• Home
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Hosting
  • Newsletter
  • T-Shirt
  • Stickers
  • Tips
  • Contact

Laughing Squid

A daily dose of art, culture and technology.

Investigating the Mystery Behind the Burning Skier Footage From the ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Opening

by Lori Dorn on March 8, 2021

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • LinkedIn
  • Pocket
  • Telegram
  • WhatsApp
  • Skype
  • Reddit
  • Print

Fascinated with the origins of clips used in the title sequence from the classic 2000s television show Malcolm in the Middle, Kid Leaves Stoop noticed one such clip had no apparent source information behind it. Thus began the investigation into the mysterious skier who leaped off a mountain while on fire.

Malcolm in the Middle’s opening credits had a lost media mystery that took 21 years to find. Who was that mysterious burning skier?

Kid documents his search for the burning skier, noting that he finally found what he thought to be the original clip from a show called Thrill Seekers, which ran from 1973 through 1974. After spending a bit of time on eBay, Kid finally got his hands on the show DVD, which featured the burning skier Glenn Wurtele.

The DVD included a gag reel, which included a clip of host Chuck Connors offering his true opinion of the stunt.

We received a call from our friend and world-renowned ski photographer Warren Miller. He told us about Glenn Wertell who was going to set himself on fire, a stupid bastard, and then ski off a cliff – more stupidity.

This was only half the story, however. As it turns out, the truly original footage comes from a film directed by Warren Miller entitled The Color of Skiing who licensed it to the show.

Burning Skier

Where all those weird clips from the #MalcolmInTheMiddle intro originate from pic.twitter.com/JSAA7R3uIM

— Kid Leaves Stoop (@KidLeavesStoop) March 4, 2021

Here’s the title sequence from Malcolm in the Middle. The burning skier can be found at 16 seconds in.

Here’s footage as shown on Thrill Seekers.

Glenn Wurtele’s segment on the 1973-1974 television show, Thrill Seekers, where he sets himself on fire and jumps off a cliff on skis.


Host your WordPress site with Managed WordPress at Laughing Squid Hosting

Related Posts



← Previous Post
Next Post →


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

Trending on Laughing Squid

  • Musician Replaces the Wooden Hammers on His Piano With Real Metal Hammers From the Hardware Store
    Musician Replaces the Wooden Hammers on His Piano With Real Metal Hammers From the Hardware Store
  • Remarkable Footage of a Glider Aircraft Hovering at 14,000 Feet After Being Lifted by Strong Headwinds
    Remarkable Footage of a Glider Aircraft Hovering at 14,000 Feet After Being Lifted by Strong Headwinds
  • Wayward Young Bear Who Wanders Into a Home Is Quickly Chased Out by Two Tiny Terriers
    Wayward Young Bear Who Wanders Into a Home Is Quickly Chased Out by Two Tiny Terriers
  • Marvel Characters That Are Based Upon Real People
    Marvel Characters That Are Based Upon Real People
  • A Confident Three Legged Dog in Colorado Walks Upright on His Hind Legs Like a Human
    A Confident Three Legged Dog in Colorado Walks Upright on His Hind Legs Like a Human

Powered by Laughing Squid Hosting and WordPress VIP
Newsletter | Affiliate Disclosure | Privacy Policy
© 1995-2021 Laughing Squid LLC, all rights reserved