What is Facets about? AE Films designed Facets to have several story lines. One story-line involves and Iraqi veteran who is trying to make the paralympics, another involves a father/son love for skiing, and another features my goal of skiing all of Colorado’s 54 fourteeners. On top of all this, there is worthy Crested Butte segment featuring Frank along with our friends Tom Runcie and Rob Dickinson.

So, please come join us for a good movie and a good time!

If you miss this showing, there are several opportunities to see Facets again. Further showings are scheduled for Summit County, Vail, Estes Park, and Steamboat Springs. Check out www.assissinsride.com for more details. Not listed on their website, Wilderness Exchange in Denver will be showing Facets on December 1st, and the CSU Outdoor Club is hosting a showing in Fort Collins at the Ramskeller on November 16th at 8pm.

I have been meaning to put together his slide-show video recapping my fourteener journey for quite some time now. But, the timing seemed perfect to wait for the premier of AE Films Facets of Winter, which happened this past Friday at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado. The film has several great stories and segments, featuring many friends of ours. It also documents the last bit of my fourteener journey. If you missed the premier, don’t worry- there are still several showings to come. For Crested Butte locals, there’s a showing at Center for the Arts on October 8th. For Front Rangers, there’s a showing at the Wilderness Exchange in Denver (by REI) on Dec 1st. There are additional showings in Pagosa Springs, Vail, Steamboat, Dillon, and Estes Park. I have a feeling more will be scheduled also. Check the AE Films website for details. Thanks to Keith Spargo, Dan Bowers, and the rest of the film crew for all their hard work which culminated in a great ski film!

For now, here’s a little fourteener reflection:

Brittany Walker Konsella’s 14er Skiing Project from 14erskiers on Vimeo.

How it all began
In 2005, I began to get serious about backcountry skiing. Before that, I’d dabbled in it a bit- a bit naive and perhaps coming out lucky in a few dangerous situations. Backcountry skiing renewed by passion for the sport that I grew up loving and competing in. I loved getting out in the mountains, but the resort was limiting me after years of skiing in-bounds. I needed something different. But, my first ski mountaineering experiences are credited to my friend Dave Bourassa, who took me to places I’d only dreamed about before.

One day I was driving up Clear Creek Canyon and pondered exactly what I wanted to do with this whole backcountry skiing thing. I wanted a goal. I needed something to drive me in this new sport. Then, it dawned on me. Why not ski all of Colorado’s fourteeners? I knew, at the time, that Chris Davenport was trying to do them all in a calendar year. Why not ski them too? But then I had second thoughts. Maybe I’m crazy for thinking I can do this. Am I being unrealistic? Shortly thereafter Dave and I sat on the summit of Crystal Peak, waiting for the line to soften before we skied. I mentioned the idea to him, and he encouraged me to go for it. I would not have began this project without his support.

A Goal Complete
It was February, 2006 when I initially announced my goal to ski all of Colorado’s fourteeners to a few of my friends and family. It’s funny to look back at the email now that I sent back then with my original announcement. Still, I made my goals clear. I hoped to be the first woman. But, I also knew that being first wasn’t the most important part of this goal. I wanted to finish all of my fourteeners safely, from the summit, and within five years. I can say that I have done all of that. And now my goal is complete.

The Fourteener Skiers Evolution
When I started skiing the fourteeners back in 2006, it was a different time. The only person who had completed all of the fourteeners was Lou Dawson. Chris Davenport was in the midst of his project and fourteener skiing was being pioneered by Sean Crossen, Pam Rice, & Chris Webster. New lines were still being discovered by many fourteeners, including the line on Capitol skied by Davenport, which was originally envisioned by Pete Sowar.

As I worked on my fourteener project, I watched more and more join in- many of whom finished before me. Currently, there are nine people to have skied/snowboarded all of Colorado’s fourteeners- Lou Dawson, Chris Davenport, Ted Mahon, Frank Konsella, Jordan White, Joe Brannan, Christy Sauer Mahon, Jarrett Luttrell, and me. After Lou, the remaining 8 people on this list have finished in only the last five years. It’s been amazing to be in the midst of this fourteener evolution. I am happy to say I have skied with every person on this short list. And I’m also happy to call them friends. We’ve all supported one another along the way- a testament to the fabulous tight-knit ski mountaineering community we have here in Colorado.

