What's the point of watching tiny figures sliding down a vast field of lumpy white? After all, the novelty of seeing things on film move for the sake of movement wore off about 100 years ago.
The new documentary First Descent works because filmmakers Curly and Harrison go to the trouble to imbue their tiny figures with personalities, so each run takes on its own significance.
Set around a gathering of five top snowboarders in Alaska, First Descent also acts as a primer for viewers—such as myself—who know diddly about the sport. Every so often, the film cuts away from the present-day story and introduces us to the protagonists: White, an 18-year-old rock star in the snowboarding competition arena, so famous that he's asked to grand- marshal a NASCAR event; Teter, 18, a tough, Midwestern girl forever competing against her four older brothers; Farmer, 40, a good ol' boy from Missouri who mismanaged a potential snowboarding career; and Haakonsen, 30, a Norwegian who is arguably the greatest snowboarder on Earth.
Our host is Peralta, 39, who plays den mother to the others while up on Alaska's scary peaks. Unfortunately, the film neglects to provide a flashback for Peralta, so he remains a bit of a mystery.
The film goes on to interview a host of snowboarders about the sport's evolution, from its awkward combination of surfing, skateboarding and skiing to its induction as an official Olympic event in 1998.
Not originally allowed on ski slopes, it was always an outsider sport, practiced by punk rockers and hearty partiers. Snowboard videos circulated among the hard-core, depicting not only savage stunts but also raucous revelry. In essence, First Descent is like a much tamer, big-screen version of those homemade videos.
Returning to our five players, they take turns dropping off the sheer sides of powdery cliffs, avoiding avalanches and scooting over the tops of jutting rocks. Curly and Harrison provide on-screen names for each participant so we can appreciate each approach and style. Unfamiliar with mountain boarding, youngsters Hannah and Shaun look to the veterans for help in finding their footing, while Farmer gets reckless. Terje performs an amazing move in which he appears to pause for a second on the mountainside before tearing down to the flats below.
Killer wipeouts and gnarly runs will please fans, but thanks to the filmmakers' generosity, amateurs can appreciate them too.