The Art of Flight: Welcome to a New Era of Adventure Filmmaking

By Mary Anne Potts; Photograph courtesy Red Bull Photo Files

New York City is a lot of things—outdoors hot spot is not generally one of them. Last night, however, there was no cooler place to be than the premiere of The Art of Flight, the groundbreaking new snowboarding film by director Curt Morgan, the Brain Farm production team, and Red Bull Media House.

Maybe you have already heard about it…50 Cent and Justin Timberlake did tweet about the trailer when it came out last spring. It now has 3.7 millions views on YouTube.

The anticipation was palpable at the Beacon Theatre as 1,500 (highly attractive) fans—including surfers from the Quiksilver Pro—listened to the DJ, slurped on Red Bull and vodkas, and waited for Travis Rice, Jeremy Jones, and our new favorite, Nicholas Muller, and the other incredible snowboarders to hit the stage. And the film delivers.

The Art of Flight ushers in a new era of adventure film-making, one that is ratcheted up by the highest quality cameras shooting in the wildest places on Earth never seen before by camera or snowboard alike. Alaska. Chilean Andes. British Columbia. Backcountry Jackson Hole. Backcountry Snowmass.

In short, the film is exquisite. A masterpiece. The riders look invincible as they rip down impossible, near-vertical lines—often for the first time. The slow-motion filmming technique showcases the flawless precision and art that these athletes intuitively whip off.

Is it snowboarding porn? Who cares? The inspiring and well-considered statements from the riders have a profound effect. If you don't want to explore more, train harder, and think bigger about your own life after watching this film, well, then good luck to you. Just see it. And see it on a big screen if you can.

On tour, available on iTunes for $7.99