Ski and snowboard movies are pretty slick these days. High production quality, helicopter footage, and the best skiers in the world shredding big lines is standard fare. So it’s refreshing to see a movie that’s just about two guys loading up a truck camper and spending 4 months backcountry splitboarding along the Powder Highway of British Columbia and Alaska. “The Powder Pilgrimage” is one such movie, and it made its premiere at Brewvies Cinema Pub in Salt Lake City.
I was in attendance, simply because my friends, Adam, Jon and I are planning our own camper road trip to Nelson B.C. and were interested in catching a glimpse of what to expect come January. Based on initial impressions, this movie was nothing more than amateur footage edited together – like crazy Uncle Joe forcing family to sit on the basement’s shag carpet to watch a slideshow of his trip to Yellowstone. Boy was I wrong.
“The Powder Pilgrimage” is a fun, adventurous, and humorous travelogue about living in a crappy camper, meeting crazy people, and, of course, shredding deep powder. The main characters, Joey and James, quit their jobs in Salt Lake City in search of a season filled with bagging peaks and carving dream lines on big mountains. Their enthusiasm is infectious as they hop from Salt Lake, to Jackson, across the border to Nelson, then finally ending the trip in Alaska. Hijinks ensue, beer is consumed, and powder pigs get their fill.
Although the film is short, production quality is surprisingly good, competent even, for a production with few sponsors and absolutely zero pro athletes. It is painfully clear that these guys are not the best snowboarders, but that is well hidden behind compelling editing and videography that skillfully captures the scope of their adventures. Yes, “The Powder Pilgrimage” is low budget, but that’s part of the charm. No further proof is needed than the fact that it earned the “Best of the Backcountry” award at the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival.
“The Powder Pilgrimage” already screened at Brewvies, and has a date with the Egyptian Theater in Boise on November 7th… and that’s the extent of the movie’s tour. But you’ll be able to watch it online starting December 6th when it has its Teton Gravity Research website premiere. The film will also be traveling to 100 locations with the Backcountry Film Festival put on by the Winter Wildlands Alliance. For a list of dates and locations check out the tour schedule.
For more information, visit www.thepowderpilgrimage.com