This Saturday, the biggest and most influential “season kickoff” party--in the snowboarding scene — the first stop of the Red Bull Cold Rush — will be held in Beijing ContemporaryMOMABackhill Art Space. Themed “Simply for Snowboarding,” this gathering will unveil the annual snowboarding filmTouchand feature the creative “Iron Pegs Grand Prix,” officially launching2014-2015the snowboarding season.
The Red Bull Cold Rush originated from China’s first snowboard park,――Beijing Nanshan Malacca Park.2008In [year], the organizers of the Red Bull Nanshan Open used footage shot during the competition to produce China’s first snowboarding documentary,-,Niu Bees-nesswhich premiered in a bar just60square meters in size within the ski resort. The event was later established as a tradition and expanded from the ski area into the city,2012and by [year] had spread to12cities nationwide, becoming a festival where snowboarding enthusiasts gather before every winter season. By2013, participation had grown from just over50people to more than10000. Each year, the featured snowboarding films have also seen steady improvements in sourcing, filming, and production quality. From (Happy Niu Year) (2009), (Hu Am I) (2010), (Chuan er') (2011), (Xing) (2012), to (Must Be) (2013), the documentaries unfold major competitions, personal stories, and real-life moments, showcasing the vibrant spirit and unique culture of grassroots snowboarding in China.
2014The documentary released in [year], (Touch), is produced by Red Bull.MellowparksandpmstudioThe film, produced over the course of a year by the studio, was shot in multiple locations including Beijing, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. It not only documents the training, competitions, exchanges, and youth coaching experiences of China’s two top professional snowboarders――He Wei and Wang Lei, but also showcases the thrilling scenes of two major international top-tier snowboarding events held in China—――“FIS Freeski World Tour Big Air Beijing (Fei Xue)” and the Red Bull Nanshan Open. These include the historic moment when He Wei became the first Chinese person to land aDouble cork 900Cab Double Cork 1080 (a 2.5 rotation with two flips) at “Fei Xue.”
The film is titled 《Touch》, which means “touch,” representing not only the physical contact between the snowboard and the snow or obstacles but also expressing the emotional impact that snowboarding brings to people. Snowboarding is a way of life that brings one close to nature and allows for free expression. In every snow-covered place away from the city, as you descend down the slopes, silent peaks and forests quickly flash by. Jumping and flying off ramps and rails, this deep inner desire conveys the most primal impulse to connect wildly with nature, representing humanity’s pursuit of freedom and purity. One scene in the film takes place at Niseko Ski Resort in Hokkaido, Japan, where7-8-meter-tall birch trees stand with two-thirds of their trunks buried under snow, their crowns transformed into giant mushroom-shaped snow drifts resembling ski slopes. Chinese riders carve and leap from these treetops as if wandering through the primeval jungle like “Tarzan.”
《Touch》 also shines a spotlight on the rising stars of China’s snowboarding future. Su Yiming, just9years old, charged up an adult-dreaded steep slope during the qualifying round of the12th Red Bull Nanshan Open. His solid skills stem from systematic training at Beijing’s Qiaobo Indoor Skiing Arena. Every summer, Wang Lei holds a youth training camp here, providing professional instruction for kids.
Beyond screening the film, the2014Red Bull Hot Air Snow Session events in Beijing, Urumqi, and Shenyang will also feature a jaw-dropping “Creative Kicker Grand Prix.” Competitors are required to break away from their usual image, appearing in creative outfits and unconventional looks, then descending from the highest point of a4-meter-high colorful illuminated snow ramp, jumping off a2.5-meter takeoff ramp, and landing on a box-shaped obstacle that is4meters long,40centimeters wide, and60centimeters high. The audience votes for their favorite rider by sticking stickers on them based on their outfits and performance, and the top three riders with the most “stickers” win first, second, and third place, sharing a cash prize of ten thousand yuan.
In addition to the above three cities,2014the Red Bull Snow Session events will also be held in other10cities including Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Dalian, and will feature another creative and fun competition—--the “Excavator Snow Slope Building Contest,” where skiing enthusiasts will use remote-controlled excavators to build snowboarding terrain on-site, with participants who build the fastest and best earning the title of “Strongest Excavator Operator.”
