ESPN got wind of our little game of GNAR and the full length documentary film we put together about the game and ensuing road trip. Griffin Post, a writer for ESPN had this report on the world premiere of our little ski flick.
Wouldn’t it be great if every line, air and stunt at every hill had some sort of numerical value assigned to it? That way, when ripping around any resort friends could compete against each other to determine who was the raddest, like some sort of supped up game of HORSE? No? Well Shane McConkey and Scott Gaffney thought so, and that’s why they came up with the game of G.N.A.R. — Gaffney’s Numerical Assessment of Radness (apparently M.N.A.R didn’t really roll off the tongue).
Friday night, G.N.A.R the Movie is having its world premiere at 9 p.m. at the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort base lodge.
The game of G.N.A.R., based on Rob Gaffney’s book, Squallywood, and its depiction of Squaw’s terrain, awards points for the various lines at Squaw and the way in which participants execute them. Points are awarded for skiing gnarly lines, and extra credit points (ECPs) are granted for pole whacks (three or more pole whacks at a cornice on top of a line), pro callouts — “Hey (insert pro’s name here), I can’t believe you’re a pro, I’m so much better than you!” — and, of course, skiing naked (any line completed naked is worth exponentially more points).
With some sort of formal structure in place it was only a matter of time before locals organized a contest to determine who was, in fact, the gnarliest. Unofficialsquaw.com stepped up to the plate last year, hosting a $25,000 winner-takes-all competition over a 10-day period in March. Initially, it didn’t go so well. Squaw Valley pulled the plug on the game on the first day after the mountain was overrun with naked skiers. As a result, organizers loaded up all the competitors in several RVs and took the show on the road to ski areas throughout the west.
G.N.A.R the Movie documents the game, the road trip and, most significantly, the spirit of skiing. Edited by Scott Gaffney, the movie stars Tahoe-area athletes like Ralph Backstrom, Chuck Mumford, George Hjelte, Greg Lindsey, Spencer Cordovano, Mattias Sullivan, Kevin O’Meara, Alex Cox and Robb Gaffney and features archived footage of Shane McConkey. I got a sneak peek at the movie, and while it has its share of legitimate lines, it’s more a celebration of the sport than ski porn. “Make no mistakes, it’s a comedy,” says UnofficalSquaw.com owner Tim Konrad. “The game is hysterical. I knew if you just filmed the shenanigans it would be a great movie.”
For those outside the Tahoe vortex, G.N.A.R. should be available for download from unofficialsquaw.com sometime around the first of the year. ESPN.com