There is no doubt that fourteener skiing has evolved at an alarming rate in the last few years. Still, there are fourteener skiers out there, discovering new lines (like Matt’s line on Yale), and working their way to checking those last fourteeners off the list. Closing in are Chris Webster, Pam Rice, Erik Kling, Carl Dowdy, and Matt Kamper. I can’t wait to welcome them across the finish line.

What I Gained
When I originally began this project, I was motivated by the challenge. I was burnt out after years of mountain bike racing. I’d recently taken up backcountry skiing and was searching for a goal that took me back to my true passion- skiing. I loved the exhilaration of overcoming mental and physical challenges and then being rewarded by standing on top of a peak, enjoying hundreds of miles of fabulous views. I knew I wanted more of that, and I knew skiing the fourteeners would serve it.

But, what I didn’t know is what else I would gain along the way. This fourteener project has taken me places I would have never gone otherwise. I’ve traveled to remote places in Colorado to ski these peaks, driven down roads I’ve never been on before, and seen some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. I’ve gained some solid backcountry ski partners who have morphed into life-long friends, including my now husband, Frank. Now, it’s strange to envision my life without any of these people in it as it was 6 years ago. Last, I’ve gained skills. When I first started this project, I was barely a backcountry skier. Now, I am a ski mountaineer. I am a different person living in a different place because I took on this challenge.

What’s Next?
People have asked me this a lot and to be honest, I’m not sure. I’ll probably enjoy a year or so of having not too much of a goal- just doing what I want, when I want. I’ve wanted to spend some time in the Tetons and maybe even the Sierras and Cascades for quite some time now, but I haven’t taken the time to travel much because I didn’t want to “miss a good fourteener window”. I also have a constant “wish list” that I am always adding to, and checking things off. It’s in a constant state of flux which is nice because you always have something you want to ski next. Still, a constantly changing wish list is not the same as a pre-set list or goal. There is something so tangible and satisfying about counting down, not just checking off. I can’t say right now that I’ll return to a pre-set list or even what that list will be. But, I have some ideas. Either way, I’ll be out there skiing- and enjoying every moment I get in the big mountains.

Thank you!
I wouldn’t have finished this project, or even begun it, without the help of so many people along the way. Pioneers, partners, people who provided beta – all of them have helped me complete this project. I know there are names I’m likely forgetting, but I would like to take time to thank the following people.

Thank you to all of my partners including Pete Sowar, John Jasper, Chris Webster, Mark Cavaliero, Joe Brannan, Andy Dimmen, Jon Turner, Brett Foncannon, Jeremy Wegener, Jarrett Luttrell, Brad Bond, Dustin Sysko, Jim Clarke, Marko Ross-Bryant, Lou Dawson, Tom Runcie, Brennan Metzler, Matt Kamper, Kim Ross, Jamie Sampey, Caleb Wray, Catherine Shank, Kellie Baker, and many many more people who have helped and supported me along the way.

Thank you to Chris Davenport and Lou Dawson, for pioneering fourteener skiing. You have inspired and continue to inspire so many, including myself.

Thank you to Keith Spargo and Dan Bowers of AE Films for documenting portions of my project along the way.

Thank you to Pam Rice, my most solid female partner and one who is seeking to ski all the fourteeners herself. Your constant understanding of the underlying pressures of being among the first females to undertake this project meant so much to me. And thank you for your continuous support, despite the fact that we were more or less “competitors” trying to achieve the same goal.

Thank you to Dave Bourassa for his confidence in me to take this project on. In 2006, I sat with Dave on the summit of Crystal in the Ten Mile Range, waiting for the snow to soften. I had been flaunting the idea in my mind of skiing all the fourteeners. When I revealed this idea to Dave, he was immediately supportive. Thank you Dave, for your constant support, from beginning to end.

