Ski the Wong Way
In Production · Expected 2028
CBC · Feature Film
Director / Writer
Danny Berish
Producers
Joanna Wong, Ryan Mah & Leah Mallen
Executive Producers
Sung Kang & Brian Yang
Ski the Wong Way is a high-energy, personal portrait of the ’70s counterculture pioneer who became an unlikely phenomenon. He rewrote the rules, inspired a generation of skiers, and changed the sport forever.
The story
Wayne Wong, an Asian Canadian kid from Vancouver’s Chinatown, became the unlikely face of freestyle skiing. Against the rigid culture of European downhill racing in the 1970s, Wayne and a band of charismatic outsiders helped turn “hot-dogging” into a rebellious new form of self-expression on the mountain.
Through archival footage, personal stories and present-day reflections, the film follows Wayne from humble beginnings to global ski icon. Beyond the spectacle is a more intimate story about marriage, family, loss and the complicated business of following a dream with no roadmap. Now in his 70s, Wayne continues to ski with the joy and playfulness that made him legendary.
Project milestones
We raised over CA$100,000 on Kickstarter to help bring Wayne’s story to the screen. Along the way, the project took part in DOC Breakthrough in 2024, the Documentary Organization of Canada’s IDFA delegation in 2026 to connect with international partners, Gold House’s Gold Pitch at TIFF in 2026, and Hot Docs’ Deal Maker program, for which we were selected in 2026.
With support from Telefilm Canada’s Theatrical Fund, Game Theory Films, CBC and the Creative BC Production Fund. The film is in production with CBC; Game Theory Films is handling North American theatrical distribution.
