The Revelstoke snowboard community is showcased in MHC Films’ new Haggered Soldiers video, which premiered at the River City Pub on Sept. 8.
The video was a labour of love for producer, director and editor Kenton Pauls of Manitoba Hard Core Films. The mill worker moved to Revelstoke about four years ago and fell into the right crowd, he said. He filmed the video for the past two years, chasing a cast of local riders on missions up Sale Mountain, Boulder Mountain, McCrae, and lots of filming at RMR.
Pauls told the Times Review he wanted to make a film highlighting the Revelstoke snowboarding lifestyle — a laid back, fun-focused scene heavy on friends and good times. “Everyone out here’s just having fun dropping powder,” Pauls said. “Everyone just feeds off of everyone.”
Haggered Soldiers (sic — or the Urban Dictionary definition if you will) is heavy on deep powder charging and natural cliff drops, and the party-focused lifestyles of the riders.
The premiere was a party for sure, bringing out representatives from the many businesses that lined up as sponsors, including MHC Films, The Business Limited, The Mad Foundation Tattoo, Somewon Snow, Society Snow & Skate, Revelstoke Snowed Inn and DUI Clothing.
Taylor Roberts earned the opening spot with the skateboarding-heaviest part, hitting all of Revelstoke’s limited, rough spots — in addition to dismantling the city’s dated, worn and aging skatepark. His snow part featured big drops, 540s and rail press to flips.
Eddie Edmonds’ skateboard highlights included big hippie jumps and a caveman down the Revelstoke City Hall handrail.
Charles Morin opened with a layback slide across an alpine lake. His part featured big alpine hits, drop-ins and some big slams. His part featured big 180s, powder lines and a drop in on the Sandon Museum roof.
Jean Michaud’s part included big alpine lines, rail work and a flurry of rotations at the S-Games jumps. His part is heavy on backcountry powder lines and ends with a big drop into an avalanche.
Keeping with the friends and family focus, three-year-old Eldyn Pauls starts at the bunny hill, takes some bangs and learns to sled.
Sean Barrett begins his intro with a staged dive off of Society Snow & Skate and puts down a part including big 360s and lots of cliff hucks.
Al Clark and John Todds take the bindings off and ride Trout Lake clear-cut spots.
A friends section features Chris Curran, Jordan Elias on rails; a jump by Party Mike Moynihan (who took in the premiere while laying on his back on the stage); Scott Heale, Scott McFarlane, Lucas Robinson riding rails; Kenton Pauls NoBoarding; Ryan Lavis, Emily Ernst, Jesse Hughes, Jonathan Sullivan and Keith Martin.
Young rider Ben Rodd’s enthusiasm and excitement was evident in his jumps, hips, some big hits — you could really tell he was just having fun doing it.
A D.O.P.E. Crew interlude was the first of two groups of guest riders. The section featured lots of Calgary rail riding. It features Alex Stathis, Layne Treeter, Mike Rudy, Derek Molinski, Tanner Davidson (who chomped up a huge triple kink), James Beacher, Kael Hill and E-Man Anderson.
Matt Butel’s short part featured creative lines and spots, wall rides and stylish tweaks.
Mitch Crowshaw’s urban parts, rails, big 50-50s, a gap-to-rail and a double-kink 360-out over the third.
The second team collaboration featured riders from The Business Limited, a Kelowna-based videography and design collective. Rider Sean Dolan takes a hard slam dropping in on a train tunnel air, does 50-50 to 360 off a wall and jumps the shed in Farwell Park. Kyle Radawetz’s part features rails and rail drops. Corey Kowalski nose presses an actual tank 180-out. James Decaires lands an impressive wall ride to big 180 drop out.
Colton Shaule earned the second to last part with reckless drops, cliff drops into sketchy too-fast tree lines, rotations, 540 gaps and flips.
Seb Grondin earned the ender. His part features alpine ridge hiking, big gap drops, hips and some big slams — he took a run at the Big Eddy pumphouse gap, coming up short against the wall of the far ditch. His ender was a huge 540.
My take
Haggered Soldiers is a great documentary of snowboard life in the hills around Revelstoke circa 2010–12. The enthusiasm needed to gather and wrap up all those riders into one film is very considerable. Haggered Soldiers underscores the fun, freewheeling life — good times with good friends.
Yes, they filmed on cloudy days, and no, the colours weren’t digitally retouched with this year’s hue pallette. The video is more substance than style; isn’t it better if substance is style?
Sales support non-profits
The 45-minute video went on sale this week. It’s available at Society Snow & Skate in Revelstoke, Pinz in Salmon Arm, Coastal Riders, Rude Boys and more. $2.50 from each video purchased will go to the Columbia Valley Skateboarding Association’s Revelstoke skatepark fund and an additional $2.50 will go to the Daniel Levesque Memorial Scholarship.