Snowboard Movies Are Saving Snowboarding

Finally, after years of the same old shit, a handful of production companies are finally bring us something other than the same old shred porn formula ... And it's gonna save our sport! 

For a looooong time the term "snowboard movie" meant one thing and one thing only, tightly edited tricks to some fast paced (and loud!) music. And for a long time that was great, since the sport was in a period of huge progression for the past 20 years and each new movie or segment would show the world's shredders just what was possible on a snowboard, and what they're favourite pro had gotten up to the past year. But then two things happened. First of all, the internet has made the whole concept of waiting patiently until the fall to find out what happened last year all but irrelevant (since we pretty much already know everything that went down from web edits and internet news sites like this one) but more importantly, as snowboarding has matured, the pace of progression (shitty looking triple-corks notwithstanding) has predictably decreased exponentially and it's not like the old days where every day brought the possibility of inventing a new trick. 

So what is an industry to do? Simple! Take a seemingly tough situation and turn it right on it's head. You need to look no further than Brainfarm Cinema to see the ultimate situation-flipping scenario. Ie. When the idea of making another shred porn flick lost it's appeal, Travis Rice and compatriots created something never before seen, a film that rose above the norm and not only included ground-breaking snowboard footage but also told a story that is digestible by the general public as opposed to just the hard-core shred. Jeremy Jones and the TGR crew are another phenomenal example of this. Not one to sit still, Jones embarked on an epic six-year project to produce three films (Deeper, Further & Higher) that not only show the world what big-mountain snowboarding is but also tell stories that make an otherwise unrelatable pursuit, well, relatable. 

Sherpas Cinema? Bring it on! Operetta? Hell yeah! Top quality web series like Hel of a Time featuring Helen Schettini? I can watch 'em over and over again, cause they're different, well made and actually tells a story. 
 

Which brings us to my personal favourite of the "new era of snowboard filmmaking", Jake Blauvelt's Naturally. Proving that you don't have to stray too far from the original formula, Friday Production's Naturally didn't strive to turn the whole model on it's head, rather they just did something slightly different (ride all natural terrain and film it as pro as you can) and recently released one of the most fun movies I've seen in a decade - full of, gasp!, actual snowboarding!

What's that you say? Every project I just mentioned has huge budgets and support from big-name sponsors? Well too bad. That's just the way things go and if you're gonna push the envelope, you need money to do it. Compare these budgets to those of hollywood movies and they quickly start looking like peanuts. Cineflexes and RED cameras cost money, and that money has to come from somewhere. I have absolutely no problems with industry leaders - and more importantly industry changers - being rewarded for their hard work. In fact, I'd rather see Travis Rice get another million-dollar contract than ten pros half-assing their way to another season of toeing the line. 
 

Beyond all that one important factor really leads me to believe that this new wave of filmmaking holds the only hope of helping our sport out of this deep hole we've found ourselves in. What they do is not only appeal to hardcore snowboarders, rather they appeal to a much larger audience who just may go out and buy a setup and seasons pass after watching one of these awe-inspiring productions. And for those who keep crying about snowboarding "dying", this is the only thing that will stop the downwards spiral our industry is in. Without more people picking up our sport, there is just no way that the current industry can continue to sustain itself. The math just isn't there. Overall sales are down 50%, stores worldwide are being left with huge amounts of unsold boards and something needs to change.

So bring on the big-budget shred films. Bring on more documentary style movies. Tell more stories. Get deeper behind the scenes. More cineflexes. More helicopter. More everything! Make sure you are using the tools to their full potential, and make sure the stars of these films are worthy of the attention, but beyond that ... bring it on!

Don't agree? Sweet! I'm not sure I do either. Read the counterpoint to this article right HERE!