Freeride snowboarder Jeremy Jones felt like his sport had hit the proverbial wall, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
“Exploration is a big part of freeriding and we just kind of stopped,” explained Jones.
What Jones did was pitch a film proposal about freeriding on some of earth’s steepest, cruelest and invigorating peaks. Things were worked out and his film, “Deeper,” will be making a premiere at the 11th annual GoPro X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival.
In association with Teton Gravity Research and O’Neill, Jones and his team of filmmakers and fellow freeride snowboarders trekked around the globe searching a ride that would be worth telling about.
From Alaska to California and Utah and on to Europe and Antarctica, the riders reached the limits of transportation and continued on foot.
“I wanted to show freeride can be free on foot,” Jones said.
Venturing into untouched and unknown mountain realms, Jones and his team spent weeks hiking and sleeping in the wilderness studying different terrain and judging what would be the safest and best times to ride.
“We were living in the mountains, living in the wild. We were working for it,” he said. “I have never backed off so many lines before.”
With safety being a main concern, the team often would hike eight-hour days to only call off the run.
The locations were chosen by Jones. Being able to ride in Antarctica, he said, “fell into my lap at the last second.”
The 35-year-old resident of Truckee, Calif., who has been snowboarding for 25 years, said he has always enjoyed finding new elements to the sport, and specifically freeride.
“It wasn’t like I found some magic potion,” he said. “I put in ungodly hours.”
The team put in some ungodly hours, as well.
Jones knew that if he wanted to produce a movie that hasn’t been made before, he would have to push the envelope. The team slept in 20-below temperatures, endured week-long snowstorms and camped nearly 70 miles away from the nearest person.
To showcase the boundaries mankind can trudge to, he made it a point to avoid using snowmobiles or heli-drops
“It’s about putting your own time in,” he said. “The entry fee is a lot of hard work, and there’s not a lot of money to be had. You learn a lot by living in the mountains.”
He said the crew’s motto was “live to ride another day,” and Jones, the producer and director of the film, realized that adage fit the bill.
“We put everything we had into this movie,” he said. “That’s our best effort. That’s everything you’ve got.
“We went past those invisible barriers.”
The GoPro X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival begins today and will go through Tuesday, Jan. 25. All screenings and X-Dance Institute panels will be held at The Depot in Salt Lake City. The closing party will be held on Jan. 25 at Harry O’s. Industry stars and celebrities join bands and DJs to celebrate the best in action sports filmmaking. Latino hip hop band Ozomatli will play the final show. Music will be provided by SkullCandy. The closing ceremony is open to the public. Parking for The Depot screenings at the Gateway Mall. Tickets are $8 per film, $5 for students. $40 for a 3-day pass. $25 for students. Tickets available at SmithsTix and The Depot Box Office. For more information on the festival go to www.x-dance.com.