It’s the fifth installment in a series of documentaries by high fives, a group that raises fund to help athletes rehabilitate from severe action sports injuries.
The series, called BASICS, is an acronym for “being aware safe in critical situations.”
The newest film is called “Choices,” and focuses on how people can take responsibility for their own safety before exposing themselves to unnecessary risk.
The film is broken into segments, each dedicated to a topic such as finding and learning from a mentor or proper preparation.
“We share a lot of stories inside of these,” said Roy Tuscany, co-founder and executive director of high Fives. “(Viewers) can take and learn whatever they want … it is all up to them to implement that in the way they take on the mountain.”
The most poignant segment of the film features the story of John Henderson, a seven-year-old boy who died in 2011 after falling from a chair lift at Sugar Bowl Resort in Truckee.
The tragedy prompted Henderson’s parents, Helen Chew and Mark Henderson, to dedicate their time and energy to alerting people to chairlift safety issues.
It also led to Sugar Bowl making changes such as having lift operators lower the safety bar on chairs for anyone 51 inches or shorter.
“This accident was a wakeup call in a sense that while our programs are about safety we have to constantly be progressing and getting better,” John Monson of Sugar Bowl said in the film.
Other segments feature professional big mountain skier JT Holmes of Squaw Valley, Calif.
Holmes is a pioneer in the sport of speed riding, a sport that combines paragliding and skiing.
The film has footage of Holmes speed riding in the French Alps and includes Holmes talking about how proper preparation begins long before a skier gets to the mountain.
“Preparing for a trip like this is a lifelong process,” Holmes said. “You can’t just wake up one day and decide to conquer the Alps.”
Watch the film
Schools and organizations interested in a screening of “Choices” and presentation on snow sports safety should email office@highfivesfoundation.com.
The film will also be screened for the public as part of a screening of “Warren Miller’s Chasing Shadows.”
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Ticket information is online at https://tickets.rgj.com/
Read the full article from the Reno Gazette Jounral HERE