Sunny will in many ways seem familiar to Level 1 films of the past, but for some reason, the formula this year seemed tighter, more focused, and ultimately better. Trannies, somewhat simpler tricks, and wait for it, STYLE rule this year’s movie in a way that they haven’t in mainstream ski videos. A soundtrack full of good, older rock with not one intolerable reggae song keeps things moving throughout, without much interruption by pro skiers saying shit that isn’t clever or funny. What is going on over there?? This is definitely a departure in terms of creative direction and mainly in what kind of skiing (i.e. maybe not the harder, but the better looking kind) will increasingly make it into movies. According to our astronomical clock, which maintains a gap of two years between snowboard and ski trends, this should have happened last year, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, here’s some stream of conscience notes I took while watching:
-Mike Hornbeck gets the opening segment. Level boys definitely hit their rhythm with this one. Good transitions and the inclusions of the bro yells upon stomping are well integrated. Am I this buzzed off two drinks?
-Logan Imlach does Rube Goldberg course through a beat (both physically and in video segments) Alaskan concrete structure. Putting the time and effort in.
-Chris Logan, Logan Imlach, and Wiley Miller each have by far their best video appearance in Sunny. These guys each have a pretty different style, and if you like any or all of them, you will be rewarded with the sweet carrot cake of their skiing. Wiley Miller skis to Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses.” While it’s not Marc Johnson’s Fully Flared segment, Wiley did some good in this one and definitely tightened up his style last year.
-While jibs have still got more complicated this past season, luckily that’s not due as much to an increase in switch-ups or superspins. Thank flippin’ god. You jib monkeys better get your knees ready though, because you’re going to be doing a lot of two-story drops to flat if you want to keep up. Us old dudes are just stoked we can gap off the rail to the other side of the rut in the landing and now call that a trick. I never wanted to learn a 450 anyways.
-Most reviewers forgot to mention the rare treat of Eric Pollard skiing in standard segment style sans a million slowmos, landscapes, quotes, or lifestyle shots. Just pure unadultured Pollard style. Reminds me how badly I want a pair of Sir Francis Bacons so I can just bury my nose and my hands in every powder turn this winter. Malcyzk?
-The problem with doubles is that they are very hard to do and show any unique style. Style, you may be shocked to find out, does not just exist because you grabbed your ski. Luckily, much fewer doubles make their presence known in Sunny, and instead the incredible possibilities of single-flip and on-axis tricks are explored in detail. Well done, boys.
-JP Auclair cameo!! It’s in Turkey and he does a flair tail off a small roof jump. Does no one think I’d pay to watch that man do more shit like that?? Goddamn. Anyway, the Turkey segment is kinda cool. Torin Yater-Target does some cool shit off a tiny snowbank quarterpipe, which was my favorite feature to build and never be able to do anything on growing up.
-Wallisch can pretty much do anything he ever wants on skis, so that can make his skiing boring. However, his ender is pretty much T-Wall at his finest. Without giving it away, his ender turns what would be a impossible exercise into an easy 270 on, with the signature tippy-toe soft landing. What an asshole.
-Parker White ends it, and does a stellar job of showing how much damage he can do without having to spin very much. Future shit.
Bottom line is that if you’ve been enjoying the kinds of skiing we’ve been posting on the ‘Bomb these days, you’re going to enjoy Sunny. The guys who you really want to watch ski got long enough parts, too, which is sweet. Pick up Sunny on iTunes for $12.99 or the DVD for $22.95
