In 2005 Nils Larsen, Dave Waag, and Naheed Henderson journeyed to the Altai Mountains of NW China to document the indigenous use of skis. Nils followed this first trip with two additional trips into this remote region and what he found was a rich culture that still builds and uses skis in ways that date back thousands of years. “Skiing in the Shadow of Genghis Khan” takes you on a tour of both place and people, showing you how they build and use this ancient style of skis as well as live in this harsh but beautiful part of our world.

Director Nils Larsen

Nils Larsen lives in Curlew, Washington, located in Northeast, Washington near the British Columbia border. He works as a consultant in the ski industry, as well as teaching freeheel skiing and backcountry skills around the country. He has produced three previous films about backcountry skiing and has a taken on the long term goal of researching the roots of skiing in Central Asia as well as documenting the remnant use of traditional skis in this part of the world.

Nils Larsen