Captivated on Seth Morrison's documentary: The Ordinary Skier
For the third year in a row, Poor Boyz Productions released their movie to the world at the King Cat Theater in the heart of Seattle, WA. While the PBP title is enough to draw an oversold crowd, the fine folks who made the trek were treated to a Friday night double feature. Opening the night would be Seth Morrison's two-year documentary project: The Ordinary Skier.
But let me rewind. Well before the King Cat antics, the athletes and industry of both movies paid a visit to super shop evo, to host a poster signing as well as barbeque for any and all. Sure, you'll see Simon Dumont, Sammy Carlson, Seth Morrison and JP Auclair later in the evening, but how about chatting with them up close and personally, while chomping down on a free hot dog? Thanks evo.
Mike Henitiuk and Riley Leboe makin' walls look better, one poster at a time.
But as the warm Seattle day faded into the cool evening, the masses descended upon the theater. What seemed like and endless line of moviegoers was eventually all stuffed into the seemingly oversold show. But hey, the more the merrier, right? The bouncers didn't seem to care about the number, the fire marshall never showed and the bartenders were more than happy to oblige the masses.
There is an interesting dichotemy at the PBP premieres. The under-21 crew bee lines straight for the poster signing lines, eager to snag a poster or two (or 10) from one of their cinematic heroes. While the over-21 crowd heads straight for the bar to grab a drink and a high five with any number of their pro skier heroes, the adult equivalent of a signed poster. But whichever pre-show ritual the attendees partook, they surely had a smile on their face when they took their seat. The emcee for the night was K2 Team Manager Mike Powell. He served as light entertainment, technical advisor during some slight projector issues and raffle-master.
First up was The Ordinary Skier. The Director, CP, came up on stage, gave a heartfelt introduction to the documentary and the Hall of Fame cast (Seth Morrison, JP Auclair, Pep Fujas, Sean Pettit, Kye Petersen and Nate Wallace, to name a few). Short and sweet and the first movie of the night was rolling.
L-R: CP, Matty Swanson, Greg Strokes, Seth Morrison, Dave Rosenbarger, Nate Wallace, JP Auclair
I don't want to give away the movie because you should see it, but it's different than any other ski movie. Yes, it's about the history of Seth Morrison and his path. Yes, it has gnarly action and beautiful production value (and an original score, the first for a ski film). But it also has an intangible quality that is difficult to explain. It delves deep into the soul of what drives Seth—and hopefully all skiers—and offers a unique angle the skiing lifestyle; its dangers and its rewards, its sacrifices and its triumphs. Basically if you can't make one the films tour dates, make sure you download it on iTunes when it becomes available on October 3rd.
After a brief intermission and swag tossing, PBP founder Johnny Decesare took the stage to introduce the company's newest film, The Grand Bizarre. A bevy of athletes took the stage, with Simont Dumont and Dane Tudor making impromptu speeches. But another short introduction led to the lights dropping once more.
The Grand Bizarre was decidedly more ski porn than The Ordinary Skier, and quite possibly more than most other PBP films. Highlights include an outrageous Circus-style introduction, the Keystone Resort smorgasbord of features, Simon Dumont's Cubed pipe and Mr. Sammy Carlson… to name a few. You'll definitely want to catch this sub-hour compilation of hot ski action. Find a tour date near you here.
The PBP Grand Bizarre crew
Once the lights were brought up, more swag was thrown and raffled. More drinks were ordered. DJ Hathbanger played an in-house afterparty. Guests mingled with pros and industry vets. Bouncer kicked a few rowdies out. All-in-all, a very typical, yet very fun-filled premiere. Another success for PBP and an astouding mark made on the sport by Seth Morrison.
And all the while that these Seattle antics were happening, our friends at Level 1 Productions held the World Premiere for their film, After Dark, in Denver, CO. Check out the recap here.
For more information on each tour, visit Poor Boyz Productions Web HQ and The Ordinary Skier sites.
