SUNDANCE, Utah — Robert Redford is an icon here in Utah. Between films, the Sundance Mountain Resort and preserving the environment, he has impacted so many areas and left a lasting impression.
Proof of that legacy was on display Thursday night at the ski resort. People rode up in the chairlift holding candles, to pay tribute to Robert Redford, by lighting up a place that meant so much to him.
At the resort itself is a growing memorial that started the day Robert Redford passed away. People have been bringing by flowers, writing notes, taking pictures with his portrait and thinking about their favorite moments with him.
Brian Wimmer has been Redford’s friend for 50 years, and said that his impact around the world will live on forever.
"He knew how to have fun,” said Wimmer. “The guy owned a ski resort, he had horses, motorcycles and he was a great skier, I mean this guy knew how to do it and do it right. You got to remember, this guy had the world in the palm of his hands. He wasn’t show-offy at all, he wasn’t that kind of movie star, he wanted to be a local."
The lift was free to ride, but in lieu of a ticket, they are asking people to donate $5 to the Sundance Nature Alliance, an organization working to preserve the land and watershed on the north fork of Provo Canyon -- a cause that Redford was always committed too, hoping his work will continue.