Thank you to Jordan White for getting me up the toughest of toughest fourteeners. I don’t know who I would have gotten Capitol done without him. When I first met Jordan, he couldn’t even drink a beer with us at the bar. But, now he’s out there tackling and guiding big mountains. It’s been so wonderful to see you grow as a ski mountaineer and as a person.

And my biggest thanks goes to my best partner and now husband, Frank Konsella. I met Frank shortly after skiing my first fourteener, largely because I was looking for strong partners who could ski fourteeners with me. Since then, we have skied 38 fourteeners together (not including repeats) and have had countless other adventures. Thank you for keeping me going throughout this project. I love you!

Produced by: Stacy Peralta

Year: 2004

Where can I find it? Amazon.com and Netflix

I have surfed before, but I am by no means a surfer. Still, it’s undeniable that surfing and skiing share many of the same characteristics. Riding Giants isn’t a ski movie. Instead, it’s a movie that follows the history of surfing from the Polynesians to Laird Hamilton. But, any true skier will love the adrenaline-driving footage and will understand the surfer’s outlook on both life and sport.

Riding Giants is a play on words having a dual meaning. The movie features the love of surfers constantly searching for that perfect big wave- always looking for more, just like skiers keep searching for the perfect run on the perfect day. But, the movie also highlights some of surfing’s greats like Greg Noll, Jeff Clark, Mark Foo, and Laird Hamilton.

Riding Giants gives viewers a taste of the surfing subculture and it’s evolution. Just as the first ski bums began to emerge after WWII, so did surfing’s beach bums. As the narrator in the movie states, “Surfing wasn’t something you did, but something you became. Not just a sport, but a statement.” Skiing was undergoing the same evolution. For the first time, groups of people were living minimally simply to enjoy the love of a sport, and in that, living life to the fullest. Often scorned by mainstream society, surfers, like skiers, created their own counter-culture. As Greg Noll said, “The more fun we were having, the more it would piss off society.”

Throughout the movie, surfers describe their sport using phrases to which skiers can easily relate. Surfers describe their meaningful big wave experiences as being as memorable as the birth of their son or daughter. “All I know,” says Noll, “is once you get into it there’s an adrenaline, a stoke, and that high is so addictive that once you have a taste of it it’s very difficult to not want more.” That is the very same high experienced and sought by skiers too.

The movies tells the stories of some of the sport’s greatest surfers. Characters range from the colorful Greg Noll styling his prison-striped shorts to the more solitary Jeff Clark who surfed Maverick’s off the coast of California alone for 15 years. But the most touching story is that of Laird Hamilton. Laird was only 4 when Billy Hamilton spotted Laird body-surfing in Hawaii. It was an instant connection between the two. Laird needed a father-figure in his life and his mother needed a husband. The transition was seamless and a surfing family was born.

Laird Hamilton is the Shane McConkey of surfing. Always looking for the best waves and the best rides required him to think outside the box, just as McConkey wouldn’t limit himself to skiing as we knew it. McConkey revolutionized the sport of skiing with his ski-base jumping and reverse-camber reverse-sidecut skis. Similarly, Laird changed the sport of surfing forever when he developed the idea and technique for tow-in surfing. Tow-in surfing is where surfers are towed to catch a wave by jet-skis. Until this technique was invented, the greatest problem surfers faced was gaining enough speed to catch a wave. The bigger the wave, the faster they needed to be going to catch it. Long surfboards were developed to help surfers gain this speed. But, tow-in surfing allows surfers to come in to the wave already with speed, allowing them to catch bigger waves and eliminating the need for longer boards. Laird was among the first to ditch the bulky long board for a shorter one, with straps for the feet increasing its maneuverability.

Just as skiing has its dangers, so does surfing. There are always dangerous obstacles. Surfers have sharks, skiers have snow-snakes. Skiers have avalanches, surfers can get pummeled by giant oncoming waves. Skiers have terrain traps, surfers can get stuck in dangerous areas like the jagged rocks on Maverick’s. And, just as skiing has lost some of its greats to its own sport like Doug Coombs and Shane McConkey himself, surfing has lost some if its own legends like Mark Foo. But, not all legends are always lost. Surfing, like skiing, often relies on a deep partnership. With tow-in surfing, jet-ski drivers are often saviors to the surfers who don’t quite make the ride down the wave. Similarly, backcountry skiers rely on their partners searching and digging skills if an avalanche should arise.

