The world’s 15 best snowboard movies
We thought narrowing down the list of the best snowboard movies would be an impossible task. But, after lots of arguing, we got it down to 15 all-time, unmissable flicks. So, get ready to binge!
The canon of snowboard movies is constantly expanding. And there are so many bonkers, absurd, mind-blowing, tear-jerking, heart-wrenching, and spine-cracking films out there. So, narrowing it down to a handful is more than a Herculean task.
But we’ve all got our favorites. And after lots of deliberation and heated debate around the office and on Zoom, we settled on this list. There are highs, lows, laughs, and tears (here’s looking at you, Jake!). However, once you’re done, you’ll be filled with more joy and stoke for the mountains than ever before. So settle in, grab the popcorn, and, yep, you guessed it … roll film!
Finished the list and hyped to ride? Why not choose a stylish new snowboard jacket and complement it with matching snowboard pants? We have a stellar lineup ready to tackle everything from park to pow.
The Art of Flight - 2011
The Art Of Flight is probably one of history’s best-known (and best) snowboard movies. It really showcased what a snowboarding movie could look like – with what seemed like an unlimited budget.
Calling The Art Of Flight mold-breaking isn’t quite right. However, categorizing it as a globe-trotting series of heli-ski clips trivializes it. Rather, it’s a showcase of the latest filmmaking technology colliding with the pinnacle of storytelling and cinematography to create an unrivaled feast for the eyes. The footage? Unreal, magical, awe-inspiring. The cast? Travis Rice, John Jackson, Mark Landvik, Scotty Lago, Jake Blauvelt, Nicolas Müller, Gigi Rüf, DCP and Pat Moore. The locations? Jackson Hole, Alaska, Chile, Colorado, Patagonia, British Columbia, and Austria. Just go watch it. Right now.
Watch The Art of Flight on Red Bull TV.
Horgasm – A Love Story - 2013
Horgasm was one of the last great hurrahs of late-naughties debauchery. This thread ran through so much of the 90s and 2000s snowboard culture, and Horgasm – Torstein Horgmo’s homage to this time – epitomizes this.
The opening voiceover is a raunchy joke, and from there, well, you can imagine. There are scooters, slushy park sessions, close-up black and white shots of people downing champagne in some nightclub, beautiful women raking in monster kickers, backcountry lines to make your hair stand on edge, and so, so much more. If you yearn for the 2000s as we do, settle in and soak up what might be the best 35-minute snowboard docu-mocku-mentary … ever.
Watch Horgasm – A Love Story on YouTube.
The Crash Reel - 2013
Have you ever heard of Kevin Pearce? What if I told you that before the 2010 Olympics, Kevin Pearce was not only the contemporary of living legend Shaun White, but many actually thought he was a better, more complete halfpipe rider?
While training in Utah, just six weeks before the Olympics, Pearce experienced a horrific crash that changed his life forever. The Crash Reel documentary is the story of his blossoming career and rivalry with Shaun White, his terrible accident, and his long, inspiring road to recovery.
Watch The Crash Reel on YouTube Movies.
The Fourth Phase - 2016
What happens when you put Travis Rice, Eric Jackson, Mark Landvik, Pat Moore, and Bryan Iguchi together? You get one hell of a movie. The Fourth Phase is one of the longer flicks on this list, clocking in at 92 minutes. However, every second is magic.
Follow these riders on a 16,000-mile journey to some of the most spectacular landscapes you’ll ever see. As this movie is longer, it really takes time to dig into the people and processes behind the riding. Plus, Travis Rice narrating the whole thing makes it even more awesome.
Watch The Fourth Phase on Tubi.
Stronger - 2016
Union’s team lineup is pretty stellar. So when they all come together in one 48-minute-long movie, you know it’s going to be incredible.
Names like Travis Rice, Gigi Rüf, Torstein Horgmo, Kazuhiro Kokubo, Bryan Iguchi, Dustin Craven, Dan Brisse, Jess Kimura, and Arthur Longo join the cast alongside locales spanning from big-mountain Alaska to the sleepy streets of Finnish hamlets. With all that, you know you’re in for a world-touring, mind-blowing ride of epic proportions.
The Eternal Beauty Of Snowboarding - 2016
The Eternal Beauty of Snowboarding is a love letter from Jérôme Tanon, a snowboard filmmaker and photographer (who you’ll likely recognize from ZABARDAST). It’s also a super edit using all the behind-the-scenes and unused footage from over four years on the road with some amazing riders. These incredible riders include the likes of Victor de Le Rue and Victor Daviet.
Expect unbridled carnage and a different type of snowboard movie than what you’ve seen before. You’ll feast your eyes on plenty of epic riding, insane footage, and, of course, a lot of UNO!
Watch The Eternal Beauty Of Snowboarding on YouTube
Full Moon - 2017
Full Moon is a beautiful two-year-long film project that features the world’s best female snowboarders. It pays tribute to women throughout the sport‘s history and showcases their progression across the years.
Featuring legendary names like Jamie Anderson, Leanne Pelosi, and Hana Beaman, Full Moon is a special film that’s totally worth watching. As well as a heartfelt retrospective on the challenges they’ve faced, it’s also stacked with unreal clips that show off these pioneering women’s insane skills.
