Videos
Blast from the past
“The Ordinary Skier” Seth Morrison Documentary (2011)
It’s always nice to see classic parts of freeski history make their way online. For example: the Seth Morrison documentary The Ordinary Skier, first released in 2011, which finally hit YouTube this June.
There’s much to love in this timepiece from the early 2010s. Of course, the story of Seth Morrison—one of skiing’s most iconoclastic figures—is essential watching for any freeski fan. But The Ordinary Skier is about so much more than Seth himself. It’s also about the “Chamification” of Seth and a sizeable portion of his generation—when pioneering North American freeskiers like Glen Plake, JP Auclair, Kye Peterson and others first made their way to Chamonix and had their conception of skiing turned on its head by the possibilities and history of this very special nexus of skiing and ski culture. (It’s also worth noting that, as far as we here at Downdays are aware, Chamonix is the place where Seth disappeared into when he dropped off the radar.)
There’s great cameos from the likes of JP, Plake, Kye, Jacob Wester, Sean Pettit, Chris Davenport, Andreas Fransson, Alex Schlopy; the eye-popping Skittles-esque color palette of 2010s outerwear; and a throwback to the days when freeskiers-turned-steep-skiers were still using oversized powder skis to ride if-you-fall-you-die terrain for which they were supremely unsuited. (Ever try to hop-turn on a ski that’s 120mm underfoot?)
In sum, there’s no better better way to remember this unique era of skiing than with Seth’s signature documentary, directed by Constantine Papanicolaou (Show & Prove, Believe, The Massive, Tanner Hall Forever).
From YouTube: For Seth Morrison, skiing is much more than a sport or job, it’s a way of life. It’s not a privilege he was born with; it’s a passion he discovered on his own. Through hard work and dedication, Morrison has become one of the best skiers in the world. The Ordinary Skier traces his journey from the middle class suburbs of Chicago to the Colorado Rockies and into the underground ski-bum subculture that would eventually become Freeskiing. This is the story of how a collection of misfits turned an elite sport upside down, and how an ordinary kid chased his dream and became one of skiing’s most iconic heroes.