Steep (2007 film)
Encyclopedia
Steep is a 2007
documentary
about extreme skiing
written and directed by Mark Obenhaus . Steep explores the history of extreme and Big Mountain Skiing
, starting with its roots in 1960s and 1970s North America and Europe, with Bill Briggs
' now famous first descent of the Grand Teton
, and progressing through to the current day sport.
Steep was shot in High Definition and on film in a number of locations including Alaska, France, Canada and Iceland . Steep made its premiere in the Spotlight Section of the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
. In North America, Steep was acquired by Sony Classics and released to DVD on 18 March 2008.
. It includes interviews and narratives provided by, and footage of, well known ski personalities including Bill Briggs
, Doug Coombs
and Glen Plake
. It also notably stars Shane McConkey
, Seth Morrison
, Andrew McClean, Eric Pehota
, Ingrid Backstrom
, Stefano De Benedetti, Anselme Baud, Chris Davenport
and Emily Coombs, amongst others.
In a 2008 interview with National Geographic Adventure
, Mark Obenhaus spoke of the importance of both Bill Briggs
' and Doug Coombs
' presence in the film, saying:
Rotten Tomatoes
reports that 51% of 41 professional critics have given the film a positive review, and the Rotten Tomatoes 'consenus' (when there are sufficient reviews to form a conclusion, a consensus statement is posted which is intended to articulate the general reasons for the opinion) was, "Steep is a mixed bag of breathtaking mountain footage and yawn-inducing banter."
New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden says of Steep:
John Anderson of Variety says:
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
about extreme skiing
Extreme skiing
Extreme skiing is skiing performed on long, steep slopes in dangerous terrain. The sport is performed off-piste.The French coined the term 'Le Ski Extreme' in the 1970s...
written and directed by Mark Obenhaus . Steep explores the history of extreme and Big Mountain Skiing
Freeskiing
Freeskiing or Newschool skiing involves tricks, jumps, and terrain park features, such as rails, boxes, jibs, or other obstacles. This form of skiing resulted from a combination of the growth in popularity of snowboarding as well as the progression of Freestyle skiing...
, starting with its roots in 1960s and 1970s North America and Europe, with Bill Briggs
Bill Briggs
Bill Briggs is the director of the Great American Ski School at Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming in the United States. Briggs, born in Maine, is notable as the first to ski the Grand Teton on June 15, 1971 and as a result is said to be the father of extreme skiing in North America.His route...
' now famous first descent of the Grand Teton
Grand Teton
Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...
, and progressing through to the current day sport.
Steep was shot in High Definition and on film in a number of locations including Alaska, France, Canada and Iceland . Steep made its premiere in the Spotlight Section of the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
. In North America, Steep was acquired by Sony Classics and released to DVD on 18 March 2008.
Cast and Crew
Written and directed by Mark Obenhaus, Steep is narrated by American actor Peter KrausePeter Krause
Peter William Krause is an American film and television actor and film producer. He is perhaps best known for his lead roles as Nate Fisher on Six Feet Under, Adam Braverman on Parenthood, and Casey McCall on Sports Night...
. It includes interviews and narratives provided by, and footage of, well known ski personalities including Bill Briggs
Bill Briggs
Bill Briggs is the director of the Great American Ski School at Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming in the United States. Briggs, born in Maine, is notable as the first to ski the Grand Teton on June 15, 1971 and as a result is said to be the father of extreme skiing in North America.His route...
, Doug Coombs
Doug Coombs
Doug Coombs was an American alpine skier and mountaineer who helped to pioneer the sport of extreme skiing, both in North America and worldwide.- Biography :...
and Glen Plake
Glen Plake
Glen Plake is an American Freestyle skier. Born in Livermore, California, he grew up in Lake Tahoe, skiing Heavenly Valley. He is known for his appearances in ski films such as Greg Stump's The Blizzard of Aahhhs, and for his trademark Mohawk hairstyle, often dyed blonde, purple or blue. Plake was...
. It also notably stars Shane McConkey
Shane McConkey
Shane McConkey was a professional skier. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was based in Squaw Valley, California. He won numerous awards and competitions. McConkey started as a competitive ski racer, but moved on to be featured in a long line of extreme skiing movies...
, Seth Morrison
Seth Morrison
Seth Morrison of Summit County, CO is a professional skier. He has won numerous competitions and appears in many ski movies. He was born in Murray, Kentucky. Morrison has survived avalanches, a helicopter crash, and miles of vertical on huge Alaskan faces. He is the oldest member of the K2 Factory...
, Andrew McClean, Eric Pehota
Eric Pehota
Eric Pehota is a Canadian alpine skier, best known for his more than 40 first descents of mountains on skis, and his appearances in a number of ski films, including ski documentary Steep , and a number of Warren Miller films....
, Ingrid Backstrom
Ingrid Backstrom
Ingrid Backstrom is an internationally ranked professional skier from Seattle, Washington. Born August 21, 1978, Backstrom graduated from Whitman College in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in Geology....
, Stefano De Benedetti, Anselme Baud, Chris Davenport
Chris Davenport
Chris Davenport, of Aspen, Colorado, is considered one of the world's most accomplished big mountain skiers. He has been called "one of North America's top 25 skiers by Skiing Magazine" and is a "two-time extreme skiing world champion" -Background:...
and Emily Coombs, amongst others.
In a 2008 interview with National Geographic Adventure
National Geographic Adventure Magazine
National Geographic Adventure was a magazine started in 1999 by the National Geographic Society in the United States. It focused on adventure travel and included "Next Weekend" where it featured good weekend trips from all across the U.S., "First In" where it wrote recent adventure travel news,...
, Mark Obenhaus spoke of the importance of both Bill Briggs
Bill Briggs
Bill Briggs is the director of the Great American Ski School at Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming in the United States. Briggs, born in Maine, is notable as the first to ski the Grand Teton on June 15, 1971 and as a result is said to be the father of extreme skiing in North America.His route...
' and Doug Coombs
Doug Coombs
Doug Coombs was an American alpine skier and mountaineer who helped to pioneer the sport of extreme skiing, both in North America and worldwide.- Biography :...
' presence in the film, saying:
"In a sense, between the two of them, we felt that we could almost see the whole sport evolving. That was the moment we thought, Ah-ha, this is the story we want to tell."
Critical Reception
Steep received generally mixed reviews from critics. As of July 2010 review aggregatorReview aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 51% of 41 professional critics have given the film a positive review, and the Rotten Tomatoes 'consenus' (when there are sufficient reviews to form a conclusion, a consensus statement is posted which is intended to articulate the general reasons for the opinion) was, "Steep is a mixed bag of breathtaking mountain footage and yawn-inducing banter."
New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden says of Steep:
"The movie... is an undeniably impressive visual spectacle" .
John Anderson of Variety says:
"Steep has its moments. Some are exhilarating, others seemingly insane. But the movie also feels like a sermon... they’re sliding down hills on two sticks. It should be fun. So should Steep.", but praises the film's production with, "Production values are phenomenal."
External links
- Review of Steep The Guardian
- Steep The Documentary Group 'Steep' Project Page
- Mark Obenhaus Biography on 'The Documentary Group' website