Snowboarding is one of the most popular winter sports. Despite being categorized as an extreme sport, people of all ages are into this sport.
So it’s no surprise that movies about this sport have been made for quite some time now. If you want to know what they are, check out the 15 Best Snowboard movies.
Lights, Camera, Action: Snowboarding Movies For You
If you are in the mood for some extreme sports-themed movies, then this is for you. There are plenty of snowboarding movies that you should add to your list of “Must-See” films.
Regardless of how old you are and where you are in the world, there’s a snowboarding movie to lift your spirit!
1. Fruition: The Life and Dreams of Nicolas Müller (2016)
English 1h 5m IMDb
Director: Sean Fee, Martin Luchsinger
Stars: Sean Fee(story), Martin Luchsinger(story)
This movie revolves around the Swiss snowboarder Nicolas Müller. In 2016, he released a film about himself entitled Fruition which he worked on for years. For this film to be made, Müller had to do his own crowdfunding.
This film is not your usual snowboarding movie. Well, there’s a lot of that in the movie. You get to see so many different footage from Müller’s life, shot from all over the world.
You get to understand the legend behind the striking snowboarding tricks. However, there is more to this film than that for sure.
Müller’s heart and humanity are also showcased in this 65 minute film. Even if you are not a snowboarding fan, it’s something worth seeing.
2. That’s It, That’s All (2008)
English 1h 3m IMDb
Director: Curt Morgan
Stars: Jake Blauvelt, Kyle Clancy, Terje Håkonsen
Join Travis Rice and his snowboarding squad as they travel around the world in search of thrilling adventures. It is unlike any other snowboarding movie you have seen out there.
Shot documentary-style, That’s It, That’s All showcases the most amazing tricks done in various backcountry locations.
The breathtaking scenery and exhilarating tricks are highlighted by its great cinematography. The soundtrack, made up of songs from different genres, helps set the movie’s tone as well.
If you have always been fascinated by adrenaline-pumping snowboarding tricks, especially by someone like Travis Rice, then you should add this movie to your list!
3. Roadless (2019)
English 1h IMDb
Director: Steve Jones, Jon Klaczkiewicz
Stars: Jeremy Jones, Bryan Iguchi, Travis Rice
If you are in the mood for the ultimate snowboarding expedition film, then you should check out Roadless. Three professional snowboarders – Travis Rice, Bryan Iguchi, and Jeremy Jones – explore the Teton Wilderness.
The cinematography for this movie is top-notch, capturing the spectacular but often unchartered territory. The main cast of this movie freerides their way through the wilderness.
However, they also talk about their lives, including reflecting on their passion for snowboarding. If you are looking for thrilling snowboarding actions throughout the film, then this is not for you.
Roadless is a little more relaxed, with storytelling here and snowboarding there.
4. Perceptions (2015)
English 49m IMDb
Director: Basti Balser(creative direction), Flo Eckhardt(creative direction), Mathias Egle(creative direction)
Perceptions is a snowboarding movie featuring some of Europe’s best riders. The team of riders takes a trip around the globe, looking for the best places to snowboard. And with every new location comes new adventures!
The movie’s high production value is evident in every scene. It showcases the different places the team is traveling to and how they go there. There’s also a lot of focus on demonstrating how talented these snowboarders are.
The film is best viewed in Ultra HD. And perhaps one of the most heartstopping scenes from a snowboarding movie comes from Perceptions. Gigi Ruf, one of the snowboarders starring in this, snowboards on top of a glacier.
Now that is one sight that you don’t get to see often!
5. Vivid (2002)
English 45m IMDb
Stars: Romain De Marchi, Iker Fernandez, Jeremy Jones
If you are into snowboarding, the people in the film might sound familiar to you. Legends like Romain De Marchi, Jeremy Jones, Travis Rice, and a whole lot more are in this.
