A 2022 Documentary Celebrates A Freestyle Skiing Mecca
Mavericks (2022)
A Quick TV Review
"Montana breathes freestyle", as in freestyle skiing. So posits the cast of freestylers profiled in Montana PBS' Mavericks from 2022.
A Quick TV Review
"Montana breathes freestyle", as in freestyle skiing. So posits the cast of freestylers profiled in Montana PBS' Mavericks from 2022.
What had started as "just kids daydreaming about being good at something that was really fun" has turned the state into a serious pipeline of skiers on the international stage.
How that happened is Mavericks' focus. Through interviews with the forbears of the region's ski scene and those who would carry the its flag across the globe, the film offers a warm-spirited love letter to the Montana's homegrown athletes.
The rise of the skiers came from serious grit and determination from a group of enthusiasts who lacked resources that larger, more well-known ski areas such as New England or Colorado might have provided. Stories of scraping by and taking a devoted 'scrappy' route to find training opportunities fill Mavericks, and provide context to a kindred spirit Montanans share.
Eric Bergoust's gold medal at Nagano 1998's aerials competition was the breakthrough for the Montana-born crew, a catalyst for the state to be seen as a wellspring of future elite athletes that would soon populate Olympic, X Games, and World Cup rosters. Double-Olympians Maggie Voisin, Heather McPhie, and Darian Stevens, Vancouver 2010 medalist Bryon Wilson, and triple-Olympian (and Bryon's brother) Bradley Wilson are just some of the featured athletes offering perspective.
I'm sorry it took me almost two years (!) to become aware of Mavericks...released just ahead of Beijing 2022, it would certainly have been a good watch to learn more about Team USA members like Voisin, Stevens, and Bradley Wilson. But I'm glad I found it eventually, as the charm of the story still holds true. Mavericks also serves as a reminder of the breadth of origins of U.S. Olympians, and the impact inspiration and hard work can have on a community. Bravo!
How that happened is Mavericks' focus. Through interviews with the forbears of the region's ski scene and those who would carry the its flag across the globe, the film offers a warm-spirited love letter to the Montana's homegrown athletes.
The rise of the skiers came from serious grit and determination from a group of enthusiasts who lacked resources that larger, more well-known ski areas such as New England or Colorado might have provided. Stories of scraping by and taking a devoted 'scrappy' route to find training opportunities fill Mavericks, and provide context to a kindred spirit Montanans share.
Eric Bergoust's gold medal at Nagano 1998's aerials competition was the breakthrough for the Montana-born crew, a catalyst for the state to be seen as a wellspring of future elite athletes that would soon populate Olympic, X Games, and World Cup rosters. Double-Olympians Maggie Voisin, Heather McPhie, and Darian Stevens, Vancouver 2010 medalist Bryon Wilson, and triple-Olympian (and Bryon's brother) Bradley Wilson are just some of the featured athletes offering perspective.
I'm sorry it took me almost two years (!) to become aware of Mavericks...released just ahead of Beijing 2022, it would certainly have been a good watch to learn more about Team USA members like Voisin, Stevens, and Bradley Wilson. But I'm glad I found it eventually, as the charm of the story still holds true. Mavericks also serves as a reminder of the breadth of origins of U.S. Olympians, and the impact inspiration and hard work can have on a community. Bravo!
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