Inevitably, the best skiers and surfers alike put their lives on the line. When asked by his father why he rides such big and dangerous waves, Laird replied, “I have trained my whole life for this. I don’t want to miss an opportunity.” As Seth Morrison continually states, “Skiing is all I know.”

A skiers life is a surfers life. Ther are both searching for the same happiness, the same thrill. They ride waves in different forms- but whether the form is solid or liquid it’s undeniable that it breeds the same addiction and passion. Riding Giants might be about surfing, but underlying, it’s about living life for the love of a sport.

Catch a glimpse of the Riding Giants experience in this trailer:

Every year, I always look forward to the usual ski movie leaders – mainly MSP and TGR. Occasionally something different is thrown in the mix. Last year it was Davenport’s Australis movie and Dendrite Studios Out of the Shadows. This year, there are two movies I can’t wait to see. The first is Facets of Winter, created by AE Films. There will be more on that later. But, the second in line is this movie- The Ordinary Skier. This flick features Seth Morrison, who, even in his late thirties, is continuing to open up new realms of skiing. One of skiing’s most important icons for over a decade, this film features Seth as he is- a passionate and dedicated skier. Here’s the trailer.

The Selection
The selection is big, and keeps getting bigger. TGR has most of their movies available to download including their latest movie, Light the Wick. But, many other productions have movies available, including MSP, Level 1, and Warren Miller.

The Cost
The prices I saw for watching a video ranged from $9.99 to $14.99, about half the cost (or less) of purchasing most of the DVD’s. Once you have purchased a video, you can watch it over and over again though multiple mediums.

How Can I Watch It?
Videos can be watched on your computer, television, or portable through a few different mediums including iTunes or GoogleTV. If you’re like us and not an iTunes fan, you probably should choose the “Boxee” application which allows you to watch it on your computer or TV (if it is hooked up to the internet). We typically watch videos by connecting our laptop to our television using an HDMI cable. More details on how to watch the videos here.

This sounds great. What’s the site again?
thesnownetwork.com

Promotion
Currently, if you buy 2 videos which cost $29.98 ($14.99 each) you can get a third video free!

We Recommend
Jeremy Jones’ Deeper among many others!

Okay now, go watch some movies!

Produced by: Matchstick Productions

Year: 2000

Where can I find it? skimovie.com

Matchstick Productions delivers some of it’s best scenes in Yearbook. This flick is full of big lines and skiers who deliver. Just fast-forward through some of the jib-segment lulls and you’ve got a great movie.

Yearbook was filmed on location at Aspen, Keystone, Whistler, Courchevel France, Crested Butte, Roldal Norway, Bella Coola BC, La Clusaz France, and The Eiger. Skiers include Mark Abma, Ingrid Backstrom, Mike Douglas, Chris Davenport, Hugo Harrisson, Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, JT Holmes, Stian Hagen, Eric Hjorleifson, Mike Wilson, Dean Cummings, and Sean Pettit as a little kid. Yearbook also includes jibbers Tanner Rainville, Eric Pollard, Tanner Hall, Steele Spence, Sarah Burke, Rory Bushfield, CR Johnson, Nikalas Karlstrom, Vicent Dorion, and Candide Thovex.

The opening of Yearbook is filmed at Gunnison High School- a high school that was gutted and re-built just last year. But, the old school will live through this movie and people will remember it with ski stars walking down the hallway. The high school theme keeps popping up over and over again and makes for a clever addition to the movie.

The skiing begins with a bang. Mark Abma hits big line after big line. It’s clear he’s on his game, even though, as he states himself, he had “never skied big lines before.” Abma’s skiing speaks otherwise. I’m not a huge Mark Abma fan, but his segment is worthy and, in retrospect, Yearbook is Abma’s “coming out” movie.

