Words by Alastair Nasmyth
Snowboard films in general are celebrations of physical endeavours, inspiring feats, personal journeys, amazing images and in many ways the The Crash Reel is no different. The real focus isn't on snowboarding, but about the consequence of brain damage and Kevin Pearce's story from Gold medal prospect at the Vancouver Olympics to recovery from a massive brain trauma. The Crash Reel focuses on his acceptance of the physical limitations he would have for the rest of his life.
The film begins by charting Kevin's dramatic rise to prominence as the first person to significantly challenge Shaun White's dominance of snowboard events. Much of the footage includes riding with The Frends Crew (Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Luke & Jack Mitriani, Keir Dillon, Mason Aguirre, Greg Bretz, Mikkel Bang, Erik Jackson and Kevin Pearce) and it is reassuring to see that even at the highest level, snowboarding is still a group of mates just having a shred (even if they've been up since 6am training rigorously!)
There is also an intriguing insight into the the relationship between Pearce and Shaun White that does nothing to dispel the impression most people have of White being spoilt and anti-social. The 'flying tomato' falls out with the incredibly affable Pearce after being beaten by him in a competition. He allegedly called his mum and told her to empty Kevin's stuff out of the house they were sharing at the time.
Then there is the accident, which is shocking. The seriousness of the situation is captured in footage of Scotty Lago talking to the camera immediately after the accident in which you can see his relisation of what has just happened. What a few hours earlier was just fun and games is now a life threatening scenario. Snowboarding then takes a back seat as we follow Kevin on his pathway through rehabilitation; from learning to walk again to his first day back on a board.
There are many discussions with his family as to whether or not he should snowboard again as he battles to come to terms with the choices put before him. They explain that either he should give up the sport that he loves and which has come to define much of his life, or risk having the smallest knock on his head leave him paralysed or dead.
While Pearce's recovery is inspirational and is testament to his mental strength, for me the real heroes of this story are his family that give him all the support and love anyone could imagine during his convalescence. They patiently manage to make him see how dangerous his return to snowboarding could be. Despite Kevin's obvious resistance they manage to articulate their concerns in a heartfelt manner without ever loosing patience with his misguided persistence that everything will be okay.
The film overall is very heartwarming, especially when you see how the snowboard community, especially the Frends Crew, rally round Pearce. There are many interviews with riders that are generally very honest and reassuringly uncensored, (unlike the ones you see with other sports people that have been so media trained they manage to speak without saying anything!) Luke Mitrani and Danny Davis are funny without being disrespectful and Shaun White manages to say both the most interesting and most inappropriate things in the movie. He points out that no one likes doing double corks, they do them because of the pressure of the industry, and he also seeks sympathy for being freaked out by the 'I Ride For Kevin' stickers.
Several other extreme sports athletes who've suffered traumatic brain injuries make an appearance, which helps to demonstrate just how lucky Pearce is to be walking and talking. The film is an interesting watch and encourages the viewer to reassess the wider impact that snowboarding injuries can have, but without making you feel guilty for wanting to shred!
It will definitely make you think twice about not wearing a helmet.
The film has a small release with dates across the UK throughout October.
***Don't forget, you can rent or buy very reasonably priced ski/snowboard helmets from us here at Tignes Spirit and all children receive a FREE helmet as part of their rental package!
