A high-profile snowboarding rivalry, an Olympic dream and stunning action footage of pro-snowboarders comprise “The Crash Reel.”
The story centers on young snowboarder, Kevin Pearce, who rose to the top of his sport and gained enough fame and attention to rival the renowned Shaun White. In the midst of Pearce’s success, a horrific accident during a 2009 practice run in Utah for the Olympic trials left him in critical condition with massive, life-changing brain injuries.
Director Lucy Walker masterfully blends stunning snowboarding footage and personal family interviews of Pearce’s recovery with the themes of passion and devotion.
The film starts out with video of Pearce’s many wins, record-setting feats and good times with friends. It becomes clear that Pearce led a fast life — both professionally and personally — pushing his skills to the highest level while obsessively practicing during the day and partying with his group of friends at night. For Pearce, nothing matched the thrill of traveling with the groups of other snowboarders and getting up the half-pipe and giving it his all.
Although it seemed like Pearce would forever experience athletic success, everything changed one fateful day during the 2009 Olympic trials when he landed face-first on the ice after falling out of a jump. Walker includes footage of the terrifying accident, captured by an onlooker. It pinpoints the moment that changed Pearce’s life forever.
In the compelling storyline following Pearce’s fall, Walker demonstrates that healing can be both medical and support-based through videos of Pearce in the Intensive Care Unit and recovery centers, commentated with emotional interviews from his family.
Then comes the beautiful footage of Pearce’s recovery. The agonizing pain melting away to pure joy when Pearce takes his first steps and the hope expressed by both his family and friends is captured in real, raw, emotional aspects, giving the documentary an added layer of depth.
The documentary also runs a parallel story line about Pearce’s relationship with his brother, David, who has Down syndrome. While the parallel story line may invite some confusion when it is first introduced in the midst of Pearce’s recovery, the message behind it soon becomes clear. Pearce, who still has trouble functioning on a completely normal level, continually finds himself frustrated with his impairments, an issue to which David can fully relate as a person with Down syndrome, and is able to mentor Pearce throughout the process. Walker masterfully captures this evolving relationship between David and Pearce during his recovery with a subtlety that makes it truly beautiful.
The documentary also tackles the larger question about the dangers athletes face when competing in high-risk sports such as snowboarding and skiing, including footage of and commentary from Sarah Burke, who died in a skiing accident in Utah in 2012.
Although Pearce’s accident prevented him from reaching his dream of competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics, it gave him powerful insight into both the beauty and fragility of life, as well as the very real dangers of competing in a high-risk sport like snowboarding. Pearce is now in charge of the Kevin Pearce Fund — an organization that helps support individuals and their families who have been affected by serious brain injuries, Down Syndrome and other illnesses.
“The Crash Reel” will be showing at REELSTORIES Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 31 in the Waves Cafe. The event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited, so guests are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 p.m. at the check-in to receive tickets.
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Follow Danielle Accovelli on Twitter: @DanielleAccovel