The film then segways immediately into Ingrid Backstrom ripping. Only 25 at the time, she charges just as fast as the best guys, takes air like she means it, all with the grace that only a female can own. Like Abma, this was one of Ingrid’s first full film segments. She states, that it was “intimidating being around all these people with all this experience.” But, Ingrid undoubtedly holds her own. Ingrid is my hero and Yearbook proves why.

Another interesting segment includes Shane McConkey. I’m not a huge fan of base-jumping as I often think it takes away from the skiing since the skiers are more focused on the jump and not the ski. But, McConkey’s ski base-jump off the Eiger is, without argument, sick.

Strong performances are also put on by many other big-mountain skiers. Chris Davenport skis some great lines and captures them on helmet cam. Stian Hagen let’s it rip also. And it’s fun to know that these two are still skiing big lines and making movies together. Other memorable segments are put on by Mike Douglas and Dean Cummings. And, of course, Hugo Harrison is large and in charge- until he begins tumbling down the mountain.

The segment that I found the most funny was that of Tanner Hall. He states, “I think that where I really want to excel it out here in the mountains. I really got a taste of what can go on the last couple of days. I’d really like to be able to just do anything off of anything.” So, Tanner moves from the realm of the park to the realm of the mountains. He’s up for the challenge. Tanner checks out a line and says, he’ll “cut around that, drop right where those icicles are. Land. Drop that 5 foot cornice and 180 off that cornice at the end too. Come out switch…… Hopefully…” But, when the words become action, Tanner flops. The mountains win.

One thing I like about Yearbook was that it shows the reality of ski filming. There are people getting beaten by lines and taken out by avalanches. The best skiers in the world are shown tomahawking down the mountain. Even Seth Morrison himself tells the story of his bad season, starting off with a broken ankle and ending with a dislocated and broken shoulder. Skiing is dangerous and filming it might even be more dangerous. But, it doesn’t stop these skiers from giving it their all.

Even ten years after it’s making, Yearbook still stands as a top-quality movie. Many of the skiers who were “freshman” or “sophomores” in this movie are still in the spotlight today. MSP certainly had a knack for vision that year!

The Trailer:

Author: Mark Obmascik

Year: 2009

This summer, on my way to Newfoundland, I had a layover in Newark. To bide the time, I stopped in an airport book store, more out of curiosity and the need to entertain myself rather than the intention of buying something. I immediately headed toward the “sports” books and from there was amazed to find a few mountaineering novels such as Into Thin Air and Touching the Void. Next to it was a book called, Halfway to Heaven. I found it ironic that I would find a book about climbing Colorado’s fourteeners in the Newark airport and I knew then that I simply had to buy it. It’s a good thing I did too. It kept me entertained as my flight was delayed, both at the gate and on the runway, for about three hours. The day turned to night and night turned to very late. But, I was still reading Obmascik’s book. Entertaining, fun, and easy to read, I simply couldn’t put it down.

Halfway to Heaven is written in first person, with Obmascik as the narrator. The father of three sons, happily married, Obmascik was living in the Denver area during the summer of 2006. The story begins when his 12-yr old son returned from summer camp, wanting to climb more fourteeners after having climbed Pike’s Peak. Obmascik then agreed to climb Torrey’s with his son, but his son grew weary and they fell short of the summit. On the drive home, Obmascik wondered if he could have reached the summit. Though he climbed a few fourteeners in his younger years, he was older now, and several pounds heavier. But, he still wondered if he could do it.

So, Obmascik decided to try for Holy Cross. He was successful and when he returned home he raved about his experience to his family. Obmascik’s wife Merrill then encouraged him to try another fourteener. So, he did. This time it was Huron. Before he knew it, Obmascik was on his way to climbing all the fourteeners in just a year. His book highlights the stories of his fourteener climbs, the people he brought with him and the people he met along the way. It’s a story about his adventures, his failures and his successes.

