Ski film pioneer and Orcas Island resident Warren Miller returns to narrate his 54th movie, again demonstrating that there are few slopes too steep to scare away those obsessed with pitting life and limb against rocks and snow.
"Journey" will be shown Friday in Everett, signaling the start of the longing for deep powder (or at least deep snow at Stevens Pass).
A Miller film is part travelogue, part adrenaline chaser, part concert.
From Portillo, Chile, to Morocco to Valbruna, Italy, and several U.S. and British Columbia sites, film crews, skiers, snowboarders and kayakers (yes, kayakers) look for the edge that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
At 78, Miller has historical clips to share. Flashbacks include Marilyn Monroe on skis and eventually sprawled (gracefully) on the snow.
This year’s film is, Marilyn notwithstanding, lighter on sexist cheesecake (thank you) and half-pipes, heavier on athleticism than the highlighting of silliness, and a bit heavy-handed with sponsor tie-ins (such as Nature Valley bars on the dashboard).
Helicopters continue to play an integral role, taking men and women to carve untracked snow on slopes even the snow riders describe as "frightening."
"Journey" proves that the snowboarder urge to invade air space or ride the rails can be satisfied by almost any object, whether riding a rail bent over a vehicle or creating over a restaurant roof.
Legend Glen Plake rips through moguls that make your knees ache just looking at his run, ski patrollers show dedication beyond the call of duty to pack Aspen’s Highland Bowl, and Miller demonstrates that being over 40 doesn’t mean framing your skis and hanging them over the fireplace.
Several segments stand out among a film produced by 19 film crews and 73 snowriders.
Loic Jean-Albert jumps out of a helicopter about 1,000 feet over the peaks of Verbier, Switzerland, hits the 80 mph mark, and parallels slopes thanks to a special flying suit (don’t try this at Stevens Pass).
Another is the sweet-but-sorrowful celebration and tribute to Mount Vernon native Craig Kelly, who lived and died doing what he loved, compiled from film clips from Miller films.
Extremist Doug Coombs and his over-40 companions challenge ratty terrain, incredibly steep slopes and the beauty and danger of ice while sometimes appearing as insignificant specks on a larger-than-life scale.
Finally, The Canyons segment offers on-the-edge photography and mood.
It takes a Miller ski film to capture the oddities or unusual moments, topped this year by a hummingbird, fly fishing and barefoot waterskiing behind a snowmobile-turned-jet-ski.
Even the cameraman called the last an act done by "twisted people."
But being "twisted" is also a lot of fun, if it means tossing caution to the winds, not thinking about the future and enjoying the moment.
Tickets are $15.50 and available at G.I. Joes, Mt. Pilchuck Ski &Sport, and Ticketmaster locations (206-628-0888) for the 8 p.m. Friday show at Everett Civic Auditorium.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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