When Jason Momoa walked on stage to present the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary, it was like the Academy’s wink wink, nod nod to the climbing world even before the award was presented. It seemed intentional that Momoa, a skilled climber in his own right, would be chosen to announce that Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, directors of Free Solo documenting Alex Honnold’s historic climb of El Capitan, had won. And if not, well, that’d sting a little.
As it stands, Momoa did get to stand on stage and award his friends.
“I even got a kiss!” said Chin when the two met in Los Angeles to climb indoors after the award show.
“I did. I did. I kissed Alex, too,” said Momoa, laughing.
Chin had his Oscar in his backpack when the two linked up and broke it out as if it were stolen – not that he and his wife had worked tirelessly to bring the best documentary of the year to the silver screen.
In the video above, Chin discusses his emotional win with his friend, and we get to be a fly on the wall. Enjoy!
