The doors wouldn't open for another half-hour, yet already a large crowd lined the sidewalk outside of Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, most adorned in Level 1 t-shirts. A feeling of impatience was in the air; for months many of these individuals had been awaiting the occasion: the world premiere of Level 1 Productions' After Dark.
When the doors finally swung open, the fans surged in. Most made a b-line straight for the athletes, who were seated at a long table covered in posters and magazines; for the next few hours the pros would all get a solid hand workout signing autographs and dishing out high fives. Others headed for the main floor, eager to get a prime viewing position.
Most every athlete featured in the film was on hand for the big night, and fans were wide eyed as they greeted idol, after idol, after idol.
For two hours the crowd continued to fill in until the building was jam-packed. DJ Harvitronix kept the masses happy with his turn-tabling antics, and kudos to Freedle Coty who had created quite the video loop, featuring scenes from Dumb & Dumber, Happy Gilmore and countless random shots of Rebecca Black, Britney Spears, ladies in leotards and much more. Quite entertaining, I must say.
Eventually, athletes and filmmakers hopped up on stage to greet the attendees, toss out copious amounts of swag and to announce the winners of the night's raffle.
Then, the lights dimmed. A deafening roar bellowed out from the crowd and the film began to roll. I won't spoil the movie for you, but I'll tell you this: you'll dig it. Stellar nighttime footage, absolute destruction "the" Sun Valley jump, blower pow in Japan and heavy metal in Russia are just a few of the highlights.
The skiing is top-notch, the camera-work is darn impressive and I'm certain everyone in that building left at the end of the night thinking, "wow, I really want to go skiing right now."
After the screening, DJ Ecto Cooler made his way onto the stage, and an all-out dance fest ensued; the after-party raged into the late hours, closing out the special night with a bang.
Level 1 founder Josh Berman was thrilled with how the show went down, noting "the crowd in Denver never ceases to amaze me. I couldn't be happier with the turnout and the reaction to the film. Much thanks to everyone that joined us—athletes, industry, and the best fans out."
And with that, along with the premieres of Poor Boyz Productions' The Grand Bizzare and Oakley's The Ordinary Skier which showed in Seattle, the first premieres of the year are in the books. This means one very exciting thing: ski season is right around the corner.
Level 1 will continue its film tour, stopping at many cities around the world. For more information on the tour, follow this link.
Check out the full photo gallery.
