Soul Sessions and Epic Impressions
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That’s the name of Matchstick Production’s first movie back in 1993. OK, technically they were known as RAF, not MSP back then, and a few people still have a copy of 1991’s “Nachos and Fear”, which wasn’t released, but Soul Sessions is what put MSP on the map. I watched it again for the first time in a long time and remembered just how much I love that movie. It has never been re-released on DVD, and searches on ebay were fruitless. Heck, I couldn’t even find a clip on youtube. Still, if you can find this movie, or know someone who has it, you might want to give it a look and here’s why.
The movie starts with this: “Ski bums are ski bums and always will be. All abandoned establishment lifestyles to recreate all day, every day in the mountains. This movie is dedicated to them.” And the movie starred ski bums. Dave Bluestein, one of the skiers, was washing dishes at The Slogar back in those days. The movie then says this: “1,000 years in the future, archaeologists will excavate ski towns, and their findings, along with the history books, will lead them to the conclusion that skiing was just a sport. They’ll never know that life is skiing and skiing is life.” The voice-overs are rounded out with some Clint Eastwood movie quotes (“Alive or dead, it’s your choice”) and some Kerouac.
I was 19 years old when this movie came out, and I ate that stuff up. Someone else who was 19 at the time of this movie was a Western State College student by the name of Seth Morrison, who made his film debut in this movie. The footage of Seth airing most of “The Edge”, one of Crested Butte’s steepest runs, is timeless. I have yet to see someone try the same thing on modern fat skis. Seth made this movie, and MSP made Seth. To see inbounds runs at places like Crested Butte and Taos actually make a movie, sometimes even in springtime conditions (rather than powder) is virtually non-existent these days. I think that the occasional segment outside of the park at a ski area wouldn’t be a bad thing at all, in fact it would let people understand just what these top-notch athletes are actually doing.
Lots of skiers say that the “Blizzard of Ah’s” had a huge effect on them, but for me “Soul Sessions” probably had an even bigger effect. A lot of things led me to this place called Crested Butte, and this movie is a big part of that. It just seemed like the place to be at the time. I wish I had a clip to show, but I don’t. So seek this movie out, then learn it, love it, and live it 🙂
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My friend Fred & I were standing next to the kicker at the top of the edge when Seth went over. It was one of the sickest things I’ve ever seen on a pair of ski’s. To call the edge a “ski run” is a bit optimistic as it was merely a rock hop from top to bottom for about 150 vertical feet (I actually did that rock hop on a pair of 207’s right after he went over). What may be lost on anyone who views this sequence is the ridiculously tight landing area. Basically a slot of trees about 20 yards wide. If you don’t hit dead center with the skis pointing downhill, you WILL end up in the trees and truly become one with nature, and if you couldn’t control your speed, you would hit a compression that would put your knees through your jaw. If my memory serves me, he hit that jump two and maybe three times in order to get it right. He was truly not right in the head. I’m forty now with kid and career, and I can honestly say that stretch of time was one of the coolest, and most exquisitely unencumbered times of my life. I wish I could say I had a copy of that movie for reminiscing, but I don’t.
If my sources are correct, about 10 years later, Steve was paralyzed after a helicopter crash during a movie shoot. I have no idea where he is or what he’s doing, but hopefully he is well.
Thanks for the random post frank. I have no idea why this movie was on my mind, but it was. Btw…other famous CB ski bums of the time Adam Comey & Derrick Swanson, also went on to notable video careers.
You may actually know my brother Chadd, from your CB days. He was one of the competitor’s in the first??? “extreme” comp, put on at the main bowl when you actually had to hike to get there.
Thanks for the posts, Brook. It must have been pretty sweet to watch Seth in person hit the Edge. Steve Winter is doing well after the heli crash, still making movies, now as MSP, still here in Crested Butte.
Does anyone out there have a copy of Soul Sessions and Epic Impressions? I would love to get a copy for my favorite person, willing to pay! This movie seems to be impossible to find, ugh!!!
Sorry Jessie. We’re not sure where you can obtain a copy of this movie at this time. Good luck!
No worries, the search continues! 🙁
Jessie, I’m sure you’ve contacted MSP directly? Otherwise, you’ll have to get lucky on Ebay 🙂