisfying and happy because of the skiing here and the people I was doing it with. So I just tried to tell this story as authentic as I could and let people know what was actually going on in my head. The story turned more into a self-discovery and expression of myself that I didn’t realize was happening. Of course, I am still very self-conscious about it but I wanted to tell the true story.
I hope skiers from around the world will watch the film and I would love for it to speak to them. Maybe they walk away thinking anytime we get to put on sticks and glide across snow is truly special and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Or maybe something else will speak to them and relate to their own story and relationship with skiing, life, and family! I’m just grateful I was able to share this story and I hope y’all enjoy it! Thanks to everyone who tuned in, and thank you skiing!
For another epic project from Mike, check out “Feast or Famine” here.
