Let’s put this out there up front. Before you listen to this episode, we don’t want any spoilers. In this conversation with Schirmer we lined up, we’ll discuss, in some detail, his ski movie titled The Greatest Ski Tour of all Time. Although Schirmer is well known for his 10-15 minute short ski docs (they feel more than just YouTube videos), the movie referenced above runs a full hour and thirty-five minutes. Yes, a legit movie.
We also discuss his YouTube vid Cliff of the season, and the pinnacle of skiing, so you might as well watch that, too. We don’t want to ruin the plot for you.
If Schirmer is new to you, here are some quick facts. He’s a 34-year-old freeskier based in Tromsø, Norway. He completed law school. He is a phenomenal skier, with a penchant for accessing his lines by skinning and then, when it gets steeper, using an assortment of sharp climbing tools and sometimes snow plates.
Beyond the skiing, which is usually stunning in itself, Schirmer has developed into a master storyteller. His editing cuts are anything but stale; they are crisp, embrace the full spectrum of pacing, and keep the viewer on their toes. He also understands that to keep the viewer interested, rad ski shots won’t do it alone. Viewers become invested in the human beings that populate his videos and his feature-length film. In other words, we begin to care about Schirmer and his good-natured band of friends as they romp around in the hills.
Which brings us to The Greatest Ski Tour of all Time. The film is a meditation on Schirmer and his childhood friend, Vegard Rye, who is an IFMGA guide and medical school student. Both were upstart ski park groms, but somewhere along the way, Rye and Schirmer became motivated by different fruits: Rye sought solitude in the mountains, whereas Schirmer harnessed his creative and ski talents and became very much a modern professional skier. Someone, he claims, very early in the film, who sought awards.
Well, that’s that. We don’t want to spoil the film for you, so think about watching it before listening to this episode.
Lastly, we do discuss suicidal thoughts and depression in the episode. We’ll link to some suicide prevention resources in the show notes.
Well, that’s that. We don’t want to spoil the film for you, so think about watching it before listening to this episode.
Lastly, we do discuss suicidal thoughts and depression in the episode. We’ll link to some suicide prevention resources in the show notes.
If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org . In life-threatening situations, call 911.
The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you’ve spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, “Beautiful Alien” is a good tune to start with.
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