In the '60s when the first snowboard was first invented, no one ever thought that it would become the renowned sport that it is today.
When creator Sherman Poppen tied those two initial pieces of wood together for his daughter one winter day, he had no idea that the simple innovation would be anything more than a small toy called a "snurf."
The movie "First Descent" chronicles the history of snowboarding through stories of snowboarding pioneers Chuck Barfoot and Jake Burton.
"First Descent" is a docu-drama about a two-week trip to Alaska with snowboarding prodigies Shawn White, Hannah Teter, White Farmer and one of the original "rock star" snowboarders, Terje Haakinson.
Teter and Shawn White are 17 and 18, respectively and each has won medals and acclaim in the X-Games and the Olympics. Despite their vast experience as accomplished snowboarders, neither White nor Teter has ever ridden on a backcountry mountain like the ones they will face in Valdez, Alaska.
If the validity of snowboarding as a sport was ever in question, "First Descent" will solidify snowboarding's name in the sports world. The film was shot in one of the most beautiful locations in the world and some of the tall mountains descended by White and Haakinson are almost completely vertical. In Alaska, the surfing is not about big tricks. It's about surviving.
Needless to say, the snowboarding was the highlight of the movie. A lot of the time, when either White Farmer or Nick Parata would talk it seemed like lame attempts to be hip or childish. The interview material is somewhat contrived and cheesy. The film was not necessarily staged, but it did not feel genuine.
Not every day is rosy for the characters. Some days, dreaded whiteout conditions result in boredom at the bottom of the mountain. Most of the time, these days were characterized with little-to-no snowboarding footage.
One of the most interesting and provocative scenes is when pro-snowboarder Travis Rice, a friend of Shaun White, shows up and flaunts his own boarding abilities. Rice is one of the best boarders in the film. He lands every trick with authority while outrunning avalanches.
Towards the end of this film, everyone starts talking about the perfect line they want to do. Not that the footage already in "First Descent" isn't intense, but the best of the hardcore snowboarding was at end of this movie.
Anyone with the slightest interest in snowboarding will be held captive by the final act of the film.
