What happens when skiing becomes art?
When movement becomes expression?
When creativity and adventure collide in a way that feels completely new?

That’s exactly what audiences will experience in MIMIC, one of the standout films screening at the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour this year.

Featuring professional skier and artist Piper Kunst, MIMIC isn’t your typical ski film. It’s immersive, emotive, visually stunning and deeply human, blending breathtaking mountain cinematography with honest reflections on creativity, burnout, identity and self-expression.

And before you even take your seat in the cinema, Piper’s story will already have you hooked.

More Than a Skier. More Than an Artist.

If you ask Piper Kunst who she is, she won’t lead with job titles or achievements. Instead, she describes herself as “an intuitively creative person with a drive for collaboration” who loves experiencing life “with an open mind” and surrounding herself with people who inspire her.

What excites her most isn’t just skiing or painting — it’s connection.

“My favourite thing about what I do is meeting new people, and seeing what they can teach me,” she says.

That openness and honesty sit at the very heart of MIMIC.

Piper grew up skiing in Colorado with her family, where the mountains quickly became tied to freedom, progression and joy. “I have a knack for going fast, and it feels like flying,” she explains.

But while skiing had always been part of her life, art arrived later — and unexpectedly.

During COVID lockdowns, Piper turned to creativity simply as a way to fill time. What started as doodling soon became something much deeper. “I needed to fill my time, and the meditative process of creating did just that,” she says.

As she experimented with larger canvases and different materials, she became obsessed with the feeling that creating gave her.

“My favourite thing about creating is making something that has never existed before,” Piper says. “The process that preludes the final result is magical and I learn so much from it.”

Eventually, she began noticing something striking: the emotional state she reached while creating art felt identical to the one she experienced while skiing.

“I noticed the same flow state feeling erupted when I was skiing really well or making something I was really proud of,” she explains. “At the end of the day, both my passions are centred in expression.”

That realisation became the foundation for MIMIC.

Where Art and Adventure Meet

For Piper, skiing and art are constantly speaking to each other.

“The way I paint on a canvas is akin to painting a ski track on the mountain,” she says, “and being able to express movement in these ways is so fulfilling.”

That idea pulses through every frame of MIMIC.

The film transforms skiing into something more than adrenaline and action. It becomes movement as emotion. Mountains become canvases. Ski lines become brushstrokes.

Piper describes skiing Utah’s Wasatch Mountains as feeling almost like dance — another creative outlet deeply rooted in expression.

And visually, the film mirrors that philosophy beautifully.

The cinematography is immersive and artistic, blending sweeping alpine landscapes with rich textures, colour and movement in a way that feels hypnotic on the big screen. But MIMIC never loses its emotional grounding.

Even Piper’s relationship with landscapes reflects this layered perspective. While the mountains demand “deep respect”, she admits it’s actually the desert that unlocks her artistic mind most powerfully.

“The desert is a magical place to me,” she says. “It has a way of softening my edges and returning me to a clear place mentally.”

She continues:

“The desert landscapes are unlike anything and they help jumpstart my creative intuition.”

That blend of adventure, creativity and introspection is exactly what makes MIMIC feel so unique.

The Side of Adventure We Don’t Always See

What truly elevates MIMIC beyond a traditional ski film is Piper’s willingness to show the harder side of chasing passion.

In the film, she speaks openly about burnout, migraines and the emotional exhaustion that can accompany constantly pushing yourself creatively and physically.

“It was not as difficult to share as I thought it would be,” Piper says of opening up on camera. “I try to be as authentic as I can, and burnout and pain are both things that accompany my daily life.”

Rather than hiding those struggles, she wanted audiences to connect with them.

“I wanted the audience to relate,” she explains. “It was special to hear feedback from viewers who understood those feelings.”

That vulnerability gives the film extraordinary emotional depth.

Because while MIMIC is visually breathtaking, it also feels deeply human. Anyone who has experienced creative burnout, self-doubt or the fear of losing inspiration will recognise themselves somewhere in Piper’s story.

“To be frank, it is super discouraging when inspiration disappears,” she admits. “It affects me mentally, and often I get really bummed out.”

But she’s also learned something important:

“I have learned that it always comes back. I just have to keep putting myself in situations that it will resurface.”

It’s this honesty — raw, relatable and refreshingly real — that makes MIMIC impossible to forget.

A Visual Experience Made for the Big Screen

Piper knew from the very beginning that MIMIC couldn’t feel like a typical ski film.

“I have wanted to make a ski film for a long time, but I didn’t want it to only be about skiing,” she says.

Why?

“Because the media that revolves around skiing right now is so redundant.”

Instead, Piper wanted to create something layered with meaning — something personal, artistic and emotionally resonant.

“I like to pour all of myself into projects,” she explains, “so it made sense to make something that included my art.”

Together with director Hadley Michaels and editor Rory Stevenson, that vision evolved into a film that feels cinematic in every sense of the word.

Piper says the visual style existed “well before we even turned a camera on”, but credits the creative team for bringing it to life so powerfully on screen.

The result is immersive, emotional and visually unforgettable — exactly the kind of film that deserves to be experienced in a packed cinema at the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour.

Surrounded by fellow adventure lovers, creatives and dreamers, MIMIC becomes more than just a film.

It becomes a shared experience.

Why Audiences Are Going to Love MIMIC

At its core, MIMIC is about authenticity.

Piper hopes audiences walk away feeling seen, understanding that the emotions explored in the film go far beyond skiing or art.

The film reminds us that creativity isn’t linear.
Progress isn’t perfect.
And sometimes the most meaningful journeys happen internally.

It’s inspiring without feeling forced.
Beautiful without losing substance.
And adventurous in a way that feels deeply personal.

As Piper says herself:

“People should be themselves and not be afraid to dream big.”

Don’t Miss MIMIC at the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour

The Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour is known for showcasing films that push boundaries, tell unforgettable stories and celebrate fearless women carving their own path.

MIMIC does all of that, and more.

Whether you love skiing, art, adventure films or simply powerful storytelling, this is a film that will stay with you long after the lights come up.

Grab your tickets, bring your friends and prepare to experience one of the most visually captivating and emotionally resonant films of the tour.

Because MIMIC isn’t just something you watch.

It’s something you feel.

Dont snooze on your tickets! Get them now- https://gutsygirlsadventurefilmtour.co.nz/tickets/