Skippress - Index

Skippress - US_2007_2008 - Index

SNOLIFE
Steep
Thrills
On Hollywood’s big screen, the glitz and glam of
racing — its fierce rivalries and fraction-of-asecond
fi nishes — have long captured the spotlight.
But the easy plot lines have overshadowed the
experience that most skiers relate to: a private
interplay between the soul and the mountain, the
bliss of surfi ng a deeply three-dimensional medium
and the admiration of the art left behind on the
mountain canvas. That is, until Steep.
A landmark documentary on the experiential side
of skiing, Steep begins in 1970s Chamonix and
weaves risk, reward and adventure around its
pioneers. One of them is Doug Coombs — whose
skiing death in La Grave, France just days after
fi lming for Steep fi ttingly focuses on the delicate
balance of life in the mountains.
Produced by The Documentary Group — a
collaboration of former ABC News execs — Steep
traces ski history through interviews and footage
8 BUYER’S GUIDE 2008
of yesterday’s founders and today’s ground breakers
including Bill Briggs, Shane McConkey, Seth
Morrison, Andrew McLean and more. Capping
spectacular locations in Alaska, Wyoming, Canada,
France and Iceland, the team used high-defi nition
cameras and at times a 3,200-foot-long Cablecam
to place the viewer squarely in the skier’s seat.
Steep holds the promise of exposure to the world
at large. Picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for
release on December 21 in 25 top markets and
on DVD, Steep is fueling more than ski-town buzz.
It was Sony Pictures Classics, after all, that threw
studio muscle behind Stacey Peralta’s acclaimed
action-sports epics Dogtown and Z-Boys and
Riding Giants, which followed the heartbeat and
the history of skateboarding and big-wave surfi ng,
and fueled dramatic industry growth. Indeed,
skiers might get ready for the warm glow of the
action-sports spotlight. — Graham Gephart
Steep crew in Bella Coola, BC.
Mike Hattrup, Stephane Dan and Kye
Peterse n at the top of the
Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, France.
Blowing Up Boundaries
Soon after Steep this winter comes Swift,
Silent, Deep, a feature-length documen-
tary on the Jackson Hole Air Force. Named
after the group’s motto, emblazoned on
the sewn-on patches that signified
membership, the JHAF were the skiing
elite who quietly ducked ropes to pioneer
bold lines around Jackson. With credibility
on the slopes to back their considerable
fi lm experience, producers Peter Pilafi an
and Jon ‘JK’ Klaczkiewicz chronicle the
history of the once-secret cadre of skiers
and the impact their exploits had on
modern backcountry and big-mountain
skiing. — GG
more news on skipressworld.com
Photos: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics