| Media
Release
WARREN MILLER’S OFF THE
GRID SNOW ADVENTURE
Warren Miller film crews rewrite the definition of adventure as
the world’s best winter sports athletes embark on a global
mission to discover the deepest snow and the steepest mountains
in their latest feature film, OFF THE GRID. Having
captured unprecedented snow conditions from around the world,
this year’s offering is unsurpassed in the 57-year tradition of
Warren Miller films.
Warren Miller’s OFF THE GRID exposes the undiscovered
side of winter with spine tingling footage of world class
athletes charging through deep powder and carving turns on
unthinkably steep terrain in locations as diverse as Kashmir,
India to Kicking Horse, Canada.
Part action, part adventure and part documentary, the film
features skier Jamie Pierre and his world record-setting
245-foot snow-covered cliff drop; Kevin Bramble and Monte Meier
becoming the first adaptive skiers to tackle the remote,
helicopter-accessed backcountry of Alaska’s Chugach Mountains;
and the heart stopping action of Reggie Christ as he escapes the
path of a monster avalanche in Alaska that is truly OFF THE
GRID.
“The grid is a metaphor,” says Producer/Director Max Bervy.
“It represents the boundaries and routines of everyday life.
Inversely, OFF THE GRID is a place where nothing is
common and everything is possible. OFF THE GRID is where
the romance and soul of the sport come alive in the mountains
that we love. It’s the place where we redefine boundaries, take
risks and search out unique and undiscovered areas to escape the
compromise of everyday life.”
Narrated by Olympic skier turned NFL football player, Jeremy
Bloom and packed with a notable cast including Olympic 2006
medalist Toby Dawson and X-Games Gold Medalists Zach and Reggie
Crist, OFF THE GRID takes viewers out of the ordinary and
into the extraordinary in over 16 locations around the globe.
Along with free-fall action, thrilling adventure and magnificent
backdrops, OFF THE GRID delivers a high-energy soundtrack
on a state-of-the-art digital sound system.
Warren Miller’s OFF THE GRID will tour Melbourne, Sydney,
Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth during May and June as a
limited release. An expo featuring the latest snow products,
clothing and travel is held in conjunction with the Melbourne
and Sydney shows. The national tour is proudly supported by
United Airlines, Colorado Ski Country USA, Hotham, Falls Creek,
Jeep and Corona. A regional tour is also scheduled as part of
the national season.
Warren Miller Entertainment is the most respected name in
action sports cinematography, capturing the best of winter
sports since 1949. In addition to producing and touring a
feature length snow sports film each year, Warren Miller
Entertainment has a thriving television programming development
and production arm and is a leading source for snow and action
sports stock footage. All films are produced and distributed
from the company’s Boulder, Colorado studios while the company
also has offices in North America, UK and Australia.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Michaela Hall
03 9598 1020
0419 113 633
michaela@warrenmiller.com.au
Warren Miller’s Off the Grid Sequence Notes
Media Note: Direct narration from the script always appears
in italics and quotes.
Opening Montage
The stage is set in the traditional Warren Miller fashion; a montage
with adrenaline-pumping shots of world class athletes charging through
deep snow and carving turns on unthinkably steep terrain. World Champion
mogul skier and film narrator, Jeremy Bloom, now training with the
Philadelphia Eagles, explains exactly why “skiing is no longer
cooler than football.”
Golden, British Columbia, Canada
Athletes: Chris Eby, Charlotte Moats, Jamie Pierre, Martin Winkler
Equipment: skis, snowcats, snowmobiles
The true Off the Grid experience is demonstrated as world-class skiers
head to British Columbia’s Kicking Horse ski area- which is a town that
“you probably wouldn’t bother stopping in, unless you drove a
cargo train, a logging truck or fat skis.” After exploring the
area the athletes travel deep into the backcountry to Chatter Creek
Lodge. Over 80 km to the nearest road and nearly a two hour snowmobile
ride, the lodge feels completely off the grid. The skiers take advantage
of the natural playground by piecing together pillow drops into
unthinkable lines and even skipping the lines altogether to plunge deep
into the backcountry powder.