Watch Full Moon on Red Bull TV
Alignment - 2018
Alignment is a true personal favorite and a movie I watch every year. Unlike many big snowboard movies, this isn’t an ensemble cast, nor is it white-knuckled video parts or heli-jumps.
Eric Jackson, or E-Jacks, is a backcountry, big-line rider who isn’t short on gnarly segments. However, Alignment is more of a love letter to the mountains, chronicling his journey to finding ‘alignment’ through riding and fishing. It opens with him loading up his truck and heading north into the BC wilderness to hunt for fish and pow. It’s an emotional, mental journey that rings true for so many of us: we’re all just searching for the things that make us truly happy. You know what makes me happy? Watching this movie on repeat.
ZABARDAST - 2018
The first time I watched ZABARDAST, I had a panic attack. What, am I not selling it to you? ZABARDAST follows a fabled expedition to the high Himalayas in search of a mythical ‘shark fin’ mountain with a near-vertical pitch. And some French alpinists want to climb up and ski down. I know – only the French, right?
Well, strap in because ZABARDAST is all shot video-diary style with GoPros. Plus, it features an amazing inside look at what it’s like to embark on an epic Himalayan expedition, including the highs and lows. And the footage of the actual ascent and riding? Well, don’t let me ruin it for you. Just watch and enjoy.
As the Crow Flies - 2018
As the Crow Flies is one of Gigi Rüf’s big movies. And it’s art. That’s the only way to explain it. It brings together narrative storytelling, breathtaking cinematography and camerawork, and unparalleled sound design to create a simply stunning watching experience.
In fact, As the Crow Flies feels halfway between the sickest snowboard movie you’ve ever seen and a true art-house flick. If you didn’t think snowboarders were painters and the snow their canvas … watch this, and you will. The riding is unreal, and the whole movie – from start to finish – is just spectacular. It’s a true crowd favorite for an excellent reason!
Watch As the Crow Flies on YouTube
The Uninvited - 2018
The Uninvited – Jess Kimura’s groundbreaking all-female cast snowboard movie – was such an inspiration that we had to include it. The story of this movie is born from the exclusionary practices of the snowboard industry until, well, pretty recently.
Men were the faces of brands. They landed huge endorsement deals and secured the funding to make movies and film video parts. So many great female athletes were passed over and just not invited to these shoots. Finally, powerhouse Jess Kimura said enough is enough. And she set out to film an all-female snowboard movie, mostly out of pocket. The result? The Uninvited, a film that kick-started an entire female-led snowboard film craze.
Unbroken: The Snowboard Life of Mark McMorris - 2018
Do you know the story of history’s most decorated snowboard athlete? Mark McMorris, the Saskatchewan native, has more medals across the X Games, the Olympics, and the World Cup combined than any other snowboarder in history. But did you also know his list of injuries is as long as his list of wins?
In 2016, McMorris broke his femur and had to learn to walk (and ride) all over again. But, sadly, that wasn’t the last. Just a year later, during a backcountry accident, he broke his jaw and left arm, ruptured his spleen, suffered a pelvic fracture and multiple rib fractures, and collapsed his left lung. Unbroken: The Snowboard Life of Mark McMorris is a documentary about his unbelievable recovery — including his journey back to health and the podium.
Watch Unbroken: The Snowboard Life of Mark McMorris on Red Bull TV.
Dark Matter - 2019
Another Travis Rice epic? Don’t mind if we do. Dark Matter’s opening voiceover may sound eerily like Pendulum’s Slam intro. However, that doesn’t detract from the unreal riding combined with the super unique visual filmmaking that creates this movie.
Dark Matter centers on the Tordrillo region in Alaska. So, you’ll sit back and watch nearly 30 minutes of pure, unadulterated big-mountain riding like never before. This movie is special because it focuses on the mountains over the riders, and for that, it’s found a place in our top 15.
Dear Rider: The Jake Burton Story - 2021
It’s impossible to disagree with the statement that Jake Burton was snowboarding. The news of his illness and passing sent shockwaves through the snowboarding world. However, following his death, this heartfelt documentary hit screens and brought us all to tears.
Dear Rider: The Jake Burton Story chronicles the work and life of this titan of snowboarding. From the first board shaped in 1977 to the 2020 Burton US Open (the first competition after his passing), this biopic reveals a life that shaped every facet of snowboard culture. It features so many great interviews from all the riders his life touched and is 100% required watching for anyone who rides.
Chasing Winter - 2021
There’s a lot of focus on the backcountry side of snowboarding in movies. However, the competition circuit is one of the sport’s biggest pillars. From the X Games to the Olympics, and everything in between, pro riders hit 25-feet-tall, 120-feet-long jumps at 50 miles per hour, spinning upwards of 1800 degrees these days.
So, the line between glory and serious injury is razor-thin. And Chasing Winter explores this. It follows a group of elite athletes (led by Mark McMorris) as they push themselves to prepare for another competition year at a pre-season camp in Switzerland.
Watch Chasing Winter on Red Bull TV
Wrapping up
Well, that’s it! Can you believe we’re at the end of the list? And while we know we left loads out, we hope the 15 above provide an endless source of stoke and excitement for you to carry on your next trip.
Did we miss some absolute bangers? Let us know by hitting us up at crew@montecwear.com!
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