It took a village for this to be made. It’s no wonder that this film still offers some jaw-dropping scenes ever captured in a snowboarding-themed film. And what’s even more interesting is the use of a 16mm camera by the production crew.
There are a lot of really cool shots in the film, living up to its title! The backcountry jumps are some of the high points of Vivid.
6. The Ultimate Ride: Shaun White (2008)
English 1h 12m IMDb
Director: Erich Lyttle(series director)
Stars: Shaun White, Heikki Sorsa, Pat Moore
Even if you are not a snowboarding fan, you might have heard of Shaun White. In this 2008 film, you get to know Shaun, who became one of the most popular athletes in the world at the age of 21.
There is also footage from his childhood, allowing you to be acquainted with the young athlete.
The film runs for about 60 minutes. However, it’s not just all about Shaun and his snowboard actions. There’s a lot of narration in the film, particularly of Shaun and the people who know him best.
There are scenes shot in Japan where Shaun and his friends snowboard for him and have the time of their lives.
7. First Descent (2005)
English 1h 50m IMDb
Director: Kemp Curly, Kevin Harrison
Stars: Shawn Farmer, Terje Håkonsen, Nick Perata
What happens when you put five of the best snowboarders in the world in one film? You get a film full of epic adventures and rides in the Alaskan mountains.
The film is aptly titled “First Descent” because the legendary riders – Shaun White, Shawn Farmer, Terje Haakonsen and Nick Perata, and Hannah Teter – take on never slopes that no snowboarder has gone before.
The snowboarding action shots are pretty intense. If there’s one way to describe the whole film, it would probably be a documentary that introduces the sport to the audience and showcases some solid backcountry snowboarding.
While the film talks about the sport, it’s not as in-depth as you think. If you are looking for that, there are other films that deep dive into the sport and how it grew.
8. The Crash Reel (2013)
English 1h 48m IMDb
Director: Lucy Walker
Stars: Kevin Pearce, Shaun White, Mason Aguirre
As an extreme sport, snowboarding comes with a lot of risks. For Kevin Pearce, a very promising snowboarder, it almost cost his life. Be prepared to be inspired by Kevin’s story.
There is more to The Crash Reel than snowboarding. Yes, it’s a core component in the film, but it’s just part of a fascinating and inspiring story.
As the film chronicles Kevin’s accident and recovery, it sheds light on Traumatic Brain Injury and how people who live with it cope with their lives. There is a good balance between a film and documentary with The Crash Reel.
The story is told beautifully with the right pacing. Despite the intensity of the accident and its aftermath, you get to see Kevin and the important people in his life cope and fight through the trauma.
9. The Art Of Flight (2011)
English 1h 20m IMDb
Director: Curt Morgan
Stars: Travis RiceMark LandvikJohn Jackson
A list of the best snowboarding movies is not complete without The Art Of Flight. It’s been over 10 years since this movie came out, but it still remains one of the best. It features Travis Rice and Curt Morgan.
The Art Of Flight is probably one of the best films out there featuring backcountry extreme snowboarding. The production is just awe-inspiring.
And the cinematography really captures the essence and richness of the snow laden terrains where the Rice and Morgan ride through. Given the challenges with filming in such conditions, the film managed some capture of the most spine-tingling rides.
10. Dear Rider: The Jake Burton Story (2021)
English 1h 31m IMDb
Director: Fernando Villena
Stars: Donna Carpenter, Jake Burton Carpenter, Kelly Clark
Jake Burton was a game-changer. And that’s meant in the most literal sense. Regarded as the “Father of Snowboarding”, the late Jake Burton revolutionized winter and extreme sports.
This film is a documentary that allows you to get to know Jake through the eyes of his family, friends, and some of the best snowboarders like Shaun White and Mark McMorris.
Woody Harrelson, one of Burton’s close friends, narrates the documentary. It adds more intimacy to the film since it involves someone who knew Burton very well.