But, Halfway To Heaven is also a story of the fourteeners themselves. Throughout the book, Obmascik interjects stories about the history of specific fourteeners, such as the discovery of the famed Holy Cross, and the history of the fourteeners themselves. Obmascik highlights stories of how climbing the fourteeners first began, the first people to actually do it, and then on to the speed records. He also includes stories of the surrounding areas, such as Baby Doe and Tabor and the Matchless Mine. And a story like this could not be complete without a detailed account of Alfred Packer. Obmascik even made sure to write about the recent skiing of the fourteeners by Lou Dawson and Chris Davenport.

As Obmascik began climbing more fourteeners, his wife Merrill asked him to not climb them solo. “What if something happened?” Afterall, he was a husband and the father of three. He needed to be responsible. Obmascik continually scrambled for partners. He searched far and wide- from his wife’s coworkers to neighbors to old college friends and guides. He even searched the internet and connected with several of the personalities from 14ers.com. Each one had a story and Obmascik told it. Obmascik climbed South Maroon with our friend Jordan White, and told Jordan’s story in detail. When Jordan was only 19 he was climbing on the Bells with his father Kip. As weather worsened, they decided to rappel down. But, their anchor failed, leaving Kip dead and Jordan severely injured. Both very experienced climbers, an event like this is hard for anyone involved- especially to Jordan. But, Jordan continued to climb and eventually skied all of Colorado’s fourteeners, and was in the middle of his goal when he made his climb with Obmascik.

Cleverly written, Obmascik is quick to say he’s not a true mountaineer. Still, he set a goal for himself- a huge one at that. Like any goal, he struggled, especially with finding reliable partners. But, through it all, Obmascik prevailed. Halfway to Heaven is educational, genuine, and inspirational. Even those who haven’t climbed a single fourteener their whole lives will find it to be an excellent read.
____________________________________________

If this interests you, please check out some other books we recommend in our Ski Mountaineer’s Library.

Hello,

Bill Kerig
Director
Ready To Fly

Ready to Fly Trailer:

This film interests me for several reasons. First, I’m a firm believer in equality for everyone- whether it be gender, socioeconomic, or race-related. Second, I can identify with these women who have had to fight harder for something, simply because they lack a Y chromosome. Third, who doesn’t like an inspirational story? Fourth, my favorite quote comes to mind: “The greatest thing in life is doing what people say you cannot
do,” by Walter Bagehot. Fifth, it’s about skiing and female athletes who deserve their showroom for their sport. Though I have not seen Ready to Fly, knowing Kerig, its a genuine story full of laughter, triumph, obstacles, laughter, tears, and a lot of heart. I’m sure it’s destined to be great. Take time to support him and these female athletes if you can

Movie of the Month: The Edge of Never

Director: William A. Kerig

Year: 2009

Where can I find it? www.edgeofneverfilm.com/

The Edge of Never has easily become one of my favorite ski films. Although, I suppose “ski film” isn’t exactly the correct classification for this movie. Perhaps the correct classification is “ski documentary”. In Edge of Never, Kerig documents 15-yr old Kye Peterson, being guided by Glen Plake, Mike Hattrup, and Stephane Dan, down the Glacier Rond in Chamonix, the same run his father died on over ten years before.

Kerig tells the story from the beginning, detailing how he called up Glen Plake wanting to make a film about “the heart and soul of skiing”. Kerig wanted to travel to Alaska to do so, but Plake steered him in another direction. Kye Peterson skiing the Glacier Rond was Plake’s idea.

The Edge of Never documents Kye’s travels to Chamonix, and his family’s struggle to let him go there. Only 15 years old, Kye is an excellent skier, but has a lot to learn about the mountains, especially in a place like Chamonix where a skier dies nearly every day. Kye is mentored by Anselme Baud, one of Chamonix’s premier pioneers of ski mountaineering, whose guidebook led Kye’s father around the terrain of Chamonix. But, he is also mentored by the famed Glen Plake and Mike Hattrup, as well as their guide Stephane Dan (called “Fanfan”). Together, they teach Kye how to “read” the mountains and how to make controlled turns in steep, inconsistent snow and terrain. After a ski down the Couloir Poubelle, featured in Greg Stump’s Blizzard of Ahhhs (in which Plake and Hattrup are featured), it is decided that Kye is ready to ski the Glacier Rond.

