Mystic of the shred

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

By Kayla Diane Sanders

Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Gigi Rüf is an Austrian snowboarder who does not compete, but his talent has earned him the attention of Volcom, the surf-skate-board company whose tagline reads, “Youth Against Establishment.”

Rüf’s new film, 9191, which will screen this week in Jackson Hole, should also earn the attention of locals eager for the upcoming snow season.

Every year, Rüf travels around the world to the highest places he can get to, then cuts his way down the side of a mountain doing jumps that would’ve made even the Jackson Hole Air Force a little nervous. On 9191’s website, the film is described as “a sideways introspective into the bewildering snow-covered dreamscape of international time traveler and mystic of the shred—Gigi Rüf.”

Although the film is only 22 minutes long, it highlights an entire season of snowboarding around the globe, including New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Chile, Alaska and Jackson Hole.

Jake Price, 9191 director and cinematographer,  told Volcom News that, “Minds will be blown.”

On top of ridiculous snowboarding, this film is the first ever snowboard movie to have an original score from beginning to end. The music is composed by Piers Baron, and from watching the trailer, I got the feeling that Baron is as mystical a composer as Rüf is a snowboarder.

In order to get the word out about the film, Rüf and friends are doing a 25-day tour with stops in 18 cities in nine countries, including Jackson. They also have an online contest in which they give out 26 words from over several weeks. If you get all of the words, you get a signed poster and a chance to win a trip with Rüf to Austria to snowboard. If you don’t have gear, it doesn’t matter because you will be supplied with everything that he wears, including the board.

Since Rüf is in the process of beginning his tour, getting in touch with him is like trying to contact someone who owes you money and  moved to Austria. However, I was able to find Rüf’s description of the film and his hopes for it in an interview with an old friend from Onboard Global Snowboarding. (I won’t give it all away, but I highly suggest you check it out on Onboard’s website if you’re a Rüf fan.)
Concerning the hopes of the final product, Rüf said, “I can only hope that ... people will be able to see that, for me, it is all about adventures and experiences.”

But he doesn’t want to live these experiences alone. So, alongside Rüf you will see snowboarder friends such as Jake Blauvelt, Wolle Nyvelt, Bryan Iguchi and Nicholas Mueller, just to name a few.

9191 plays at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, Center for the Arts. Free. Doors at 8 p.m. Movie poster signings before the show. 734-8956; 9191movie.com.

Photo Gigi Rüf spreads the stoke Monday by RYAN BOYES

PERMALINK:
Mystic of the shred | Planet JH News Article: General Music Arts and Culture

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