Here is a snippet from Crest Pictures press release on the film:
Crest Pictures is proud to announce the release of their latest production, FreeRider, a short film about splitboard mountaineer Kyle Miller. FreeRider is a documentary chronicling Miller’s passion for his sport, his ski bum lifestyle, his great love of the wilderness and mountain scenery, and his unyielding dedication to fulfilling his boarding dreams.
Miller says, “I’m a skier first and a mountaineer second…I do it for the love of snowboarding.” But, every time he is in the backcountry he knows he is putting his life on the line. Often completely isolated, he and his climbing partners are fully aware that they are out there alone facing whatever is thrown at them…be it avalanches, bad weather, whiteouts, gear malfunctions, injury or worse. When asked if it’s worth all the hardship he suffers on splits just to get to these remote places? He happily answers, “I believe so!” That single ride is definitely worth skinning miles, sometimes even days, and digging deep to quiet his fears while boot packing up steep exposed lines to some lofty summit for that one 15-minute, 4000-foot run.
FreeRider follows Miller on his “epic hunt for good snow” while trying to live a super frugal lifestyle just so he can ride nine months out of the year. And then things start to change for him. Along the way we see his pain and his joys…his disappointments and his accomplishments.
Snowboarding has come a long way in the last few years, and splitboard mountaineering is at the forefront now. Miller is part of this new vanguard. He is an admired and respected splitboarder who has been featured in articles in Off-Piste, Backcountry and Frequency magazines. This year, he became part of Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent group of elite athletes. Each season Miller sets a high bar for himself. In 2010, he successfully climbed and rode all 25 volcanoes in the Western United States. This year Miller went for and completed Washington’s 10 highest peaks while the cameras rolled for the making of FreeRider.
Following is the film:
--Jason D. Martin
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