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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 9, 2012 - 02:07pm PT
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Getting psyched for some sliding as the snow is falling in the mountains a bit, finally. I was noodling around on the internet, looking for the Bob Carmichael short film “Fall Line” that was made in 1978, featuring Steve Shea taking a long fall while descending a Teton couloir.
I haven’t seen the film since it came out, but I seem to recall Dave Breashears telling me he was a camera man on it, which was the start of his film career. Ski historian Lou Dawson says it was the first American film to feature steep skiing, well ahead the popular ski films that followed in the 1980s.
All I could find was this trailer, which has some fun climbing scenes in it, including a Tyrolean with skiis that would not have been out of place in Cliffhanger. Steve, it would be great to hear some tales from the making of the film. Must be some others on ST who were involved in it as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCUx_AcgYNU
Also, does anyone know where to get a copy of the film?
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sempervirens
climber
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Cool.
Single oval biner on the tyrolean, hmm.
Ripping skiing on 1978 equipment.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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that guy has an arm throwing the tyrolean loop a hundred feet :0
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steve shea
climber
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Rick did you have to bring this up again? I thought/hoped this had faded into well deserved obscurity. BTW I just got home from skiing this am at the Big One, Jackson Hole. In 35yrs of skiing here this is one of the best openings ever! top to bottom wall to wall. Don't know about ob yet. Huge slide on Cody Bowl, perhaps eight foot crown wall! December at JH, cold dry snow, no one, I mean no one here! It's been great. Greg Lowe, David Breashears, Larry Bruce, Bob C. and me. That was the film crew. I have LOTS of tales to tell about this film. They would best be told over some cold ones at the Moose apres glise. When you come up I'll show you the film. I do have an original 16mm print that hasn't seen the light of day since about 1980. It was a lot of work and fun looking back on it. Breashears and I got a lot of climbing in between film days. Got on some mixed and ice that had not seen a tool, really good stuff. May early June is the best time here for Alpine climbing. We got very fit. No helicopters. All human power for camera positions. We figured we gained and descended hundreds of thousands of vertical over the time we were there. Exum let us use the hut on the Lower Saddle. I think Greg is now prospecting for gold, David is probably saddling up for another trip to the big E, Bob is still filming, Larry is retired with his wife Molly Higgins in MT. and I'm still playing in JH.
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Steve,
Did you have any permanent damage to your cornea from having ice crystals forced under your eyelids in the couloir fall on the Grand?
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steve shea
climber
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I was more concerned about my Vuarnets than my eyelids. How I survived that I'll never know. We immediately went to Dornans to get tuned up for the Moose that night. That gully is actually on the north side of Middle. I skied it successfully earlier but they wanted more, I got tired, it was late in the day and broke through the edge of the moat as the snow softened more than I thought. That is all it took, I pitched off about 300 metres. I used Rossignol 207cm race room slalom skis, Salomon 555 bindings and Nordica Grand Prix race boots. That stuff was great when it was bullet proof, not so much when soft!
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WBraun
climber
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WTF man
Way homo, the dude is making turns.
Real men tuck it straight down to break the speed records .....
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Hey Steve,
That film was fun to watch. Give me a call when your out this way again.
Best Steve A.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2012 - 07:01pm PT
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You're killing me Steve. 20 inches of ersatz, unnatural snow at the resorts here and not worth the drive. I hope to take you up on the offer and look forward to hearing the story at the Moose during the new year.
I only saw the film once, and I never forgot it. Too bad it's apparently not available.
207s: big skis for big lines!
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tom Carter
Social climber
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Here's to you straight-arming those rock bands and making it!!!
Love and Angulation!
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bcarmic2
Trad climber
Boulder,CO
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Here it is boys and girls: Fall Line - America's first film on Extreme Skiing.
Please share.
