Backcountry
Jackson, Wyo. (Dec. 21, 2023) — Teton Gravity Research (TGR), the global leader in action and adventure lifestyle media, announced today the release of Mike King’s new project, Lake Effect, A Michigan Ski Film. The film, which debuts on TGR’s YouTube channel and TGRtv, follows pro skier King as he explores the untapped and underrated—but no less epic—ski opportunities that abound in his native Michigan.
King, who grew up in Central Lake, Michigan, is a seasoned professional skier and filmmaker whose love for his home state extends far beyond the slopes. When not on snow he’s in the water, and is as shaped by the Great Lakes and their power as much as his home state.
The idea for Lake Effect was born out of the 2020 pandemic year, when King’s life on the road as a traveling professional skier came to a screeching halt. Unable to travel to the high peaks of the American West, he turned his focus closer to home and made an incredible discovery: All the adventure he could ever hope for was right out his back door.
Lake Effect is more than just a ski film; it’s an ode to a place, to a local community, and to honoring your roots in the raddest way possible.
“We are excited to share Mike’s film project with TGR’s global audience,” said Todd Jones, TGR co-founder. “Lake Effect is a wholesome reminder that sliding on snow raises the stoke level whether you’re in Alaska or Michigan.”
Spurred on by King’s insatiable appetite for discovery, this film showcases plenty of action eye-candy to go around: From inventive, only-in-Michigan skiing on sand dunes, to the King family orchard, to first descents in the Upper Peninsula backcountry. The snow varies from fresh powder to rotten sun-baked mank, but King and his crew give their all on every run.
“Looking back, spending the year in Michigan fully changed the direction of my life,” King said. “I realized I was able to fulfill the needs from skiing here that I’ve chased halfway around the world and back!”
Lake Effect, A Michigan Ski Film is, above all, inspiring. It inspires through King’s eye-catching lines, through his love for the Michigan ski community, and through the passion of the folks who keep that community going. Most of all, it inspires via the idea that the best skiing is always close by.
