I remember ski movies before Nimbus Independent’s Idea came out. I know that to think of aesthetics in a ski film was like worrying about global warming at a monster truck rally, a misplaced affectation. There were no videos in “crew” format, and nobody dared upset the accepted ratio of park :  powder : contest footage : urban. It was a really good film in its own right, but compared to what had come before, it’s a classic.

Given their position as a breath of fresh air in the ski industry, I was willing to forgive some of Hunting Yeti’s faults. Sure they felt the need to include quasi-intellectual reflections on style, war, peace, and everything else your favorite college pothead would want to talk to you about. They had to tell us that they’re a crew who finds nirvana in the mountains, and they don’t like the daily grind of other lifestyles. It was repetitive, but they were such a departure from the norm that it made sense for them to hammer the point home with a bit too much force. Continue reading this entry »