The individuals involved read like a who’s who at some action sports hall of fame. Warren Miller. Ron Kauk. Jeremy Jones. Kirt and Lindsey Voreis (together). Annie Boulanger. Shane McConkey. Robbie Maddison. Glenn Singleman. Gary Fisher. Yvon Chouinard. And that is only part of a larger, longer list.
You have the man who revolutionized ski films, the dude who (co-)INVENTED the mountain bike, and a handful of the most progressive, forward thinking climbers, shredders, and rippers the planet has ever seen. Also, the person who dresses most adventurers and explorers the world over, including many mentioned above — the man behind Patagonia.
Writer and director Jon Long hopes that this documentary, aptly title The Search For Freedom — which he refers to as “the story of a cultural revolution fueled by the human desire to live in the moment and do what makes you feel the most alive” — will offer a “a visceral, visual experience told through the eyes some of the brightest pioneers, legends, visionaries and champions of surfing, snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding, mountain biking and more.”
This is effectively a love letter to action sports: “It somehow manages to free you from a lot of the things in life that are going to try to sink you. It somehow allows you to leave it behind — maybe just a moment, but that moment is enough.”
We all know the feeling, of when “[y]ou’re one hundred percent focused on what you’re doing right now — and this instant is the most important thing in all of your life.”
If these glimpses of contributing legends is a sign of things to come, I don’t have any doubt that it will not only match Long’s intent, but surpass it.
Legendary ski filmmaker Warren Miller…
…legendary rock climber Ron Kauk…
…legendary big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones…
…legendary freeskier, base ski pioneer, and arguably the most influential skier of all time, Shane McConkey…
…co-inventor of the mountain bike Gary Fisher…
…ER doctor and freefall artist Glenn Singleman…
…that guy who founded Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard…
…world record holder for longest motorcycle jump, Robbie Maddison…
…mountain bikers Kirt and Lindsey Voreis…
…skier and wise-beyond-his-years TED talker Logan Laplante…
…and fearless snowboarder Annie Boulanger.
Anyway, this looks to be one inspiring film.
“It’s a basic instinct of the human being: the search for freedom,” they say.
Then onward.