The Glacier Rond segment begins with a surprise visit by Doug Coombs. In the book Edge of Never, Kerig explains that this visit by Coombs was unplanned. But, it’s clear that Coombs wanted to meet Kye. Coombs explains to Kye that he knew his father well, and that they skied many first descents together. But, the visit was short. Kye and Coombs went their separate ways, although the novel explains that Coombs later returned to try to ski the Glacier Rond with Kye, but their group was already experiencing difficulties, and Coombs was discouraged from joining them.

On the arete above Glacier Rond, Kye takes out an aluminum bottle with his father’s ashes. As suggested by Plake the previous night, Kye throws his father’s ashes over the Glacier Rond, and asks for a moment of silence. Kye’s voice is often monotone when speaking of his father, but it is clear that Kye is merely trying to suppress his emotions.

Trevor Peterson, Kye’s father, was a well known extreme skier making his way through the ski industry in the late 1980′s and early 90′s. He died in 1996 while skiing the Glacier Rond solo. Not everything is known about his death, but it is clear that he died in an avalanche, likely triggered by himself, in a section called the Exit Couloir. Trevor was not buried in the avalanche, but died from trauma-related injuries, although it is not clear weather his death was instantaneous.

Kye, Fanfan, Hattrup, and Plake ski the Glacier Rond together. Sunlight is quickly fading on them, as is clear in the movie, so it is obvious that the group was pressed for time. Still, Fanfan took the time to make sure that Kye was attached to a rope through the more dangerous and icy portions of the steep Glacier Rond. The film does not show the group’s descent through the Exit Couloir, largely due to their limits on time and the quickly encroaching nightfall. But, the book also explains that their one remaining cameraman had to head down because his wife was giving birth.

The Edge of Never capture’s Kye’s innocence and naivety in a way that is lovingly funny. Something in you just wants to snatch this kid up and give him a giant hug. But, at the same time, Kye’s Chamonix experience is a coming of age story. Kye clearly transforms from a boy into a man, from a jibber park skier to a ski mountaineer. This would not have been possible if it weren’t for the help of Plake, Hattrup, Anselme, and Fanfan.

One of the most touching scenes of the documentary was a sensitive moment captured between Anselme and Kye. Anselme points to the Gervasutti Couloir and explains that his own son, only 24 years old, was taken down there and killed by a serac before his own eyes the previous spring. “This is a bad story,” says Anselme, “but it is a beautiful life. And anyway the mountain is here. We have to take the best of the mountain and follow life.”

But, the character that stood out the most for me is Glen Plake. In Stump’s movies of the 90′s, Plake appeared as a debaucherous star-crazed adrenaline junkie. But, The Edge of Never makes it clear that Plake was either stereotyped by Stump or has changed. Plake acts as a father to Kye and a mentor to Kerig. The Edge of Never would not exist if it weren’t for Glen Plake.

At the end of the movie, Kerig admits he “got complacent”. He and the film crew were relieved after Kye skied the Glacier Rond both successfully and safely. Afterword, they went out to film Fanfan and two ripping girls (Meg Oster and Kasha Rigby), but tragedy happened. Someone fell deep into a cravasse, resulting in multiple bone fractures and other injuries. His condition was so serious that he had to be rescued via helicopter. Though his injuries were life-threatening, the person indeed made a full recovery. Kerig, however, blamed himself for this misfortune. Still, and interview with the character shows that he believes he himself is to blame.

One of the closing scenes of the documentary shows Kye, 4 years later, shredding in the backcountry, the Tantalus Range. It’s obvious that he has become comfortable in the backcountry, skiing big lines. But, he still likes to throw in his “jibber” tricks every now and then. Kye has grown into a real skier, poised and perfect. Kye also looks just like his father.

Kerig wraps up the point of the movie by stating, “This journey has shown me that it’s not about choosing between a life of passion and the people you love. The real question is whether you have the courage to take complete responsibility for every choice and the faith to fully embrace every moment.” His ending statement is consistent with the theme of The Edge of Never- Ski mountaineers are one big family. Although Kye lost his beloved father, he gained an amazing family.