Into the Mind: of a Skier [Video]

From Into The Mind

There are things that catch your attention. Then there are things that hook you, dissect you, and leave you evaluating the movement of your life. This morning, a Sherpas Cinema ski trailer was passed along to me by Chris who included the tagline "HOLY CRAP" in the text before inserting the link. As soon as the Sherpas name appeared on the site before me, I knew I was about to reevaluate my life. Their videos just kinda do that to you.

From Into The Mind

If you aren't familiar, there's an expression among the outdoor kids: It's not a hobby, it's a lifestyle. This phrase is not something we casually toss about; we actually feel this way about what we do. Our various modes of  moving through the outdoor space are sacred and sincere, the purest form of self expression we have. Our thoughts and daily actions are intertwined with being in our element; about the lines, the rapids, and routes that capture our hearts and imaginations. It's not something we merely enjoy. We need these things almost as desperately as we need air, water, food, shelter and love — and sometimes we even sacrifice a few of those.


This trailer speaks to my particular mode of movement: skiing. I have long known the winter world would be my home, where my heart lay, where my mind would escape when the heat melted it in the oven of summer. Skiing is where freedom, awe, empowerment and insignificance all come together,  turning up the intensity of feelings reserved for the things I love most.

I am not alone in these thoughts. By creating a film that simultaneously reaffirms my passion and stirs up those intense feelings, Sherpas has figuratively stepped inside my mind to share the most beautiful parts of this lifestyle, parts I could never express in words but inherently understand. Which, I just realized, makes the name of this film perfect.

Enjoy.