TGR Step's Up

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TGR Steps Up!





Published by Jeremy on July 20, 2008



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A year ago there was talk Teton

Gravity Research was going out of business. It was not as close as

people made it out to be but they were at a cross roads and this

amazing lifestyle they had created was now injeopardy. Some hard calls

were made and some great workers had to be let go. The people who

stayed were forced to take on more responsibility and carry the work

load of multiple people.

Things had gotten away from them and although there last

release “Lost and Found” was a great movie the people on the inside new

that TGR could do better. In the words of TGR’s producer Josh Neilson,

“it was time to step up, or step out.” Those who were left stepped it

up in a big way. Camera men started hiking the pass before work to get

in shape for the shooting season, new technology was purchased and a

new energy was put into all aspects of the company.



Days like this is why TGR refused to close the doors and

made the months of sleepless nights and endless hours at the office

restructuring the company worth while. There is none better at “getting it done” in the mountains then my brother Todd.


On the hill where it mattered most it was clear from the start

that whether you were a camera man, guide or rider you better be

bringing your “A” game. Everyone fed of off each other and by the time

we got to AK things were on a different level. I would find myself

pacing on top of my linecontemplating a 20 foot air when I would watch

Se th Morrison drop into his first line in days and throw 70 foot flip and stomp the crap out of it.



Josh and Todd putting the “jib arm” to use.

Now I had ridden with Seth before and

had always been impressed but after a few days of this “off the couch”

charging I had to ask what was up. He related his new intensity back to

riding with Kye Petterson earlier in the year. He told me story after story off how Kye left it all on the table every run and every day filming. From the sounds of it, if Kye

was not bruised and battered at the end of every day he was not trying

hard, or in his words, he was being a pussy. As more riders showed up

to AK with the same intensity they shared similar experiences about filming with Kye

and there was a new tone among riders that if your not icing bruises at

the end of the day then your not pushing it hard enough. Iguess the

fact that most riders were now travelling wi th there own ice packs summed it up best.



Check out Seth’s two tracks in the middle. The big air was his

first run in 5 days. He second “double skipper” line was out of a

video game.


Whether I new it at the time or not I too was indirectly being pushed by Kye through the riders I was with.

By the end of my trip I had lost three pairs of goggles in falls,

gotten two bloody noses, hit my biggest air maybe ever, bruised a rib

and later found out I had fractured my arm.



Jim “the Sarge” Conway assesses the snow in hopes of us

getting us on the terrain in the background. He has been the head

guide for TGR for the last 10 years and is a keyingredient to the

program. Together we continue to evolve our protocol in the mountains

that safely gets us riding the goods soon after storms. This year Jim

developed “Excalibur” the cornice cutting weapon that allowed us to do

the ultimate slope tests by dropping huge cornices on slopes we wanted

to ride. Mad props to Sarge!


Now I do not know what the end result of all this new focus

will have on the final product but after viewing the latest TGR teaser,
http://www.tetongravity.com/undertheinfluence/tgr_uti_trailer_medium.mov

it is clear TGR is on the up and up and stronger then ever before.

Regardless of the out come of this years movie it was a pleasure being

surrounded but a bunch of people who were totallycommitted to taking

things to the next level. TGR’s, “Under the Influence,” will be released this fall. Pick up a copy at www.tetongravity.com



Roner paying the price of progression. Check out sick POV footage at www.erikroner.com



I am fortunate to work with a lot of amazing production companies and the one thing that stands out most about my time with

TGR is there level of passion and stoke they have for the mountains.

From the beginning they have totally committed themselves to setting up

an environment that provides a setting for riders to safely charge as

hard as possible. They are also not afraid to put the cameras down and

get some themselves.




 
TGR never really had 'it' in my eyes for a lot of their movies... will be interesting to see if its changed a bit this year.
 
I really thought lost and found could have been amazing, but the music and editing were terrible, and a lot of the park shots were pretty damn meh. Plus the snowboarding tree segment... uhh what? If they have more ridic big mtn segments in UTI less crappy editing/music it could be absolutely sick~
 
TGR: Ski movies for guys who bought blizzard of ahhhs on vhs.

lol, I just hope they edit better. I like the feel they put out, just not the editing.
 
Lost and found was my favorite movie behind believe.

Don't know why everybody hates on it. Maybe because there wasent enough switch 10's and double flips.
 
yeah, but then everyone on this site would complain about not having much park in their movies. I agree totally though.
 
Yes i did, but i didnt understand it. You said it could have been good, but then said everything about it was bad.
 
I really thought lost and found could have been amazing, but the music

and editing were terrible, and a lot of the park shots were pretty damn

meh. Plus the snowboarding tree segment... uhh what? If they have more

ridic big mtn segments (you know, the good part of L&F)
in UTI less crappy editing/music it could be

absolutely sick~
 
Having park segment in a largely big mountain movie helps differentiated the segments and makes the movie more interesting to watch, I think. Just big mountain would get a bit same-y after a while.
 
taking this in another direction...

does anyone know anything about the reorganization of TGR? who they let go, what was up, anything else pertinent?
 
TGR has been recently working with a couple other companies to change their image and filmmaking style to appeal to more mainstream audiences. It's gonna be VERY interesting to see what their 2009 movie is like, if they make one.
 
their video this year is going to be off the charts. wiley, dylan hood, sage, kye, seth, mccintosh, jermey jones, and sammy. i'm anticipating this movie as much as i am turbo or tanner's new flick. it's gonna be great.
 
I've enjoyed their movies in the past. This should be sick as hell since they've been shooting Kye, Seth, Sammy, Dash, & others #1, and with RED cameras #2. Can't wait till the tour hits Boston
 
I definitely hear what you are saying, and I was trying to poke fun at the whole you-cant-please-everyone nature of making movies (let alone ski movies). And yeah, I would also buy more than one vid, but I do like the overall movie a little more than the niche movie. Like Idea, great movie and it was fun to watch the first couple of times. I found myself watching Yeah Dude more just because it did have a little bit of everything. I compare the niche movies to limited release high-drama movies, the movies that usually sweep the Oscars ya know. I mean, when you go to watch those movies....you have to be in the mood, and you have to watch the thing in its entirety. The overall movies are like popcorn/summer movies, wont win any awards (except for the occasional best sound/effects) but usually you will be watching them a little more than the more niche films, because they dont require a certain mood. Background movies, there ya go...overall ski movies are good to have going in the background. Maybe Im just this way....
 
Got to agree with you there, I tend to watch ski films the first time in it's entirety and then later on I'll just skip to a segment or have it on in the background. I definately can't watch two of the same type films close to one another. But I can definately watch a park film and then an all-round film after one another.

That said, with ski films becoming so common nowadays I think it's time the production companies stepped their game up and did something fresh, different. That's one reason why I'm stoked about "Down Days".
 
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