Absinthe Films "Ready" Review
By Mark Dangler
Video: Absinthe Films “Ready”
Tunes: One of the better soundtracks of the year
Riding: Focus on freestyle big mountain riding, two rail/street sections
Featuring: Gigi Ruf, Jeremy Jones, Kevin Pearce, JP Solberg, Romain deMarchi, Matt Beardmore, Scotty Lago, Blair Habenicht, Chris Coulter, Marco Feichtner, Mikey Leblanc, Keegan Valaika, Wolfgang Nyvelt, Cale Zima, Matty Ryan, Annie Boulanger, Nicolas Muller and more.
Watch this part: Gigi and Nicolas
Run Time: 50 mins
Absinthe Films has been on top of the snowboard video market for several years now producing films that have pushed the limits on freestyle and big mountain snowboarding. With so many great films in their catalog how would Absinthe follow up with another success, especially after last years release of “Optimistic”? Well, they stuck to what they know works well, riders such as Gigi Ruf, Wolfgang Nyvelt and Nicolas Muller and at the same time introduced some younger faces that are making names for themselves and after this year will be fully blown up.
“Ready” explores different aspects of snowboarding but focuses mainly on big mountain freestyle riding and that’s alright because as a film crew it’s clearly what Absinthe does best. The rail parts don’t have the production level or quality camera work as the rest of the film which is where the film suffers; it doesn’t mesh well together. Most of the footage is doubled up from “Bozwreck 2”, not necessarily a video you would think of on the same level as Absinthe, however, the two rail sections are held together mainly by the smooth riding of Keegan Valaika.
What this film makes you think though after you’re done watching it is how good of snowboarders Gigi Ruf, Jeremy Jones, Nicolas Muller and Wolfgang Nyvelt are. Without taking away from the great riding of any of the others in the film, these four are the true standouts. Jeremy is easily the best big mountain rider out there, he has proved it year after year, and this one is no different. His part to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” flows well and is some of Absinthe at it’s best.
Gigi, Nicolas and Wolfgang however are standouts because they keep popping up throughout the film, each one having their own part, subparts and before the film culminates in a Gigi and Nicolas’ split part. The fact they could compile that much footage while riding to the caliber that they ride at is why they are three of the best snowboarders out there and exactly what makes this Absinthe film another success.