As we are approaching the middle of the ski season, some of you may be holding out for a last minute deal before booking your holiday. If you are looking for some inspiration before booking, take a look at some of the top ski movies that are out there. These will vary from rom-coms, to action movies, to some fun retro ski movies from the 70’s and 80’s.
Chalet Girl
Could we start any other way than perhaps with one of the most popular and fun ski movies of recent times? Chalet Girl! The story of a young skateboarding champion in the UK that heads to do a ski season out in Austria in search for a better wage to support her father back home. Long story short, she initially struggles to get to grips with snowboarding before falling in love with a guest in her chalet on her way to snowboarding stardom, which culminates in a win in the big competition held in St Anton where the film is shot.
Credit: Alliance Films & Momentum Pictures
Eddie The Eagle
A few years ago, the story of Michael Edwards, aka Eddie the Eagle, was brought onto the big screen. The film is great for the whole family and appeals to all audiences. We follow “Eddie” as he pursues his dream to be the first British Olympic Ski Jumper. He overcomes great adversity in his pursuit of qualification in terms of lack of training and the Olympic Committee changing the criteria to be on the team. Follow his progress as he makes it to Vancouver and tackles both the 70m and then the larger 90m jump, which he had never attempted before. The Eagle has Landed!
Credit: 20th Century Fox
Hot Dog … The Movie
One of the lesser known ski movies out there is Hot Dog… The Movie. A fun film from the 80’s which follows the tale of a young freestyle skier from Idaho, who is determined to compete in a freestyle competition in Squaw Valley and show he can mix in with the locals. He joins the “Rat Pack” who are a group of like-minded individuals and here he meets an Austrian skier who becomes his nemesis and bitter rival. At the end of the film, there is a “Chinese Downhill” to show who really is the best skier on the mountain, top to bottom, no rules!
Credit: The Hot Dog Partnership & Metro-Goldwyn Mayer
Few Words
Candide Thovex, arguably the greatest freeskier of this generation, released Few Words in 2012 and it is still recognised as one of the greatest ski movies ever. Candide himself grew up in the French resort of La Clusaz and quickly established a reputation as one of the brightest talents in the game. After winning multiple X Games medals and conquering the Freeride World Tour, he started to make feature films with “Few Words” being one of them. He also broke the internet with his “One of Those Days” clips.
Credit: Quiksilver
Into The Mind
Into the Mind from Sherpas Cinema is one of the most progressive ski movies out there. They set the standard and push the boundaries with the level of skiing and the cinematography which is something to behold. The story of skiers challenging themselves both mentally and physically as they push towards conquering their goals and skiing the biggest and gnarliest lines out there. Definitely one to watch if you are into high level film production.
Credit: Sherpas Cinema
The Art of Flight
The Art of Flight was a game changer when it comes to snowboard and ski movies upon its release. Travis Rice, arguably the best freeride snowboarder, had a vision of how to redefine what is possible on a snowboard in the extreme mountainous terrains around the world. Follow Travis and some of the best snowboarders as they create some of the most incredible shots using back country terrain like no other before.
Credit: Red Bull Media House
STREIF | One Hell of a Ride
With this last weekend hosting the latest edition of the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel, it reminded me why it is one of the greatest sporting events in winter sports. If you want to get inside the minds of some of the skiers who enter the race, then this film is a must watch. Experience the highs and lows of all the athletes as they each push the boundaries to claim the top honors in the alpine ski racing world. Strap yourself in for some of the fastest and most exhilarating skiing down one of the world’s most famous slopes.
Credit: Red Bull Media House
Where better to watch these films than in one of our luxury chalets that come complete with a home cinema?
These are just a few of my favourite ski movies, there are loads of other great ones out there. If you like a bit of skiing sprinkled in with action movies, check out the scene in The World Is Not Enough or in the latest xXx movie. If you like the older style ski movies, then check out Apocalypse Snow, a story of mono-skiers who chase a snowboarder around the the back country in an epic powder chase – it’s like Smokey and the Bandit but on snow. Send us an email and let us know if we’ve missed your favourite.
