More than ‘Pretty Faces’

In an attempt to inspire young women to hit the slopes, the University of Idaho’s ski team will present “Pretty Faces: The Story of a Skier Girl.” In a male-dominated activity, several women have pushed through and are now the inspiration to girl skiers everywhere.

“The U of I ski team has hosted many films over the year as fundraisers,” said Jerry McMurtry, coach of the UI ski team. “This one is special though, since it features all women.”

The world of skiing has long been a male-dominated sport, and the majority of ski films show mostly males, said Lindsay Anderson, a senior English major at U of I, who is in charge of putting the show together.

“Women are often cut from ski films because they lack the ‘wow factor,’” Anderson said. “But this film has actually been called one of the best ski films of the year.”

This film is not like other ski films, which is why the team is so excited to be showing it, McMurtry said.

“First off, it’s a killer film about ski racing,” said Eric Hofferber, the U of I ski team president and senior marketing major. “It’s an interesting and unique film because it focuses on women.”

Anderson has been in charge of putting the fundraiser together, and said she was very excited when she discovered the film.

The film focuses on Lynsey Dyer and other well-known women skiers. Dyer was also the inspiration for the film’s creation, since it was her goal to make a film giving women an inspiration to pursue skiing, Anderson said.

“I found out about this project two years ago,” she said. “Lynsey Dyer wanted to make an all-women ski film, and I thought it would be a good way to reach out to girls here too.”

The film also had an appeal to the U of I ski team because it is very centered in Idaho, McMurtry said.

“The film production company is in Boise,” he said. “And some of the women featured are from Idaho. Lynsey Dyer, the inspiration for the film, is from Sun Valley, Idaho.”

The main goal behind the film is to try and get people excited about skiing and getting outside, Hofferber said.

“It’s important to take advantage of the mountains and what’s out there,” Hofferber said. “Movies like this really open your eyes to what is out there.”

“Pretty Faces: The Story of a Skier Girl” will be shown at 7 and 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow. Admission is $8 for students and $10 for the general public.