Three Reasons Why Home Grown’s Nostalgia Premiere Rocked

Tommy Ellingson and his Home Grown crew rocked the house Friday night with a jam-packed screening of their new Mount Hood ski film Nostalgia. It was a one-of-a-kind event, and here’s why:

1. It was local and independent. Ellingson, Josh Larkin, Griffin Cummings and the Home Grown crew did all the skiing and the camera work. They shot all their footage on Mount Hood, worked with fellow Mount Hood skier Zeb Yaklich of Off the Wall Media to promote and organize the event, and collaborated with Premonition Films to help with editing. They lined up excellent local sponsors like Mt. Hood Meadows, Dakine and TreeFort Lifestyle, and Larkin even founded a clothing company to serve as the main sponsor. Larkin’s new business, Solution Clothing, doesn’t contract with factories in China. Every stitch is sewn locally in Oregon.

2. It wasn’t just a film. It was a party. This was an all-ages, anyone-is-welcome gathering with tasty treats from KINDsnacks and Wraptitude and plenty of free beer for the adults. Rather than being trapped in crowded rows of seats, the crowd wandered freely and enjoyed the music while the film played on two screens. The sound was excellent and the venue, the PDX Warehouse Club The Refuge, was slick.

3. The event had a great vibe. The crowd was super-positive, and Tommy E is a natural in the role of MC. He turned the event into a celebration of Mount Hood, the mountain community, the joy of shredding with friends and family, great local businesses, and people doing cool things in Oregon’s wilderness. Ellingson, Cummings and two extremely cute kids, Rylee and Quinntin Cummings, took the stage after the screening to give away tons of free stuff. The crowd ate it up, and the energy was powerful.

It will be interesting to see what Ellingson and Home Grown come up with next. They have a web-tv show on Inspired Media, and plans to venture out even further into the Oregon backcountry, so stay tuned.

Here are a few images from the show. I shot the first one with my iPhone. The black and white photo is by all-star Mount Hood photographer Richard Hallman. And the group shot is by Sean F. Jacks.