It’s that time of year again, winter is so close you can taste it. It’s time to go wax and sharpen your skis. Find your goggles, gloves and balaclavas. Dump last year’s dirt out of your boot bag. Check to see what needs to be replaced, what needs to be tossed in washing machine.
And it’s time to get your head in the right space. It’s time to get stoked. The best way I can think of to do that is to show up at a ski movie. There are a handful of production companies out there making ski movies and doing theater tours. Not all of them make it to the New York area but Teton Gravity Research does.
This year’s TGR release — Legend Has It — is being shown around the area next week, starting in Brooklyn on Monday. There are a few showings to choose from around the metro area. I’m not sure if the Whiski Series event in the city has any tickets left but if they do, I recommend doing it. I got to one a couple years ago and had a great time.
We got access to a screener of Legend Has It for the purpose of this review and I can report it is worth the trip. As the title suggests, the movie honors some of the greats of skiing and spends some time looking backwards but it doesn’t dwell too long. The opening shot of Jeremy Nobis, who passed this year, straightening a giant mountain face in 1999, sets the tone. We move to a segment featuring some talented youngsters throwing themselves off all manner of terrain features at Palisades, Tahoe.
Next is skiing the coastal mountains in British Columbia with Mike Weigle Heli. That’s a satisfying watch. Then comes ski mountaineering in Pakistan. I’m a sucker for ski gear strapped to the back of a mule, so of course I enjoyed it. A little Jackson Hole, some snowmobile skiing in the Wyoming backcountry,all good fun. Gorgeous heli action in Patagonia, these guys convinced me to visit.
Then Alaska. Alaska segments never disappoint and this one maintains that perfect record. Just for a second I thought we might get some upstate action when the narration referenced the home of 10th Mountain Division but of course they meant the original home in Colorado. It was some hut to hut action stuff which is pretty great too.
I say go ahead and see the flick. Legend Has It is a fun movie — hopefully I haven’t given too much away. The sound track is great too. You’ll be pumped. And stay until the end, there’s more good stuff in the credits. Winter, bring it!
Photos courtesy TGR
Boy that’s a sad ending to life, JN passed in a jail cell, too many duis.
Been to so many WM shows even remember one as a kid at Montclair state in the ‘60s. Now up to 74 yrs.
Warren was the best.
A platty day trimming and the new tgr film? The only thing that could top this is a TON of snow!