If you are a thrill seeker, but feeling limited by the pandemic, you may find your fix from the comfort of your couch by turning on the tube (or your computer screen). For decades, action sports films have emerged as some of the most fun and eye-pleasing experiences for viewers of all ages.
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Snowboarding films, for instance, have taken the filmmaking industry to new heights (literally) by pushing the envelope in cinematography and creativity. If you yearn for an experience that will have you on the edge of your seat, here are some of the best snowboarding features to try out:
TurboDojo (2017)
This hour-long, adrenaline-fueled, adventure is as pure of a snowboarding film as you can experience. Lauded film studio Absinthe Films, one of the most successful independent snowboard creators, takes viewers on a journey with no storyline, no talking, or no complicated plot. It’s just you, the amazing soundtrack, and a host of sensational snowboarding feats. Instead of highlighting a new location for each rider, the film goes from rider to rider in the same run to show how each of them attacks the powder differently.
Director: Shane Charlebois
Main Cast: Mikkel Bang, Max Buri, Brandon Cocard
Runtime: 68 minutes
That’s it, That’s All (2008)
This Brain Farm production takes the best parts of nature documentaries, heavy metal music, and epic snowboarding skills and mixes them into a genre-bending piece of art that sets the stage for the acclaimed film, The Art of Flight. This hour-long feature delves into the mind of pro snowboarder Travis Rice as he takes on big mountains and steep terrains in remote locations around the world.
Director: Curt Morgan
Main Cast: Jake Blauvelt, Kyle Clancy, Terje Håkonsen
Runtime: 60 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Deeper (2010)
In the first of a three-part series with Teton Gravity Research, action sports icon Jeremy Jones joins a host of other freeriding stars in his directorial debut. Jones, the founder of Protect Our Winters (POW), a non-profit advocating in the ski industry to bring awareness to climate change issues, pushed the limits of the genre by hiking to dangerous heights instead of relying on helicopters and lifts.
Director: Jeremy Jones
Main Cast: Ryland Bell, Tom Burt, Xavier De Le Rue
Runtime: 60 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Read more: Best Amazon Prime Movies
The Uninvited – An All Girls Snowboard Movie
In one of the coolest and most important modern snowboarding movies, director Jess Kimura and her band of gifted lady snowboarders prove that women are the future of the industry. Filmed over two years, this short film highlights some of the best of up-and-coming and underrated talent with footage from Japan, Estonia, Quebec, and Salt Lake City.
Director: Jess Kimura
Main Cast: Maria Thomsen, Miyon Yamaguchi, Kennedi Deck, Taylor Elliott, Darrah Reid
Runtime: 28 minutes
Further (2012)
Two years after the debut of Deeper, Jones takes his big mountain freeriding experience into more backcountry terrain. In the spirit of the 2010 film, he continues his epic shredding project in Further by minimizing his impact on climate change by using human power instead of helicopters to reach remote riding locations. As a result of his transcendent work, Jones was named 2013 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.
Director: Jon Klaczkiewicz
Main Cast: Ryland Bell, Lucas Debari, Josh Dirksen
Runtime: 85 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Horgasm: A Love Story
In one of the most beloved snowboarding documentaries of all time, pro rider Torstein Horgmo takes viewers on a 2-year glimpse into his love and obsession of snowboarding. This happy-go-lucky rollercoaster of a journey goes beyond the fun and lighthearted moments of Horgmo’s career, covering the pressures and obstacles that made him a record-breaking athlete.
Director: Tobias Frøystad
Main Cast: Dex Carrington, Torstein Horgmo
Runtime: 36 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Higher (2014)
For the third and final installment in his snowboarding trilogy, Jones takes his work to appreciate the many wonders of nature closer to home, by shredding at some of his favorite spots like Jackson Hole and Lake Tahoe. He also makes history by making the first-ever descents in the Eastern Alaska Range and the Himalayas of Nepal.
Director: Jeremy Jones, Steve Jones, Todd Jones
Main Cast: Bryan Iguchi, Luca Merli, Ryland Bell
Runtime: 95 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.7
As The Crow Flies (2017)
Join a stellar cast of international snowboarding stars as they journey around the globe to find adventure, the best snow, the gnarliest lines and the most unique features. These joyous riders shred through a number of rare and remote locales including an abandoned medieval Italian village.
Director: Thomaz Autran Garcia
Main Cast: Elias Elhardt, Toni Kerkela, Kazu Kokubo
Runtime: 32 minutes
The Art Of Flight (2011)
Snowboarding phenom Travis Rice and some of his amazing friends shred the Alaskan spines in a cool film shot in Planet Earth-type cinematography. Although it has a feel of a buddy film with the guys, The Art of Flight is a visual masterpiece that blends great action sequences with amazing camera work. It is widely regarded as the cream of the crop among snowboard movies.
Director: Curt Morgan
Main Cast: Travis Rice, Mark Landvik, John Jackson
Runtime: 80 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.2
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