The ski season might not be officially underway, but today fans of the sport can take part in a 58-year-old tradition, while supporting a local ski hill at the same time.

And all they have to do is pay to watch a movie created by skiing legend Warren Miller.

SportsLife will present Warren Miller's Ski and Snowboard Movie Playground, which will start tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Yukon Arts Centre. All proceeds from the event will be donated towards Mount Sima.

'My hope is just that people will be encouraged to come out to the movie because it is somewhere you can have a lot of fun,' said Mary-Jane Warshawski, event organizer for SportsLife. 'That is what's so great about downhill skiing; it is for everybody and that is what's so great about Mount Sima, it is for everybody here in the Yukon and so anybody that comes out will be supporting the hill and having a great time with their friends and family.'

Miller was a skier who started using photography to capture the sport more than 60 years ago and his filmography goes back to 1950. He was one of the first people to make classic ski movies and since then has had an active role in all his films.

Today his movies are shown all over the world, showcasing some of the most talented skiers and snowboarders on the planet. Miller also features a variety skiing locations including world renowned resorts in Canada, Switzerland, the United States and even some lesser know destinations, including places in Russia, India and China. His success over the years has helped him create a multi-million dollar motion picture production company called Warren Miller Entertainment.

Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased in advance for $16 at SportsLife, located in the Hougen Centre on Main Street or $18 at the door. SportsLife hopes to raise $5,000 for this years' event, which would be an increase of about $500 from the last year's total.

There is an intermission at around the halfway point of the show, which SportsLife lengthens to allow for additional audience interaction. Also during the intermission, the ski area manager at Mount Sima will give a speech about the hill and what their plans are for the year, which will be followed by a draw for prizes.

Prizes will include hats, video's and ski tickets. SportsLife sells skiing as well as snowboarding clothing and equipment. The company also has a rental shop at Mount Sima for both skis and snowboards.

Warshawski said Miller's reputation is always a draw for people attending the fundraiser.

'What Warren Miller does is he makes skiing and snow boarding exciting for everybody, so you will have guys doing the most amazing feats of athletics, down to little kids' snowploughing down the hill with mom,' she said. 'The shows are always excellent. After 58 years he knows what he is doing and you can just depend on it.'

She is confident about the success of the event.

'We have done the same organization as we have in the past and I think we have chosen a good time this year because there is not too much happening,' Warshawski said. 'It is always held around this time of year right before the start of the ski season.'

Warshawski said there is a real community attachment to Mount Sima.

'It was begun by volunteers for our families and it really is the group of dedicated volunteers that built it, over time, that had a vision that we should have a ski hill,' she said. 'It really was a vision by dedicated people to build a place for our families to have fun.'

She said thanks to the Canada Winter games, the facility at Mount Sima has never been better.

'It's going to be great this year we have all the new stuff from the Canada Winter Games, but it's just ours now, we don't have to share it with the rest of Canada,' Warshawski said. 'It's a wonderful legacy and it is just a beautiful facility.'