If you are a fan of snowboarding, you must watch Dear Rider. While ultimately it’s an homage to the man Jake Burton was, it also shows some business aspects of things, which aren’t always positive.
11. Let It Ride: The Craig Kelly Story (2006)
English 1h 30m IMDb
Director: Jacques Russo
Stars: Hidemi Arasaki, Ruedi Beglinger, John Buffery
If you are deep in snowboarding history, you might be familiar with Craig Kelly. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Craig Kelly was conquering slopes around the world and winning medals here and there.
However, he chose to follow his path and heart and pioneered freeriding.
Despite his unfortunate death due to an avalanche in 2003, Let It Ride allows you to get to know Craig a little deeper.
The narration is compelling as it chronicles how Kelly expressed his love for the sport – from being a world-class rider to someone who was not afraid to take snowboarding to even greater heights.
If you have a passion for snowboarding, don’t be surprised if this film about the great Craig Kelly ignites your passion for the sport further!
12. Dark Matter (2019)
English 27m IMDb
Director: Curt Morgan
Stars: Elias Elhardt, Travis Rice, Graham Tracey
If you want to be in awe and entertained for the next 27 minutes or so, then check out Curt Morgan’s Dark Matter. If you are looking for a poignant and deep film about snowboarding, then this isn’t for you.
Morgan invited fellow snowboarding legends Travis Rice and Elias Elhardt to snowboard in the backcountry of Alaska. The result is a quick but entertaining film filled with epic rides.
The snowboarding goes well with the music. The cinematography is out of this world. It perfectly showcases the powdery mountains of Alaska while Rice and Elhardt ride to their heart’s content.
13. As The Crow Flies (2017)
English 32m IMDb
Director: Thomaz Autran Garcia
Stars: Elias ElhardtToni KerkelaKazu Kokubo
If there are words that best describe what As The Crow Flies is like, it would probably be “adrenaline” and “adventure”. Gigi Rüf, Elias Elhardt, Kazu Kokubo, and Toni Kerkela bond together in search of the best places for snowboarding.
This film runs only for about 32 minutes. While that might be a short run for some people, it’s full of various snowboarding actions that won’t disappoint the viewers.
In between their rides and jumps, the group lets the viewers in on their passion and enthusiasm for snowboarding. As it’s something they all have in common, it radiates through the screens.
There are some great aerial shots in As The Crow Flies. And there are some narrations that might be reminiscent of video game narrators.
14. Boom: The Nitro Movie (2016)
English 37m IMDb
Director: Karsten Boysen
Intense is probably one word to define snowboarding. And that’s certainly something you can feel if you see the best snowboarders in the world ride the highest or steepest descents. With Boom, we see the Nitro Snowboard team just have fun!
This short film has a run time of 38 minutes. While that seems shorter than expected, it perfectly engages you. There’s a good balance between challenges of backcountry snowboarding and having the best times with friends.
A great bond seems to be an important factor in Nitro. While pushing themselves to the limit as individuals and as a team, they seem to enjoy what they do on and off their snowboards.
15. The Fourth Phase (2016)
English 1h 30m IMDb
Director: Jon Klaczkiewicz
Stars: Mikkel Bang, Shin Biyajima, Ben Ferguson
Travis Rice is known for being one of the best snowboarders the world has ever known. And he has made some of the most awesome snowboarding movies as well. In his movie, The Fourth Phase, it’s no different.
You get to see Travis Rice and his phenomenal rides, but there is much more to The Fourth Phase that you should see. There is a lot of introspection from Rice and discussions about things like the hydrological cycle.
As with any Travis Rice film, the cinematography is epic. It might be hard to believe, but they shot 4K images using GoPro cameras for this. The result is a film with vivid and sharp images.
Snowboarding Flicks Anytime And Anywhere
It takes a lot of courage to get on a snowboard and ride your way through different slopes of varying difficulties. However, whether you can cruise down or not, you can always live vicariously through the 15 Best Snowboard Movies in the world!
