Walking between classes, the sky is pure sapphire and the sun is shining. You’ve maxed out your designated skip-school-to-ski days and you’re stuck on campus missing prime opportunities for goggle-tanning, powder-hunting, and groomer-ripping. OK, so you might not be able to throw on your skis and make turns when you finally get home at 5:00, but you can definitely pop some popcorn and turn on one of these epic ski movies– which are almost as good as the real thing.
- Afterglow
Coming in at a mere 12 minutes, this short film is perfect for getting in a little ski appreciation time on your study break. Featuring deep, feather-light Canadian powder at every turn, this Sweetgrass production is shot entirely at night with the use of eight 4,000-watt multi-colored lights. One segment even lights up the skiers themselves in LED jackets and leg cuffs. The glow-in-the-dark effect of Afterglow makes every face shot and backflip shine that much brighter.
- G.N.A.R.
G.N.A.R. describes the evolution of the epic ski game, “Gaffney’s Numerical Assessment of Radness.” The G.N.A.R. game began as a chapter in Rob Gaffney’s ski guide to Squaw Valley, Squallywood, and quickly evolved into an entire culture of pranking, peeing, and general mountain madness after its inception by Shane McConkey and his friends. This film combines hard-core lines with wacky shenanigans in a way that is goofy, hilarious, and out of control.
- Jumbo Wild
If you’re looking for a side of environmental activism to go with your powder shots, Jumbo Wild is for you. Chronicling the struggle to keep British Columbia’s Jumbo Valley from commercial development, this Sweetgrass Productions piece portrays the Jumbo wilderness not only by its sweet pillow lines for skiers, but also by its sacredness to local Native American peoples and its solitary, sheer beauty. Jumbo Wild will give you all the epic footage you’re after while inspiring you to stand up and protect the land you love.
- Valhalla
If you feel like getting your hippie vibes flowing while getting your ski fix, watch Valhalla. Based around one wandering skier’s discovery of a mystical (fictitious) free-spirit backcountry ski village called Valhalla, this film combines raw, childlike appreciation for snow with a wacky cast of characters and shot after shot of over-your-head powder lines. Highlights for this film include a nude skiing segment and a psychedelic ski-color-firework montage.
- Paradise Waits
Paradise Waits is a TGR film featuring good old epic powder and aggressively vertical big mountain lines around the world. This film travels during the 2015 winter, from Japanese pillows to guerrilla skiing in the streets of Boston. Keep an eye out for your favorite local skiers including Angle and John Collinson and Sage Cattabriga-Alosa. In addition to its trademark TGR jaw-dropping footage, Paradise Waits offers a look into the quirky goofball personalities of some of your favorite big name skiers.
- Eddie the Eagle
If you’re thinking you’re in the mood for a “real” movie with charm and Hugh Jackman, go for Eddie the Eagle. Rather than chronicling the powder shots of big-name skiers as do most ski films, this movie is more story-based, telling the tale of British aspiring Olympic ski jumper Eddie Edwards approaching the 1988 Winter Olympics. This film might not give you your powder or park fix, but it will certainly make you laugh and motivate you to get up, follow your dreams, and ski your heart out.