US Freeskiing Open, Vail, Colorado
Athletes: Peter Olenick, Simon Dumont, Sammy Carlson, Andreas Hatveit,
TJ Schiller, John Spriggs, Jon Olson
Equipment: skis
The bar for freestyle skiing is raised once again during this year’s
Freeskiing Open. From slopestyle, to halfpipe and big air, this segment
is packed with some incredibly daring and talented jibbers who prove
that there are no limits to what is possible in the air. High flyer, TJ
Schiller, claims “Gnarly stuff is going down tonight”
after landing the first ever switch 1440 (entering jump backwards and
rotating 4 times) in competition to secure his second straight Big Air
title in the event.
Backcountry Snowboard – various locations
Athletes: Frederik Kalbermatten, Mads Jonsson
Equipment: snowboards
This montage of big air and rag doll wrecks is set against blue bird
skies and glistening fluffy powder. Hand held cameras create the feeling
of riding along with the snowboarders as they navigate steep shoots and
wide open powder fields.
Utah – various locations
Athletes: Jamey Parks, Julian Carr, Jenn Berg, Jeremy Nobis, Aaron
Ward
Equipment: skis, snowboards
“You can’t get more on the grid than Salt Lake City… but due east
of downtown the fabled Wasatch Range erupts.” Every year these
mountains get hammered with 500-600 inches of pure, dry, lake-effect
snow, which continues to remind the likes of Jenn Berg and Jeremy Nobis
of the reasons they moved to Utah in the first place.
Jamie Pierre Cliff Jump / Monopalooza – Whyoming & Utah
Athletes: Jamie Pierre and tens of monoboarders
Equipment: skis, monoboard
Pierre is a legend of escaping death with seemingly impossible cliff
jumps. This year he continues to blow our minds, as he sets a new world
record by dropping a 245 foot cliff (the equivalent height of
twenty-five tram cars stacked on top of each other).
Following classic Warren Miller fashion and humor, Jamie Pierre, clad in
a turquoise one piece, heads to the 6th annual Monopalooza, a gathering
of the “other one-plankers.” There he experiences
something truly special as sixty hip-wiggling monoboarders charge the
slopes with skill and speed. “This is our flavor we love it.”
A flavor that only experienced monoboarders can truly comprehend.
Winter Park, Colorado
Athletes: Brady Johnson, Fred Mooney, Toby Dawson, Tyler Robertson,
Kelly Slater
Equipment: skis
Winter Park is the only ski resort in Colorado that is directly
accessible by train from downtown Denver. Here, Brady Johnson and Fred
Mooney take advantage of this bumpy train to join fellow local mogul
skiers at Mary Jane. If there is one thing these skiers have in common
it’s their love for the bumps. Later, Olympic medalist Toby Dawson,
takes a break from the moguls to shred some untouched lines in Winter
Park powder.
Kashmir, India
Athletes: Dan Treadway, Manu Gaidet, Shroder Baker
Equipment: skis
From the floating vegetable market on Dahl Lake, to the bustling streets
of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, the athletes in this segment are so
far off the grid that only the pinpricks of snowflakes on their faces
remind them they are on the same planet. Immersed in a completely
different culture the skiers realize the world is not such a large place
as they find familiarity in the appreciation for snow and mountains.
Aside from enjoying the company of locals and experiencing the unique
and exotic reality of this far-off land, these world class big mountain
skiers, generate incomparable visuals as they tear through the
picturesque landscapes.
Big Sky / Moonlight Basin, Montana
Athletes: Lynsey Dyer, Chris Anthony, Mike Mannelin
Equipment: skis
Seventeen film Warren Miller veteran, Chris Anthony, travels with Lynsey
Dyer and Mike Mannelin to what is billed as ‘the most skiable terrain
available in North America.’ “We’re killing it out here; its epic”.
The merge of Big Sky and Moonlight Basin to form Lone Peak Pass, offers
some of the best lift-accessible terrain in the country. It looks as if
the athletes are off the grid as they hike knife edged saddles to access
narrow couloirs off Lone Peak Pass. Après skiing, Mike Mannelin leads us
through the numerous jobs he has held while pursuing his dream of the
ski bum lifestyle.
