Radical Reels celebrates mountain culture

How many mountain bikers can complete a 360-degree tailwhip before diving into a deep grassy drop-off without landing in the hospital?

The physics of extreme sports are daunting, and many adrenalin junkies are just as stoked filming the events as taking part.

But all too often, the hand-held shaky result is disappointing. If you prefer extreme sport movies with cinematic depth, then Radical Reels, coming to the Arden Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 16 may be just your ticket to an action-packed evening.

Radical Reels celebrates mountain culture through adventure and extreme sports. Throughout its 110 minutes of film time, it brings into play human stories and the environment.

It is the composite of nine extreme sport shorts entered in the 2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival. Nearly 300 entries were received. The top tier documentaries balancing different sports and styles was selected and edited into Radical Reels, on tour since February 2011.

“We are known throughout the world for our outdoor film festival and for the quality of presentation,” says Meagan Stewart, World Tour program coordinator.

One of the films, Follow Me is a top mountain biking film with James Bond type stunts. “It’s some of the best riders in a spectacular ride with each other. It’s daring and light-hearted.”

Cross-Country Snowboarding was shot in British Columbia with some of the world’s most dedicated Nordic snowboarders. “But we don’t want to give anything away. There’s a nice surprise for the audience at the end.”

Light the Wick, a ski film was shot in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Alaska.

“The skiing is incredible on the steep spines in Alaska,” says Steward. “A big point is the mountain skiing, but there is also jumps and powder skiing.”

Living the Dream follows travelling vagabond filmmaker Renan Ozturk as he pursues his passion for rock climbing, sleeping outside in wild places and hitching rides.

OSeven was part of the Nissan Outdoor Games in the French Alps. “At the games, they have a filmmaker challenge. You have to make a five-minute film with five extreme sports in five days.”

Second Nature is a cool thrill ride with skateboarders in a high-speed downhill ride, testing the limits of the human body on the roads of California’s High Sierras.

The Storming nails progressive snowboarding with Sammy Luebke, Kazu Kokobu, Torstein Horgmo and a cast of the best female riders displaying style and guts.

Tuzble takes a look at the nail-biting high-ball bouldering while The Ultimate Ride documents Steve Fisher’s extreme water kayaking in the Zambezi River where water levels are at a record-breaking height.

“Radical Reels is exciting. It’s different. It’s changeable and it’s fun. For a lot of people, it’s a way of living vicariously with no fear.”