Seen on: February 15, 2008

The players: Director: Marc Obenhaus, Writers: Bill Kerig, Marc Obenhaus, Cast: Bill Briggs, Doug Coombs, Eric Pehota, Chris Davenport

Facts of interest: Screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The plot: "Steep" is a documentary about big mountain skiing. The film includes interviews with professional skiers and footage captured in the U.S., Canada, Iceland and France.

Our quick thoughts: Skiing, like almost every other sport, can be taken to the extreme. In “Steep,” documentary filmmaker Marc Obenhaus tells the intriguing story of big mountain skiing, a way of life many of us will find hard to understand. Facing grave danger on a daily basis, extreme skiers are willing to risk it all every time they head up the mountains. Now, they’ve finally been given the opportunity to explain themselves.

Extreme skiing is quite exciting to watch, and “Steep” includes fantastic footage of brave men and women riding the snow on the world’s most dangerous mountains. Obenhaus takes you right to the top and straight into the snow, offering captivating images of impressive and dangerous maneuvers. Most of the material was shot using helicopters, but the film also comprises a few thrilling sequences captured by helmet cameras.

“Steep” also features numerous enlightening interviews with professional athletes Bill Briggs, Doug Coombs, Eric Pehota and Chris Davenport (to name a few). They all ski for their own personal reasons, but they all agree that adventure without risk is quite simply impossible. For some, they tell us, extreme skiing is a way of becoming a man. For others, it’s an adventure, or a way to feel free and powerful.  

While Obenhaus focuses mainly on the art and danger of big mountain skiing, he also wanted his viewers to explore the world’s best skiing locations. ”Steep” includes a wide variety of beautiful footage from Canada, Iceland and France, notably Chamonix, a paradise for thrill seekers. Thousands of people flock there every year, always looking for that one spot nobody has tried out yet.  

Freaky quote: "If there's no risk, there's no adventure. I think adventure is simply part of life." - Bill Briggs

The final word: The film could have included some additional information about the different techniques skiers use to ride down the mountains, but as a general introduction to the sport and its evident dangers, “Steep” works just fine. Snow haters would probably not appreciate the countless images of crazy adventurers trying to ski where no one has skied before, but cinemagoers willing to learn more about extreme skiing should give it a try. It’s an enthralling journey.