EOFT 09/10

A dream in white. Everywhere you look dozens of untouched mountains waiting for someone to leave his traces on it. Snowboarder’s paradise has a name: Alaska. Travis Rice and Friends, altogether Snowboard-Pros, let off steam in this big and dangerous playground during the last winter season. "Alaska can be dangerous. But this is what it makes so interesting."

The result is a snowboard film best described as unequalled. That’s it that’s all is a perfect mixture of action sports and adrenaline, filmed masterly in one of the most stunning areas on earth. Especially the helicopter shots are way beyond what we’ve seen so far. And who feels sad seeing a buch of boarders cruising through waist deep powder should remember: even a pro like Jeremy Jones startet his snowboard career on a snow covered golf court in Massachusetts. There is hope left.

Through the lense of his camera Guido Perrini has already seen lots of stuff. Glittering powder, steep mountains and a whole bunch of "crazy" freeskiers and snowboarders. The backcountry could be described as his work station for he is a cameraman and shoots ski – and snowboard films.

Most of the time he is out of harm’s way when the extreme skiers and boarders go for the next threatening downhill run. Nonetheless he is very close – looking through his telephoto lens. And there are moments where he has to hold his breath. When he sees a sportsman tumbling downwards uncontrollably after a jump gone wrong. Then it is obvious again that freeskiing is in fact an extremely dangerous adventure. And he wonders if it's all worth it – just to have a little bit of fun in the mountains. But he never wanted to give up his job. Ten - A cameraman‘s tale – a very special skifilm presenting a new perspective.

"I’ve tried so much. Playing chess: I didn’t get the hang of it. Playing football: no talent at all. And my legs are too skinny for skiing..." says Markus Bendler about himself. So what’s left? Climbing. A sport which is absolutely essential for the austrian guy, at least as important as food and sleeping.

Markus is an extremely skilled climber. He manages the most difficult routes and sticks to climbing like a duck to water. On rock and ice. His training methods could be characterized as unusual and are far away from any conventionally indoor climbing. In the forefront of climbing competitions he spends hours and hours in his private training center. His own construction, made of campus edges and dozens of holders – which proved itself. Markus is the current world champion in ice climbing!

"If you could see it you wouldn’t ride it!" That’s what lots of his fellow MTB riders have predicted to him several times. But Bobby McMullen holds to his idea. Although he is almost blind and can barely distinguish light from dark, he grabs his bike over and over again and goes for the next downhill trail. Not alone of course. Even though he has memorized the trail in detail he depends on his two guides who tell him to ride to the left or to the right and whose shouts "Now jump!" bring him hopefully safely over the next kicker. But Kranked Revolve has even more to offer.

The American MTB filmcrew Radical Films has delivered an absolutely high end production which leads technically and aesthetically to new heights. Downhill, Freeride and lots of Dirt: Kranked Revolve just rocks!

Kayaking Brazil is at least as casual as Samba. There are enough waterfalls and whitewater, the outside temperature is right, so let's get into the cool water!

The fourth film in the Hotel Charley series once again presents a good and above all wet portion of kayak action. Particularly spectacular: the new world record set by Pedro Olivia in March this year. The Rio Sacre plunges almost 39 metres into the depths at the Salto Bello Falls! That you can actually survive such a ride head first defies all intuition. And it shouldn't really matter how you arrive at the bottom - the main thing is to be alive!

This year the Mammut Teamtrip proves that you can also go climbing in Kyrgyzstan. Beginning of July Nina Caprez, Stephan Siegrist, David Lama and Giovanni Quirici have packed their backpacks and headed for Tien Shan, a mountain range in south-western Kyrgyzstan. There they are planning the first ascent of a big wall route in Karavshin Valley.

Maybe it is the lack of eight-thousanders which refused the small country at the border to China to be ranked amongst big climbing destinations such as Pakistan and Nepal. It is high time to chance this.

Until now the Scottish Isle of Skye had only one export hit: Talisker Whisky. But since April 2009 it's obvious that it has produced another rarity: Danny MacAskill – the new trial star of the international mountainbike community. Meanwhile he has left his home island and moved to Edinburgh, turning its streets, squares and parks upside down. Urban Trial combines MTB trial riding with urban elements such as stairs, rails and all kinds of architecture. Danny's riding style is fast and perfectionist – but it all looks too easy. Pedestrians stop up to watch, yaws dropped, while Danny keeps cool and does the next trick.

Speedflying is fast and extremely dangerous. It's what true adranaline fans dream of. Moments of shock are bound to happen - not only for the speedflyer, but also for the audience!