MEDIA

October 13, 2013

Review: McConkey

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Over the past few years, Matchstick Productions has worked on what is probably the most difficult project they will ever have to do. To make a documentary on Shane McConkey, the freeskiing legend, is a difficult task in itself. To make a documentary on their friend Shane, was undoubtedly heart-wrenching. While going through old footage of McConkey was probably a lot of fun, it must have been an emotional ride. We follow his journey from a troubled youth, to ski superstar, to a loving family man, and to his death. With enormous help from Shane’s personal footage, MSP presents the actual picture of who Shane McConkey was, in a movie that successfully walks a tightrope of being a tragedy and a celebration.

In McConkey, we really meet Shane. Fortunately for us, Shane used his video camera as a diary. That combined with an abundance of interviews from family and friends, as well as childhood photos, pieces together the portrait of a confused kid who had trouble finding his place. We meet his parents, Jim and Glenn, who divorced when Shane was only three. We watch Shane fail to make the U.S. ski team, then flunk out of school at CU Boulder. And we see how he reacted to those failings. CU roommate and pro skier Kent Kreitler recalls, “He loved entertaining, and he also loved the attention – the affirmation that came with that.” Footage of Shane bungee jumping and roller blading off cliffs (which seems awesome by the way) into water is humorous and great to see. From videos of his thrill seeking antics to lonely confessionals, we see a troubled kid who wanted to project an image of confidence, but was clearly lost.

The premiere of McConkey at Shane's home resort, Squaw Valley.

4,500 people showed up to the premiere of McConkey at Shane’s home resort of Squaw Valley. Photo: Red Bull

Shane found himself by pushing not only his limits, but society’s limits, and eventually the ski world’s limits as well. The budding freeski and basejump scenes became Shane’s outlet, calling, and eventually, his career. We watch Shane outgrow Vail, move back home to Squaw, and take the ski world by storm. Seventeen years of filming with MSP provides the shots, both skiing and lifestyle, to paint a portrait of Shane McConkey the professional. We see the wild man who crushed the mogul tour, skied naked, back flipped cliffs, ripped AK lines, invented Saucerboy, pioneered ski basing, and reinvented the fat ski. At the same time, Shane never turned his own cameras off. We get to see Shane fall in love with Sherry and raise a beautiful daughter named Ayla. Footage of Shane taking an epic Squallywood pow day off in order to take Ayla to ballet, and then skiing, is touching. And as they had been for the past seventeen years, Matchstick was there at his death, cameras rolling.
McConkey is outstanding. It is a must see for skiers, and a great movie for the general public as well. It examines Shane’s life from an objective standpoint to understand who the man, a hero of our world, really was. Shane was an adrenaline junky. Sure, but there was much more to him. My only wish is that we got to see more of Shane’s involvement in the development of both fat and reverse camber skis. The movie touches on this, but doesn’t give it sufficient attention for your ski history geeks. This fact, however, may be to make the movie more appealing to the general public.

Overall, McConkey does justice to its namesake. It is a tragedy. Shane is not able to successfully balance being an action sports athlete with being a father. His inability to stop pushing the limits ultimately costs him his life, and his chance to raise his girl and  grow old with his wife. At the same time, Shane lived an extraordinary life. It affected and inspired not only the people around him, but also people around the world. Through extensive footage and interviews with friends and family, McConkey successfully sheds light into all dimensions of Shane’s life, and how he came to be our hero.

McConkey will be showing this Friday in Crested Butte at the Center for the Arts.  You can buy it at the MSP site, Colorado FreeSkier, or a shop near you.  Click here for the tour schedule.

*note. Watch this movie with friends. Go to the local showing. Sure you can buy it on Itunes (it’s very worth owning), but do yourself a favor and see it with others who love and appreciate Shane. Celebrate Shane together.



About the Author

1. Ed Dujardin
After moving out west for college, Ed took summer school so he could spend winters in Crested Butte. These days, he coaches the Western State Colorado University Freeride Team, and spends as much time as he can fishing the incredible rivers of the area.




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