FALL LINE
https://vimeo.com/115195225
FALL LINE - So here's what Greg Lowe and I created in 1978 as we decided to show America a new sport called Extreme Skiing: Producer/Director/Cameraman - Bob Carmichael and Greg Lowe. We won an Academy Award Nomination for this effort. Editor Tim Huntley, AC David Breashears. Skier Steve Shea .. Associate ... Producer Buck Tilly - key mt. grip Larry Bruce. Lots of talented guys and many many weeks on the Grand Teton, WY. Bill Briggs helped load us in.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Saw Bill Brigs last Spring. Just a quick "hi." Bowed to the master on my way out. Hope to catch up again.
Love those old skiis. Always shopping for a pair in mint condition.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Greg has had 2 heart attacks and has slowed down a bit and generally stays close to home, although he made it into the high Uintas last summer.
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nah000
climber
now/here
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thanks for posting up! just enough skinny ski style to give the velveeta cheese covering a palatable substrate... ha!
supersweet! :)
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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That was classic!!!!
thanks for posting
great skiing
What a great fall sequence...
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Holy moly, presence of mind for straight-arming that rock and trying to keep oriented on the fall is amazing.
Was the earlier rockfall scene (within the climbing sequence) an orchestrated trundle or was that just lucky timing to be in the right place and have nobody get hurt?
The whole work was enjoyable to watch. Thanks for putting in the huge amount of work to make this thing, and being out there expanding the frontiers of what people think is possible.
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jbaker
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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That was great!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Glad the whole thing finally got daylighted! I remember seeing a clip of just the fall sometime over the last dozen years here on the forum. Pretty decent production values all around. Did not know this film directed by Greg Lowe & Bob Carmichael was Oscar-nominated.
Seems to be a montage; in that sense reminiscent of Hoover's Solo, but in a fully alpine venue. Damn Steve! Several incredible recoveries to keep from cartwheeling. And remarkably, it even has a happy ending? I wonder if that's exactly what ensued after that horrific fall. It's a good story, overall.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Victory shake of the pack towards the end is awesome!
I have a very crappy VHS copy (copy of a copy from TV I think)...nice to see it again!
Great to see the Meadows below in the final shots...
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steve shea
climber
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Hi guys
I left ST in my rearview mirror but still check in now and then. Just got off the hill here in JH. Not much pow yet this year but the groomers are farming snow nightly so skiing is pretty good. But then I am from New Hampshire so if it is white I'll ski on it.
Solo was the inspiration. A day in the mountains. All of the falls, rockfall, tyrolean etc. were stunts. Except for the big one. the skis were 207 and 205 cm Rossignol. One GS and one Sl depending on snow. It was a lot of work and a lot of laughs with a great crew.
Breashears and me got in some good ice climbing on our down days and had quite a few beers at the MangyMoose on our off days. I did not make much money but it did pay for some long Alpine seasons in Chamonix. I don't think I was ever as fit as that shoot, hiking up and down from the Lower Saddle daily at times. Good memories!
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
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Wow. Steve you were a very, very good skier, by today's and especially 1978's standards. Larry is a friend of mine; I had no idea he was involved with this.
How did it come to be, that rucksack was filmed falling in such perfect detail?
Arne
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
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Just one more thing Steve. I've meant to ask you, do you by chance own a small chunk of land in Glacier Park with the little ski hut on it?
Arne
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steve shea
climber
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Arne No nothing in Glacier. I did a lot of climbing with Larry. Ask him about the Eiger and give he and Molly my best!
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Steve,
it looked like the first "fall" was intentional, but the second fall, as you mentioned earlier, was not.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Great film. If I had had access to it in the 80s I would’ve watched it a couple hundred times.
Not optimal snow conditions for those skinny, long, and stiff skis.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Equipment and technique have certainly come a long way since this was made - some pretty bold pioneering.
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Bale
Mountain climber
UT
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Wow, I’d rather watch this than 90% of today’s ski movies! Thank you.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Hey there, Shea.
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