Two notable films were released this year that featured extreme snow sports, but their points of divergence could not be more stark. McConkey, a character-centered documentary on extreme skier and BASE jumper Shane McConkey, is essentially an extension of the ski movie genre, but spans the entire life of a larger than life figure. It’s the ski movie meets Grizzly Man, exploring the life of an individual who frequently put himself in danger in the pursuit of idiosyncratic fulfillment.
The Crash Reel, on the other hand, is one of the best documentaries of 2013 for the way it subverts the typical sports narrative even further than McConkey does. Lucy Walker, known best for the brilliant Oscar-nominated Waste Land, assembles footage of snowboarder Kevin Pearce from his days of going head-to-head with decorated Olympian Shaun White, until a horrific accident leaves him with a traumatic brain injury. In his recovery we’re not only exposed to the effects of brain injury but the heart-wrenching toll death-defying competitions such as action sports can take not only on the participants but their families. The Pearce family are the stars of The Crash Reel, which surprises you at every turn.
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