28 reviews

Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6

MPN: MCAD28449D
UPC: 025192844928
EAN: 0025192844928

Theatrical Release Date: December 2, 2005
Release Date: February 21, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Fast Shipping!!!! NEW FACTORY SEALED.

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
This spotlights a handful of snowboardings early pioneers & some of the ultra-sponsored superstar phenoms at snowbardings current cutting edge & literally takes them to the edge - the snow blanketed mountains of alaska - where these icons face some of the most challenging & hard-core natural terrain on earth. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 02/21/2006 Run time: 111 minutes Rating: Pg13

Amazon.com
Talk about good timing (and shrewd marketing): the release of First Descent, a thrilling documentary about the snowboarding phenomenon, exactly coincided with the 2006 Winter Olympics, where some of the very same athletes featured in the film mined gold and glory on the slopes near Turin, Italy. But while Shaun White and Hannah Teeter both won gold medals in the halfpipe as the U.S. dominated the Olympic competition, those two young stars (along with three other snowboarding "legends") are seen in a far different environment in producer-directors Kevin Harrison and Kemp Curley's 111-minute film, tackling some dauntingly long, steep runs in the mountains of Valdez, Alaska, where avalanches, crevasses, and other hazards await as they search for "first descents" (i.e., places no snowboarder has been before) in that pristine, forbidding environment. As advertised, the footage is, well, awesome, as all five riders catch huge air on some of the gnarliest runs in the world; Norwegian Terje Haakonsen's final plunge from a 7,000 foot peak with a 60 degree drop must be seen to be believed. Elsewhere, First Descent chronicles the evolution of the snowboarding phenomenon, from its humble emergence in the 1970s, when the sport was derided by traditional skiers, to its extraordinary popularity in the '90s and beyond, when the X Games and Olympics telecasts brought it into living rooms across America, Europe, and Japan. Profiles of the individual athletes are included as well, but it's the Alaska footage--where, in the words of 'boarder Shawn Farmer, they "pinned it to the wall and threw down"--that's the principal attraction here. Nearly an hour's worth of extra features will add to the appeal of the film, which features narration by former Black Flag-bearer Henry Rollins and music by Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews: Read 23 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Great film on snowboarding September 25, 2008
Paul A. Spangler
I really enjoyed this film on snowboarding. It had a lot of great elements from the best boarders out there to the guys who once were as pioneers of the sport. I loved it that they filmed it in Alaska and had some sweet shots of the mountains and terrain.

4 out of 5 stars

Great Snowboard Action September 21, 2008
dasn0wman (Brooklyn, NY United States)
Young and old star riders meet up and rip big mountain powder. Stuff of epic proportions. Minus one star because it was too short and because I should be there riding, not here watching this dvd...

5 out of 5 stars

Fogtown Films June 5, 2008
Kirk Morrison (San Francisco)
A great in depth look into the history of snowboarding from it's backwoods roots to the megapipes of today. Beautiful cinematography with a good story to wrap around the documentary. A must see for any Soul Snowboarder.

4 out of 5 stars

An interesting perspective on the snowboard world March 27, 2008
Steven Rechtschaffner (burnaby, BC Canada)
This movie is a nice change from the standard snowboard movie. It takes you to Alaska with a well-varied group of riders, from multiple eras of the sports evolution. Along the way, they give you an interesting history of the sport in a way that supports the overall story. A key part of what made the film interesting is feeling like it was a special and meaningful experience for each of the riders involved. Everyone had a different reason for being there, and something different to get out of it.

I wish there were more films made like this, that capture a special moment in time.

5 out of 5 stars

Overview of snowboarding March 26, 2008
Hugo Sano Pereira
I loved the parts about the history of snowboarding and the last run of Terje in the end. You won't find many runs on big mountains as Standard Films movies, but overall it is very entertaining.