I went to see TGR’s newest ski movie here in Missoula. I really don’t watch too many ski movies, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t have an opinion on them and review Re:Session. To go with the theme of recession the movie began with clips about the financial crisis and stuff like that. But why? If you don’t have money, can’t you still just “eat, ride and sleep”? Err… It just felt like the guys couldn’t figure out a better theme to go with.

The movie showed to the audience pow skiing at places such as Zakopane (Poland), Haines (Alaska), and Pemberton (B.C.). There were a lot of backcountry kickers but I guess I  just don’t get the special idea and soulfulness associated with building big kickers in the backcountry. Of course they have some advantages and and all that but jumps like that could be done in the park in Talma (which is a tiny ski “resort” in southern Finland), I’d rather just see some ‘real’ freeriding. The halfpipe that was specially built for Shaun White is kind of the same thing, like ‘hey lets build this halfpipe or kicker in the backcountry just ’cause it’s so much cooler than at a resort’.. its just the coolness factor that escapes me, even though I know some people like that.

Re:Session wasn’t bad, but somehow nearly all the ski movies kind of remind me of each other. Pow, helicopters, pow, snowmobiles, lots of snowmobiles, skiers, big mountains, pow. Can’t help but think that the ski movies often just repeat the same things. Or what do you think? The heli-skiing at Haines once again looked great but really the best parts of the movie for me were when:

• somebody skied great lines backwards
• some guy dropped into a small crevasse (I know it was serious but still it looked funny…)
• and when somebody fell and cartwheeled down the slope, losing his skipants in the process.

Re:Session is definitely a movie about guys, as there was only one women rider. And although the trailer mentions “a ski and snowboard movie” I could only spot one snowboarder (correct me if I’m wrong, I only saw the flick once).

Re:Session – hey, it’s a ski movie!

To sum it up this was a ski movie. It was a good ski movie but there was nothing super special; it had the cool music and beautiful sceneries you can find in almost every ski movie. It had the effect on me that I think ski movies should have: after watching Re:session I found myself planning the coming season and getting my snowboard and tuning tools out of the closet. It made me want to snowboard even more!

Here’s the trailer, maybe it’ll make you want to watch the whole movie also:

Re:Session Shot on location in Jackson Hole WY, Alagna Italy, Last Frontier Heli-Skiing, Poland, Slovakia, Haines AK, North Cascade Heli-Skiing, Colorado, Stevens Pass WA, Utah, Montana, and Pemberton B.C.

Skiers in Re:session: Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Seth Morrison, Kye Petersen, Ian McIntosh, Dana Flahr, Dylan Hood, Erik Roner, Wiley Miller, Shroder Baker, Todd Ligare, Mark Carter, Dash Longe, Tanner Hall, Sammy Carlson, Rachael Burks, Cody Townsend and Callum Pettit.