Jun 28, 2021
Ben Dolenc was born on the Front Range of Colorado where he grew up enjoying the outdoors: cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and hiking. When he went to college in Bozeman, Montana in the 90s he needed a way to get into the mountains during the winter. He assembled an inexpensive Telemark setup so he could hike around in the snow and when he could afford a lift ticket would cut his teeth at Bridger Bowl Ski Area.
He ended up going back to Colorado to study film for a short time at CU Boulder before he eventually turned to a ski bum lifestyle. While living in a cabin in Leadville, CO, with no heat, he began hanging out at Arapahoe Basin which is where he began to start meeting more Telemark skiers. It was there that he participated in some of the first Telemark big mountain competitions.
Through these competitions and being a part of some of the earliest Telemark freeride ski movies he developed sponsorships with companies like Nike & K2 Telemark. Over the course of his Telemark career he graced the screen of several Warren Miller ski movies, helped influence Freeheel product, was the 1st ever cover shot of Telemark Skier Magazine, started his own Telemark movie company called Falling Forward Films, and much much more.
He is currently a filmmaker, director, and producer based out of Ventura, CA. Producing over 18 television shows from American Idol to Ax Men for networks like NBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic, he found his niche creating content that documents the relationships surrounding complex characters like bush pilots, loggers, and fishermen.
Ben opened the Bowsprit Company a small production company in 2010 that he directs commercials, short films, and branded content through. Bowsprits clients have included Toyota, Lululemon, Red Bull, and Suzuki. In 2017, Wilshire Studios (NBC) tapped him to develop a television show around the New York Times best-selling book What Doesn't Kill Us.
His most recent short film is about two DIY land sailors who broke the 100 mph wind speed record mark in a garage-engineered hand-built land yacht named the Iron Duck.
Learn more about Ben Dolenc:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bendolenc
Twitter: @bendolenc
Iron Duck Teaser: https://filmfreeway.com/IronDuck970