Winter is finally here. As I write sweet powder snow is puking down across the NSW and Victorian ski fields. 90cm has been recorded over the last two days and more fluffy white goodness is predicted (along with howling winds) which should make a nice base for the months ahead. The storm is mana from heaven for frothing snow sliders after a very slow and decidedly grassy start to the winter. If you’re looking for further inspiration to get your shred head on look no further. Dopamine, the latest snowboarding film by Absinthe Films, is the bang.
Like surfing, elite snowboarding is all about pushing the outer limits of what is possible. White-knuckle thrills are sharpened by risk and lifted by a cocktail of endorphins. If you’ve ever buried a rail eyeball deep into powder snow, linked signature lines down a towering mountain face, soared bird-like off a monster cliff or slid ninja-like down a man-made structure built for an entirely different purpose you will get a contact high just from watching this thrill-soaked feature.
Dopamine takes us to some of the raddest terrain in Europe and North America where we find it blanketed in pow and brimming with possibilities. Many of the locations look unfamiliar to these eyes. The Yukon, Kootenays, Valhallas, Monashees, Dolomites, and Pyrenees are the real stars of the show. They all look like places you’d want to spend a season washing dishes, snogging Euro babes and risking your young life (although you may have to settle for spooning an elk in the Yukon). The focus is skewed towards big mountain riding but the way riders like Jason Robinson, Blair Habenicht and Manuel Diaz tackle them they might as well big oversized parks.
Fans of urban snowboarding will also get their kicks (Cale Zima is a stand out) and overall the look and feel is clean and stylish. It’s put together by the prodigious talents at Absinthe Films who are responsible some of the best snowboard films in recent years. If you want them to keep producing high end product like this they politely suggest you buy Dopamine rather than rip it off. Heli fuel doesn’t grow on pine trees unfortunately.
