Stomping Grounds — High Anxiety Films

By:  Greg
October 8, 2010 8:38 am | Category: Skiing, WebiGNARs

Our good friend Chris Nelson over at HighAnxietyFilms just finished up his east coast ski movie “Stomping Grounds.” Chris focuses his films on the incredible backcountry skiing that the east coast has to offer, and resists the temptation to succumb to covering park footage.frontpagegame Not that I have anything against park footage, but I do believe that other east coast film companies sometimes tend to make too big a deal of it, and thereby give the impression that park is the core of east coast skiing. As any reader of FamousInternetSkiers.com knows, this couldn’t be farther from our view.

Anyway, enough about that. “Stomping Grounds” is pretty ridiculously awesome, and I even managed to make a cameo appearance making some hop turns as I finished my run in The (Other) Stowe Derby. So watch Chris’ film through to the end, you won’t regret it!


If you’re still reading here below the fold, and you want more, note that we featured Chris’ movie last year on FIS. It’s also an incredible piece of footage. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next season! Thanks for tuning into FIS! Have a great weekend and PRAY FOR SNOW!

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9 Comments

  1. Lucky luke
    wrote on October 8th, 2010 at 12:37 pm  
    1

    Nice!
    I like the way you look like hoping high (very high) speed turns.It looks a bit like Sylvain Saudan, but on steroids.
    I took a bash badge at Smuggs this season, I’m pretty stoked after seeing this footage.
    See you around the Notch this winter!

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    • Greg
      wrote on October 12th, 2010 at 8:19 am  
      2

      Luke I can’t wait to get out and shred with you. I heard through madpatski that you had quite the great winter! I hope your “bash badge” wasn’t too bad ;)

  2. powhounddd
    wrote on October 8th, 2010 at 5:14 pm  
    3

    outstanding. Get me stoked to keep leg blastin until the snow flies!!!! arrh!

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  3. dude
    wrote on October 11th, 2010 at 2:27 pm  
    5

    great video, chris! these comments below having nothing to do with chris’s video, but more about Greg’s intro to it:

    “I do believe that other east coast film companies sometimes tend to make too big a deal of it, and thereby give the impression that park is the core of east coast skiing.” I think that is pretty unfair.

    with all do respect, this “east coast ski movie” is 7 minutes long. it would be unprecedented to make a feature film (ie. ~ 60 min.)with purely backcountry footage here on the east coast. i’d love to see it, though.

    and it’s not that “other companies” (read, Meathead Films), make “too big of a deal of it”, it is simply the fact that park stuff is part of east coast skiing, just as backcountry and moguls, are. if you want to call this video an “east coast backcountry” video, that’s great. but it certainly leaves out alot of demographics of skiers here in the east.

    and, to MHF credit, much of their “park” stuff is not just in the park – 2 east coast kids and Meathead athletes Will Wesson and Andy Parry pretty much invented “urban skiing” – a testament to the creativity and desire of east coast skiers – making something out of nothing, skiing in places and skiing things no one would dare to think of, let alone attempt to ski (see MHF 2010 “Work It Out” – Washington, DC)

    nice work again, chris – looking forward to seeing more of your work.

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    • Greg
      wrote on October 11th, 2010 at 9:26 pm  
      6

      Dude,

      Thanks for writing dude!

      First things first: I apologize for the tone of my post in reference to park coverage. In particular I regret my comment that Chris Nelson’s video “did not succumb to covering park footage.” This might have made it sound as if it’s a crime or an obviously poor decision for a film outfit to cover park skiing… and obviously it’s not. I am sorry about my choice of words.

      In fact, I am blown out of the powder by the feats of athleticism that are accomplished on film in the park/urban venue by athletes with skis on.

      I just don’t think these feats of athleticism represent the core of what east coast skiing is about any more than they represent the core of any other coast’s skiing. In any case I don’t think they warrant the majority of the minutes of an east coast ski movie. But that’s just my opinion! Sorry for partying ;)

      Before we finish though Dude, there’s two things you said that I’m confused about and maybe you can straighten me out.

      1.) re: “It would be unprecedented to make a feature film (ie. ~ 60 min.)with purely backcountry footage here on the east coast.”

      I’ve seen MHF’s Epoch a few times. Why does that not count?

      2.) re: “2 east coast kids and Meathead athletes Will Wesson and Andy Parry pretty much invented urban skiing,”

      Why do JP Auclair and other members of the New Canadian Air Force not count (or any of the others from their era)? I’ve seen footage of Auclair hitting urban features in Quebec City from a time that I would think predates the accomplishments of Wesson/Parry. I don’t spend a lot of time brushing up on my “urban skiing” history though so I could be wrong or have some technicality confused.

      I might add that Auclair, after demonstrating his urban skiing prowess, has since gone on to backcountry/powder riding; an interesting tidbit from the annals of contemporary ski history.

      Thanks again for reading the website, and I look forward to your reply!

    • dude
      wrote on October 12th, 2010 at 9:34 am  
      7

      hey greg – no problem about the “tone of your post”, i know how things sometimes turn out sounding a bit different then you intend, especially on these “internet machines”, so it’s all good.

      to address your 2 questions:

      1. Epoch does count, and it is a great film. I guess the reason I didnt mention it when I wrote my response above was a. it simply slipped my mind and b. because it is more a documentary, i wasn’t thinking of it as an “ski movie” in the sense of a ski thriller type movie. but yeas, Epoch definitely countss! i would love to see updated version of Epoch.

      2. JP and the New Canadian Air Force definitely count, too! Again, more of a slip of mind than dogging JP and his crew.

      in short, i like it all, man! there are so many cool aspects of east coast skiing, but i also think we each tend to like some things more than others. which is how it should be. i started this thread primarily in response to greg’s intro to ‘Stomping Grounds’ because i thought his comments were unfair. greg seems like a stand-up guy and immediatly cleared the air with his post above, so i think we’re all good! i’m like andersoon cooper – keepin’ em honest!

      keep up the good work FIS and High Anxiety! see you this weekend after this october nor’easter!

  4. Evan
    wrote on October 12th, 2010 at 8:54 am  
    8

    From someone invloved with filming with High Anxiety, we film what we do. I have no interest in rails or any urban skiing, that said I also give props to those who do it. As for a feature length film with EC backcountry, I think it is time to once again see a full length EC backcountry pow slaying film. But with limited time to film between work and travels I’m not sure that we would be the ones to pull it off ourselves. But, with some help and alot of work it could be done and has been done, just like the MHF of the early years like Elevated and Epoch. And Dude, I’m glad you enjoyed, we sure enjoy doing it and that is what it is all about.

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  5. Ksurf
    wrote on February 19th, 2011 at 4:23 pm  
    9

    Craig Kelly must turn like a lathe in his snowy tomb every time a snowboarder is featured in a video with arms flailing, barely (or not) in control, putting down choppy turns — no grace, no form. Listen to Craig: quiet and disciplined hands, a counter-rotated upper body facing down the fall line, smooth weighting and unweighting, eyes searching and leading, no thought — it’ll set you free and do the snow justice.

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