October 2, 2009 THE EDGE OF NEVER RETURNS AS A FEATURE FILM

THE EDGE OF NEVER RETURNS AS A FEATURE FILM Bill Kerig’s Ski Odyssey Comes Full Circle Words: Corey Hennegan Photos: Rebekah Rosenthal and Bill Kerig and The Edge of Never Tour Turning a successful book into a film is a challenging prospect. Inevitably, comparisons are made and more often than not, the latter falls short of expectations. However, Bill Kerig seeks to buck the trend by offering the other component to the much-acclaimed The Edge of Never, a documentary of big-mountain skiing through the life of a 15-year-old Kye Petersen that incorporates the original footage Kerig shot four years ago.

The Edge of Never is in fifth gear by now; providing stoke, a great story, winter weather, and a on a cusp of major distribution. Last Friday, September 25, the film sold out Park City’s Egyptian Theatre, owned by Redstone Cinemas. The turnout convinced the chain to continue the screenings until at least October 1 and potentially a widescale release throughout the western U.S.

“To make the leap from a ski town tour to a theatrical release is huge,” explains Kerig. Relying solely on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, the trailer has received over 14,000 hits and brought everyone from elderly non-skiers, to living legend Tanner Hall out at Park City. “Tanner was the loudest guy in the theatre during the whole show,” recalls Kerig. After the screening, Hall jumped on stage to everyone’s surprise, except those who know of Hall’s penchant for massive crowd speeches, and stated, “I couldn’t be more proud to be a skier after watching a story like that.”

A tremendous development for any independently funded project, this is even more unique, because very few ski films manage to break out into the mainstream. The only recent example is Steep, which had major support from Sony. Telling a transcendent story on camera, the film has been able to draw a diverse crowd because it chooses to engage tough issues, such as death and grievance. As Kerig sifts through the story, he manages to capture rather thought-provoking comments from people who make a living at challenging boundaries. Watching Meg Oster host a Q&A with herself about the risks she takes is something completely unexpected, and helps to debunk the myth that pros are reckless individuals. Kerig provides an educational credence into the motives of the ski community and how it deals with loss. Despite some tearful moments, such as Kye saying something to the effect of, “McConkey would hit that,” and probably one of the last on camera appearances from Doug Coombs, The Edge of Never captures skiers as a competent and calculating bunch.

A few questionable cuts and a dash of untimely narration doesn’t derail the film, and overall, it is a nice compliment to the book. Viewers won’t necessarily learn anything new about the story or Kye, other than what he is up to in 2009. But that shouldn’t be and clearly wasn’t the point. Allowing one to delve even deeper into the role of family and its healing power, while gaining an aesthetic map of Kye’s experience is what the picture does best. For anyone remotely interested in the sport, documentaries, or just great stories, The Edge of Never will not disappoint.

The Edge of Never Tour continues across the continental U.S., with stops in Washington, Oregon, California, the Midwest and the East Coast. For a complete tour schedule, pictures, and blog, visit http://www.edgeofneverfilm.com.

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