The Five Best Sports Travel Documentaries of the Last Decade KATIE SCHANZE // staff writer You have a mountain of choices to traverse when picking a sports travel documentary, but choosing the peaks from the pits can be difficult with so many options. Allow us to lead the exploration and pick your next five favorite films so you won’t even have to break a sweat Touching the Void: This critically acclaimed film follows two men and their disastrous attempt to climb Viula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. A terrifying storm in subzero temperatures on the side of the mountain and the nail-biting events that came after it put this edge-of-yourseat film at the top of our list. Suffice to say that crawling for 5 miles on ice with a broken leg and hypothermia sure isn’t easy. This icy adventure is a film you won’t want to miss. Riding Giants: Although it begins with some historical background of surfing, don’t be discouraged, because this film is nonstop action. It moves quickly, spotlighting big wave surfing with incredible interviews from surfing’s biggest names. The state-ofthe-art footage may be enough to lure you in, but the older, rare footage and home videos somehow feel even more personal and exciting. A section dedicated to the most famous surfer of all time, Laird Hamilton, surfing one of the biggest waves on Earth, Teahupoo in Tahiti, is probably the highlight. The waves are so huge they sound more like an avalanche than the ocean. You won’t be bored for a minute. The Art of Flight: This film follows iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends across Canada, Patagonia, Alaska, Wyoming, Romania and Austria for two years as they drop out of helicopters with their boards and soar to new heights. On a trip to the Andes Mountains, the group is frustrated by bad conditions and lack of opportunities to get good air, so they end up building a 12- foot jump on the edge of a mountain. Their determination to get huge air is impressive and sometimes comical. The unbelievable visuals make this documentary feel more like an experience than a film. When the Trail Ends: Tired of how formulaic their sport has become, the best free-ride mountain bikers search the world for the most incredible, un-biked terrain. This documentary follows a group and its journey to ride in China, Nepal, Argentina and Canada. There are some truly spectacular crashes here, but the faraway aerial footage of the bikers, who look like ants as they fly down mountain ranges, is the most jaw-dropping. The GoPro footage from the biker’s helmets is also tied in, making the rides feel even more deathdefying. Their stunts will tie your stomach in knots, but in a good way. Steep: This impressive documentary focuses on the roots of extreme skiing and traces the history of the sport up to present day. Shot on location in Alaska, France, Canada and Iceland, it also has many interviews from famous ski personalities. One amazing compilation of clips showcases skier and BASE jumper Shane McConkey skiing off the edges of mountains into thin air and then releasing a parachute. Even if you come for the narrative, you’ll stay for the breathtaking visuals.
