Radical Reels heartstopping films

Higher, steeper, faster – the Banff Mountain Film Festival’s Radical Reels returns with more heart-stopping extreme sports.

Back by popular demand, the 11 short feature films will be screened at the Arden Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 29 promising an adrenalin-spiked evening.

The full-throttle footage focuses on the most out-there sport adventures in skiing, boarding, climbing, kayaking, base-jumping and more.

As a hot-ticket package, the shorts salute the wild and craggy playgrounds contemporary thrill-seekers check out with mountain bikes, skis, snowboards, paddles, ropes and wingsuits.

But the two-hour showcase is more than crazy stunts. Hard-core adventure athletes, weekend warriors and adrenaline couch junkies will be mesmerized by the captivating cinematography and stunning panoramas shot from incredible vantage points.

“It’s a high energy night. It allows you to see the power of what people can do and what their creativity can do. And it’s also great for the stoke factor. As a climber, I like to see films that get me excited about the sport. And Radical Reels is a good introduction into the extreme sport world,” said film presenter Amelie Goulet-Boucher.

Dubbed as one of the tour’s 10 road warriors, she travels on the Feb. to Oct. film circuit presenting it in various locations across North America.

An outdoor enthusiast, Goulet-Boucher lives in Golden, British Columbia and works for Parks Canada when not on the road. As an extreme sport athlete, she also possesses first-hand experience as a rock climber and backcountry skier.

The Radical Reels screening is designed to give audiences a fast-paced and stomach-clenching experience. Choosing the best of the best is never easy.

About 300 action-packed entries arrive every year, however there is one major requirement to be handpicked for Radical Reels. The adrenalin level needs to be cranked to the max.

Below are quick recaps of the latest jaw-droppers ranging from three to 25 minutes. Packed with wild rides, near vertical jumps and skilful stunts, the films celebrate camaraderie, courage and an unorthodox touch of craziness.

• In Balloonskiing – Heimschnee, producer Stefan Ager takes five Austrian skiers into mountain wilderness where no gondola exists. Five bold skiers climb into a hot air balloon allowing the wind to lead the way. Only a basket and ropes stand between them and a miscalculated plunge into a rugged, snow-packed mountain valley.

“Every year we have something new. Last year it was mountain bikes with skis. This year it’s balloon skiing,” said Goulet-Boucher.

• A second Austrian director, Johannes Mair, instead takes his crew to the red rocks of Namibia, Africa. In Burning Mountains – Spitzkoppe, three sweaty bikers carry their two-wheels to a mountaintop before blasting down the escarpment’s polished face in a near vertical plunge.

• Back in the United States, producer/director Anson Fogel of Camp4 Collective shoots Beat Down, a fast and furious race between two bikers on one of Moab’s steep, boulder-congested mountain trails. Oh yes, and did I mention the Utah heat and rattlesnakes.

• For world-renowned freerider Xavier De Le Rue, snowboarding is an adventure into nature’s mysterious unknown. In Degrees North, De La Rue and Samuel Anthamatten use paragliders to scout and access the best lines in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Extreme sports tend to be ruled by men. However, in Golden Gate, trad climber Emily Harrington challenges herself at Yosemite’s El Capitan’s Gold Gate. Six days later after 40 pitches, she reaches the summit.

• The American company, Sweetgrass Productions, a frequent entrant at the festival, travels to the historic Japanese village of Shirakawa-go. Surrounded by metres of gorgeous powder snow, it has no trail leading to the surrounding peaks. Check out Japan by Van as four skiers carry their gear to the top and dive into a flurry of snow.

“Seagrass has produced some of the best ski films in the industry. It will get you psyched up about the winter coming.”

• The Mysteries is a four-year project photographer Krystle Wright pursued to capture a series of elusive photos. She shoots base jumping, the most dangerous sport in the world with the highest fatality rate. Base jumpers wearing wingsuits and launch their bodies off a skyscraper-high, precipitous rock.

“It’s more a story about photography and how it formed the entire project,” Goulet-Boucher noted. “And it gives you perspective on how far photographers will go to get that dream shot.”

• Few can beat world-renowned climber Alex Honnold, and Showdown at Horseshoe Hell, a competition that has athletes climbing day and night, you see why.

“He’s a star, a legend in the rock climbing world and in this film he free solos without ropes or harness.”

• In Rey del Rio, a group of kayakers meet in Mexico to paddle down multiple waterfalls. The roaring, white foamy wild water does not disappoint as it accelerates a few death-defying moments.

• Touring Via Ferrata in the Dolomites is a challenge at any time. Travelling across the gnarly downhill rocks on a mountain bike where most people would use fixed lines and harness might be considered suicidal.

• Perhaps the most endearing short is Homefree where top freerunner and parkour athlete Will Sutton takes a journey across his homeland of the Isle of Mann. He vaults, springs, runs and jumps across day-to-day objects from stone walls and railings to benches and bales of hay.

After watching these shorts, some viewers may feel the extreme sport adventurers have a death wish.

On the other hand, Goulet-Boucher recognizes the thrill and adrenalin rush of participating in somewhat risky sports.

“It puts you in that flow state. The more you do it, the more you want to do. As an athlete, it allows you to move your body in ways you wouldn’t normally move. And you get to see some really cool environments. It’s a gift to fall in love with outdoor sports instead of going to the gym.”