Edit Addict

Why do we enjoy watching ski movies? (Or edits of any action sport, really, but lets focus on skiing.) Sure the pros make it look easy, and it's simply beautiful, but every edit is the same. Or I should say the DNA is the same, but it gets recombined differently to make specific films. Every edit has: athlete(s), snow, mountains, and some combination of pillows, jumps, spines, deep pow, glaciers, etc. Every so often innovators come along who help to invent new styles and tricks and who get first descents of terrain that may have been previously unskiable. After spending so much of this week searching for and watching edits online I got to wondering just why I love to watch ski film so much.

The obvious answer is that I love to ski, and since the season is over this is the next best thing. Sure that's the broad reason, but let's dig deeper. It's been shown that watching video of good athletic performance can improve your own, so in part I guess I love watching because I know it will make me a better skier. On another level I love watching stuff I know I can't do, like park, or can't afford like AK heli trips. These athletes let me come along with them on these amazing journeys and I get to see the mountains through their eyes. These are two very logical reasons to like watching ski films, but I think the love of them goes beyond logic (like love often does).

Ski edits are a circle of joy; you see the skier being happy and it makes you happy which makes you want to watch more which causes ski film companies to sign athletes and film more, which makes them happy and you watch the final product. It's a good kind of circle. But why aren't we bored? It's because of the little things that make MSP, TGR Toy Soldier, Sherpas, Level 1, etc. all so very distinct and successful. It's the soundtracks that make us recall skiing when we hear them, it's the vignettes in between the lines about the travel or just showing the athletes broing out, it's the heart of skiing personified. So we can see Sage slash spines and Wallisch stomp park until they can't anymore, because it's makes us happy. It could be considered an addiction since we the viewers always seem to be hungry for more and can't stop watching.

So get stoked with me for fall film releases like TGR's Way of Life and Sherpa's Into the Mind. If you're in SLC maybe I'll see you at the premieres.