Christie Hampton reveals her favourite ski movie trailers for the time poor.
It’s been a while since I watched a ski movie. I’m the kind of person who is easily distracted by puppies on YouTube and pictures of people’s breakfasts on Instagram so it’s rare that I can maintain the length of focus required to sit through an entire feature length ski film.
So, for me, trailers are where it’s at. And these days who doesn’t like receiving their entertainment in a short, sharp package containing just the highlights?
I love the carefully selected emotive backing tracks, the pondering, poignant voice overs, the rapid fire face shots, the ambiguously edited cliff drops that leave you wondering, did he / she pull that off?
Trailers are all about increasing the hype, giving you a little taste of what’s to come, letting you know why this movie or that movie is the most anticipated one of the year.
But what if you’re like me and you actually just want to watch the trailer?
Well, my ever-decreasing attention span and I have done you a favour. Check out below where I’ve collected 2014s best movie trailers and put them in one spot for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy while I get back to Instagram #ohlooktheressomethingshiny #omgthatpugiswearingatophat
Pretty Faces
Brought to you by: Unicorn Picnic and Linsey Dyer
Cast: Linsey Dyer, Elyse Saugstad, Rachael Burks, Maude Raymond, Ingrid Backstrom, Caroline Gleich and more.
Why watch: I chose to review this trailer first because #sisters4sisters. Also, it’s freaking awesome. The chicks in this all girl movie go so hard you’ll want to drink at least eight cups of concrete before you even consider putting skis on yourself ever again. PS it’s official, girls can ride snowmobiles too. Check out the shot of the snowmobile cliff drop. Absolute epicness.
Shades of Winter – Pure
Brought to you by: Sandra Lahnsteiner, www.beechstudios.de, www.redbullmediahouse, Peak Performance
Cast: Matilda Rapaport, Sandra Lahnsteiner, Janina Kuzma, Evelina Nilsson, Nat Segal, Nadine Wallner, Silvia Bertagna, Camillia Berra, Melissa Presslaber, Emma Dahlström, Nadia Samer, Caja Schöpf
Why watch: Another all-girl offering, Pure is next on the list because it features our very own Aussie ripper Nat Segal and Aussie born legend Janina Kuzma. It’s the second Shades of Winter movie produced by Austrian skier and filmmaker Sandra Lahnsteiner. Sandra has collected female athletes from all over the globes and combined their powers, resulting in a film that will have you pumped to get out into the mountains.
Twenty
Brought to you by: Poor Boyz Productions
Cast: Tanner Hall, Pep Fujas, Andy Mahre, Sammy Carlson, Dane Tudor, JP Auclair, Julien Regnier, Vincent Gagnier, Matt Walker, Lexi Dupont, Max Morello, Lucas Wachs, Karl Fostvedt and KC Deane
Why watch: Twenty is aptly named because it is the twentieth film released by the powerhouse of new school skiing cinema, Poor Boyz Productions. It includes all of skiing’s current lords, along with flashbacks to superheroes of days past. The slick trailer depicts everything you would expect from a Poor Boyz film; skiers completing numerous rotations off large mounds of snow, riding mind bending lines down impossible mountain faces and being slapped in the face by copious amounts of fluffy white powder.
No Turning Back
Brought to you by: Warren Miller Entertainment
Cast: Tyler Ceccanti, Josh Bibby, Seth Wescott, Rob Kingwill, JT Holmes, Ueli Kestenholz, Tim Petrick, Mike Hattrup, Seth Morrison, Heather Paul, Kaylin Richardson, Øystein Aasheim, Sierra Quitiquit, Julian Carr, Ingrid Backstrom, Jess McMillan, Chris Anthony, Ted Ligety, Julia Mancuso, Mikaela Shiffrin
Why watch: Never one to be trumped, Warren Miller is celebrating 65 years in the movie making business. And if the trailer is anything to go by (which it is, because that’s why trailers are made), all that experience has resulted in one seriously jaw-dropping ski movie. The madness that is modern day skiing (think guys dangling from parachutes with skis on, gliding down chutes and between crevasses) has been combined with the kind of history lesson any ski buff will get a kick out of.
Days of my Youth
Brought to you by: MSP Films, Red Bull Media House
Cast: Richard Permin, Mark Abma, James Heim, Michelle Parker, Cody Townsend, Markus Eder, Bobby Brown, Sam Anthamatten,
Why watch: Who says ski movies can’t get all existential? Days of my Youth combines sliding down mountains with an examination of life, a journey of self-discovery, a probe into that age-old question, ‘but what does it all mean?’ While it’s doubtful they’ve discovered the true meaning of life, they have produced a movie that’s profound at least in terms of cinematography. Days of my Youth uses the latest in movie making technology to follow a relatively small cast of incredible skiers around the globe, examining their lifelong affinity for the sport.
Almost Ablaze
Brought to you by: Teton Gravity Research
Cast: Angel Collinson, Chris laker, Colter Hinchliffe, Dana Flahr, Dane Tudor, Dash Longe, Dylan Hood, Griffin Post, Ian McIntosh, Jonny Collinson, Joss Christensen, Karl Fostvedt, Mark Carter, Max Hammer, Nick Mcnutt, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Tim Durtschi, Todd Ligare
Why watch: Surely it’s no secret by now that TGR movies are always completely awesome. With Almost Ablaze it looks like they’ve set the bar higher than ever. Every skier is mic’d up so you get to hear them swear like sailors as they tomahawk down mountain faces, holler to the heavens as they ride lines you can only dream of and verbally high five themselves when they complete a death defying maneuver. It’s a really cool concept that gives this movie a clear edge over the competitors.
Christie Hampton is the former editor of Powderhound magazine, founded The Daily Flake in Niseko and is a regular contributor to Snows Best.
