Engearment Favorite Films Part 2 (All-time Faves)

Kate Agathon

We all have a favorite outdoor adventure film.

 

One that we can watch over and over again and feel as stoked seeing it for the nth time as we did the first time we viewed it.

 

In an industry saturated with outdoor recreation films, what makes our favorites stand out among the rest? Do they stoke inexplicable wanderlust deep within? Does it chronicle an amazing feat of human prowess?

 

In honor of adventure film season, the Engearment crew shares our favorite adventure films in this two-part series. From the newly-discovered to the ones that bring the stoke with every viewing, these films stand out among the rest.

 

In Part One, we listed newly released films that we love. In Part Two, we share our all-time favorite recommendations with you.

 

Our all-time favorites

Abandoned (2018)

A crew of backcountry skiers set out to explore Colorado’s lost ski areas in hopes of finding adventure amongst the ruins.

“My all-time favorite adventure film is Abandoned by The Road West Traveled. The film has a perfect combination of ski history and backcountry shredding. It’s a really great piece that tells a bit of the story from some of Colorado’s abandoned ski resorts.”

Read Engearment’s 2018 interview with the Abandoned filmmakers here.

“My bonus pick is C-Team (2020) presented by New Belgium Brewing. It’s a fun, short film that chronicles some beer league bikepacking on the Colorado Trail, but then again I might be biased since I’m in it!”

-Evan

Days of My Youth (2014)

A Red Bull Media House and MSP Films collaboration, the film examines every skier’s lifelong affinity for the sport, by exposing the joys and struggles of a life built around skiing.

“My all-time fave that I’ll watch seemingly every August is Days of My Youth. This film has some of the best ski lines I’ve seen to date; especially Cody Townsend’s Line of the Year.”

“The overall story of how skiing can be something for all ages is visually striking and done very well. One stand-out part in the film that I’ll watch when I just need inspiration is the resort segment, with Richard Permin, Banks Gilbelti, Sander Hadley and Townsend just ripping around the ski area.”

“This bit embodies everything I love about sliding on snow, which is just having a great time with your friends on the slopes. There’s no helicopters and/or huge lines that we mortals with jobs unrelated to our ski skills could access. It’s something that I find missing in ski films that Matchstick Productions really nailed, but hasn’t been quite able to match up again.”

 

-Reid

Meru (2015)

Three elite climbers struggle to find their way through obsession and loss as they attempt to climb Mount Meru, one of the most coveted prizes in the high stakes game of Himalayan big wall climbing.

 

“I never get sick of watching Meru. The story itself is riveting, and Jimmy Chin’s first-person cinematography is incredible. It’s a gritty story highlighting the human resolve and an intimate look into what it took to earn the first ascent of what is arguably the most difficult mountain in the world.”

 

“I’ll also throw in a vote for Travis Rice’s Art of Flight (2011). When that came out, everything about it was cutting edge; the filming and the riding were years ahead of their time. I can watch Art of Flight time after time and it still gets me just as amped as it did when I first saw it. In my mind, it’s the perfect snowboard film.”

– Jace

 

Ride the Divide (2010)

A small group of adventurous mountain bikers attempts to race the longest mountain bike route in the world traversing over 2700 miles along the Rocky Mountains from Banff, Canada, to the Mexican border.

 

“I remember seeing it in Indianapolis when I was attending graduate school at Purdue. I recall being in awe of how normal people would embark on such an audacious adventure of mountain biking nearly 3,000 miles with no prize or celebrity at the end; just the satisfaction of finishing. What struck me was the purity of their intentions, pushing their limits, adventure, and their love of cycling.”

 

“At the time, I was just getting into cycling, and I missed my home state of Colorado (where part of that grueling route takes place). The film partly fueled my desire to return to Colorado after I finished my doctorate.”

 

-Kate

 

Valhalla (2013)

Produced by Sweetgrass Productions, Valhalla is an American/Canadian skiing and snowboarding film that shares the tale of one man’s quest to rediscover the freedom of his youth in the deep snow of the northern woods.

 

“This is my favorite ski and splitboarding movie for many reasons:

 

1) It is analog and grainy, giving a timeless vibe that still resonates today.

2) It has a good storyline that allows you to live vicariously through the main character.

3) The skiing and snowboarding are not over the top.  It has lines that many of us would actually do, in conditions that we love. Lots of powder skiing!

4) The score and soundtrack are among my favorites.  Full of great classic rock and fun jams.

5) You don’t have to be a skier or snowboarder to appreciate the beauty of the film.”

 

-Sean

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, social justice advocate, and mom to her furbaby, Utah the Adventure Dog.

 

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment, and issues of diversity to her writing. Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, fat biking, snowshoeing, camping, peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers, road cycling, and Nordic skiing. After suffering two major knee injuries within four years, Kate hopes to return to alpine skiing next season.

 

Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.

We also heard she has a (slight) obsession for blue heelers.