Catch the World Premiere of "KINDRED"
in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 25, 2024
Despite the seven years that separate them, Olympic skiers Devin Logan and Caroline Claire are kindred spirits...
The unwavering friendship between Devin and Carol was forged within the crucible of high-level competition. These two brash skiers, both from Long Island, New York, have each dropped in on Olympic venues under the world's gaze as members of the US Ski Team. The two of them have relentlessly trained together, traveled the world and supported each other through the highs and lows that accompany reaching the pinnacle of your sport.
If you trace the lives and careers of both Devin and Carol there are startling similarities and trajectories. It's no wonder the foundation of their friendship endures given the synchronicity in their paths as athletes. Devin, the elder of the two, attended elementary school in New York before her family relocated to Vermont. There she enrolled in the Mount Snow Academy in middle school to support her burgeoning freeskiing career and competition schedule.
Seven years later, Carol attended the same elementary school before also relocating to Vermont and training at the Mount Snow Academy. The coincidences continued when Carol began working with Devin's former coach, Jesse Mallis.
Carol (left) and Devin (right) getting ready for a day of fresh pow runs at Alta Ski Area (Photo by Chloe Jimenez/Alta Ski Area)
After high school in 2011, Devin relocated to Park City, Utah to join the first US Freeski Team and won the world's first silver medal in Slopestyle at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. As a starstruck teenager, Carol recalls meeting Devin during a post-Olympics silver medal celebration at Mount Snow. Carol had watched and cheered as Devin's career had taken off and to meet her idol in real life was a memorable day for the young athlete.
In 2019, after a gap year in Vermont, Carol traced Devin's tracks out west to Park City to join the Olympic Team where she'd earned a spot thanks to her hard work on the rookie team throughout high school. Their sisterhood continued to strengthen and in 2018 the two women from Mount Snow competed alongside one another in Slopestyle at the PyeongChang Olympics.
More rigorous training ensued and Devin and Carol each earned a spot at the 2022 Beijing Games. By this time their bond was rock solid and the two had navigated living together, traveling to countless competitions, nursing injuries and losses and celebrating wins. Reflection after the 2022 games led each athlete to the decision to retire, albeit for very different reasons. Carol, having trained with her idol, and Devin, having mentored Carol like a little sister, were both ready for something new.
Devin and Carol on the shoulder of Alta's Mount Baldy, probably bantering (Photo by Chloe Jimenez/Alta Ski Area)
With more free time on their hands last winter, the inseparable duo joined forces with filmmakers Sarah Beam Robbins and Iz La Motte. Sara and Iz are two of the women who created last year's groundbreaking "Advice For Girls" ski film. Devin and Carol had small segments in the film and Iz and Sara were immediately captivated by the camaraderie and rapport between the friends.
Before filming had even wrapped up, Iz and Sara knew they had a compelling story on their hands. The filmmakers created a pitch and approached the two athletes with a proposition to create a film about their friendship. Sara confessed, "It’s not often that a perfectly baked story presents itself to you. It was apparent with these two that 1.They are badasses, 2. They’re hilarious and 3. Their story is incredible. Sometimes stories just come to you and you have a responsibility to bring it forward."
Kindred filmmakers Iz La Motte (left) and Sara Beam Robbins (right) wanted to tell Devin and Carol's compelling story of friendship and growth (Photo by Katie Cooney/Teton Pass)
The four women deeply bonded while filming at Alta Ski Area and beyond in Utah's scenic backcountry. With each scene the crew built trust and pushed each other beyond established comfort zones. Sending big cliffs and bootpacking up the steep flanks of Mount Superior might seem frightening but both women found it scarier to share more vulnerable aspects of their lives on camera. As Carol confesses:
"We're from New York, we don’t show emotions,
we just yell at each other."
Scaling mountains, soaring over halfpipes and Olympic-level nerves have prepared Carol and Devin for life's biggest challenge: being true to yourself.
Watch Kindred to learn what the women discovered about themselves along their parallel career trajectories. The Salt Lake City World Premiere will drop on October 25, 2024 with additional stops across the US and Canada.
Visit Stio's website for tour dates and locations.
This film was made with support from Ski Utah and Stio, check out the film trailer below and catch the Last Chair Podcast episode with Tom Kelly to learn more about the incredible journey of these athletes.