Girdwood, Alaska
Athletes: Reggie Crist and Zach Crist
Equipment: skis, helicopter
Whether it’s competing in the X-Games or heli skiing in Alaska, brothers
Zach and Reggie Crist always travel together. “Reggie Crist never
comes here without Zach Crist and Zach Crist never comes here without
Reggie.” After being the first brothers to share a podium at the
Winter X-Games the Crists decided to share Alaska as well. While
enjoying unparalleled scenery, the brothers rip through the Chugach
Mountains Range’s unbelievable Alaskan terrain.
Backcountry / Park Jib Segment – various locations
Athletes: Andy Mahre, Sammy Carlson, Pep Fujas, Andreas Hatveit,
Simon Dumont, Peter Olenick, Jacob Wester, Tanner Hall, TJ Schiller, Jon
Ollsen, Chris Benchetler, JP Auclair, Candid Thovex, Scott Hibbert,
Anthony Boronowski, Julien Regnier
Equipment: skis, helicopter
The next generation of progressive freestyle skiing is showcased in this
montage of astonishing backcountry and resort jibbing footage. These
twin-tipped skiers are more like acrobats as they not only catch
unthinkably large air but spin, flip and twist as they soar. This
segment proves that the bar has again been set higher than ever before.
Steamboat, Colorado
Athletes: Max Mancini, Herb Manning, Arnie Backstrom
Equipment: Teleskis, Skis, Snowboard
Steamboat was the epicenter for big storms this year when the dry desert
storms dropped 440 inches of the champagne powder. “It was
recorded as the 4th deepest winter on record- for skiers like Max it’s a
dream come true.” With bottomless powder day after day local
skiers felt like they were living in a dream world. Steamboat’s Wild
West attitude sets the stage for a surreal adventure as the skiers get
lost in chest deep snow. Watch Max, Arnie and Herb ski through trees in
snow that is said to be some of the lightest in the world.
World Snowball Fighting Championships, Hokkaido, Japan
Athletes: A plethora of intense Japanese snowballers
Equipment: Hardpacked Snowballs
The bustling streets of Japan set a notably serious tone for a very
serious competition. In quintessential Warren Miller fashion the crew
sought to bring the unknown and unfamiliar to life, hilarity ensues.
Heart-pounding music matches the intensity of this fierce international
battle as the world’s top snowball fighters battle for the prestigious
championship title in this showdown of bravery, brawn and skill.
Disentis, Switzerland
Athletes: Nicky Wievig, Julien Haricot, Stephan Mauer
Equipment: snowboards
Some of the world’s best riders gather to demonstrate that it not only
takes skill, but also serious creativity to continue to inspire the
evolution of all winter sports. “The mountains look different through
the eyes”…of these three snowboarders as they take Disentis, Switzerland
by storm. On top of making great turns in deep snow the riders change
directions and begin dropping stone walls and jibbing abandoned
construction materials.
Krippenstein, Austria
Athletes: Pep Fujas, Bryce Phillips
Equipment: Skis
The Alps hold some of the world’s best secret powder stashes that are
still undeveloped and un-littered with tourism and resort development.
Krippenstein, Austria is the playground for these Warren Miller athletes
and “It’s pretty unreal, pretty unknown.” The skiers explore the endless
terrain, skillfully finding ways to ski out of some huge cliff drops.
Cordova, Alaska
Athletes: Monte Meier, Kevin Bramble, Kevin Quinn, Dean Conway, Seth
Wescott, Doug Coombs
Equipment: Skis, Helicopter
Kevin Quinn dedicates this segment to former Warren Miller athlete, the
late Doug Coombs. Shots from previous Warren Miller movies are pieced
together into a heartfelt montage that pays tribute to the world class
guide who lost his life last season.
The steep peaks of Alaska provide an area for athletes challenge the
cutting edge as “The cutting edge is so close you can land on it.”
In this inspiring segment, experienced guides Kevin Quinn and Dean
Conway lead two of the world’s best adaptive skiers to what seems to be
the top of the world. Kevin Bramble, a sit-skier and Monte Meier, a
one-legged skier make history at the first ever adaptive skiers to
attempt these remote locations.
MEDIA CONTACTS
National:
Michaela Hall
Andrea Avaitoglou |