The Crash Reel: Sundance Review

The Bottom Line

This compassionate account of the thrills and risks of extreme sports makes it required viewing for both aspirants and enthusiasts.

Sundance Film Festival (Documentary Premieres)

Lucy Walker

PARK CITY Competitive snowboarding isnt much older than Kevin Pearce, the professional snowboarder at the center of Lucy Walkers thrilling and compelling new documentary. By the time the film catches up with Pearce as he trains to qualify for the 2010 US team, it had only been an Olympic sport for a dozen years.

With such a brief history, snowboarding has become a magnet for youthful enthusiasts worldwide who are thrilled by the sport and watching young riders compete. This global audience that extends even beyond most winter-sports regions gives The Crash Reel potential for distribution in multiple territories, where it could readily capitalize on upcoming winter seasons in both hemispheres.

PHOTOS: Sundance 2013: The Scene in Park City

Pearce, a Vermont native, began snowboarding as a young boy, then competing in local and regional competitions, and in 2005 at the age of 18 he went pro. Earning awards in numerous national events, Pearce frequently competed against Shaun White, an eventual Olympic gold medal winner. But in the run-up to the 2010 games, Pearce and White were consistently trading first- and second-place finishes on the highly competitive international circuit.

As the walls on competition half-pipe runs soared up to 22 feet in height over the years, competitors were forced to devise more complex tricks performed at higher altitudes than ever before. Pearce was widely recognized as a leading aerialist who could land even the most challenging maneuvers with aplomb. His accomplishments were due not only to his natural ability, but also to his discipline and dedication -- Pearce reportedly practiced longer and harder than most of his peers and continued his athletic training in the off-season as well.

With multiple sponsors on his roster and numerous championships to his credit, Pearce was considered very likely to make the US snowboarding team for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Then just a few short weeks before the qualifying trials, Pearce experienced a horrific crash on a half-pipe run while practicing one of the maneuvers he hoped to attempt at the Olympics ironically on a slope in Park City -- and sustained a traumatic brain injury and chronic damage to one of his eyes.

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The Crash Reel: Sundance Review