Downhill Skiers. New ski documentary about Downhill stars hits cinemas

The ski documentary "Downhill Skiers" was released yesterday in German-speaking Swiss cinemas. The 126-minute film delves into the world of downhill skiers and their delicate balancing act between triumph and danger.

The ski documentary offers a glimpse into the world of these daredevils who seemingly fearlessly race down steep slopes, such as the Stelvio in Bormio, the Lauberhorn in Wengen, or the Streif in Kitzbühel, Austria.

Blue Bird Motion Picture GmbH and Ascot Elite Entertainment are behind a spectacular sports documentary for the big screen. Director and genre specialist Gerald Salmina, who won over audiences ten years ago with "Streif – One Hell of a Ride," is directing and producing a contemporary film about the supreme discipline of skiing with his renowned team. Its title is "Downhill Skiers – Ain't No Mountain Steep Enough."

The filming spans from a single season of the Ski World Cup to the 48th Alpine World Ski Championships in 2025. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Austrian Film Institute, Red Bull Media House, ORF, Servus TV, CH Media, the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, and Ski Austria. In Austria, the film is being distributed by Panda Film, and in Switzerland by Ascot Elite Entertainment.

The film aims to take the viewer on an emotional journey through an entire season in the supreme discipline of skiing. “Downhill Skiers – Ain’t No Mountain Steep Enough” seeks to discover what motivates today’s best downhill skiers and how they consistently push the limits in an extremely risky sport. Director’s statement: "I don’t intend to document top skiers and their successes in our film, but rather extraordinary people who strive to achieve their goals with impressive mental strength and passion, regardless of the painful side effects of heavy falls."

Given their dominant performances last winter, the Swiss downhill skiers naturally play the leading roles: from overall World Cup winner Marco Odermatt to downhill world champion Franjo von Allmen to first-time winner Justin Murisier. But other big speed stars, including Cyprien Sarrazin, Dominik Paris, Vincent Kriechmayr, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, and Daniel Hemetsberger, also feature in the new film. They speak openly about their fears of serious crashes, dancing on the razor's edge at over 120 km/h, adrenaline, tough training, and, of course, the great emotions of winning.