Ski Film Reasons Puts a New Spin on a Trick Flick Genre
Text by Zach Braunstein and Megan Parks
The recent New York City premiere of Poor Boyz Production’s latest ski film, Reasons, took full advantage of pent-up pre-ski season energy as guests took to the dance floor, while one indie-pop beat after another pounded through the speakers. The party, sponsored by Red Bull and Bula, was in full motion a good two hours before the film even began. “Ski film premieres are meant to be rowdy—people drinking and cheering," explained JP Auclair, one of the film’s stars. "It’s OK if you miss part of the film. I can’t get bummed if you can’t hear the dialogue because that’s how it’s always been.”
Reasons, directed by Johnny DeCesare and Tyler Hamlet, is Poor Boyz’s first film to stray from the traditional high action, low substance ski film formula. “We were tired of shooting the same type of movie over and over again. We wanted to tell a story,” explains Hamlet. Never fear: Viewers will still be treated to the jaw dropping tricks, sweet shots, and heavy powder that defined earlier PB movies, such as the ironically titled Ski Porn.
In Reasons, however, the "why" is just as important as the "what." “This type of movie is a lot harder to make,” says Auclair. “It’s a lot more emotionally draining. We really wanted to affect people.” In Reasons, pros like Mark Abma, Sammy Carlson, Tanner Hall, and Simon Dumont explain what inspires them to push to their limits. Says Abma, “It’s just you in that moment, and you’ve forgotten everything from last week or what may be happening in the future,” be it on moonlit mountain runs in Japan or urban street sessions in Québec.
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