Warren Miller’s legacy began as a ski bum living in a trailer behind the post office in Sun Valley, Id., in 1947. He began filming with a Bell and Howell 70 DA purchased on credit and became one of the most influential figures in skiing history—and he sat down with TSKJ publisher Jeff Galbraith to share 70 years of film, philosophy, and freedom.

“You know when you went skiing it changed your life forever. Did it change you for the worse? No. If you had been destined to become a criminal, you would have become one whether you skied or not. At the bottom of every ski run you ever make, you are a different person than when you got off at the top. I don’t care who you are or what the snow conditions are like. I use a term that is not very polite, but it is a real psychological enema every time you ski down the hill. All the garbage in your brain kind of drips away and you’ve got to, whether subconsciously or not, focus on how wonderful that freedom is and you can feel it in your body, your knees, your brain…”

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