Although this blog and website is very much ultra based I don’t think it should be at the exclusion of some remarkable things.

Seb Montaz for me is one of the greatest ‘sports’ film makers out there. Along with The African Attachment, Seb produces some remarkable movies. Many of you will have seen them – Kilian’s Quest and of course the new Summits teaser.

Anyway, Seb has just made a new film.

“In life it’s our choice whether we laugh or cry – and I chose to laugh”

One Step Beyond takes us behind the scenes for a close up look at the lives of people involved in extreme sports.

VIEW THE TRAILER HERE

Géraldine Fasnacht, world-renowned snowboarder and base jumper, invites us into the small and close-knit community of today’s real life supermen – wingsuit flyers… We join her on a rollercoaster ride across the full spectrum of human emotions, catapulting from total euphoria to devastating loss, living life at full force and in glorious technicolour. Until one day, out of nowhere, a dramatic event changes the course of Géraldine’s life and forces her to reconsider her chosen path. In the face of tragedy, she decides to pick herself up and get back on the ride, to be swept up in a whirlwind of adrenaline.

This bare bones, honest account gives us a window into the lives of ordinary men and women who have chosen to take an extraordinary path in life.

Fasten your seat belts, we hope you enjoy your trip!

“It’s like a drug… when you do it you wonder how you
managed without it for so long, you can’t live without it”

This is an intimate look at a group of people who live exploring the extremes of human capability and the meaning of their own existence – a group bound by their experiences. And of one person in particular, who has no illusions of the consequences of her actions. Introduced to the mountains and the sport of snowboarding at a young age, Géraldine fast became addicted to the outdoors and the freedom and adventure she found through being in the mountains. She left the confines of patrolled areas in her home resort of Verbier almost as soon as she could stand up on a snowboard, venturing further and further into the backcountry. With the advent of freeride and extreme ski & snowboard competitions, organisers were forced to introduce a women’s category when Géraldine and her partner in crime were faster than many of the male competitors.

A very long way from the archetypal girl next door, this exceptionally talented woman excels in everything she does – doing ‘just ok’ is not an option. The pursuit of excellence and the desire to go further, faster, explore new sports, leads Géraldine through the best of times and the worst of times, and forces her to face her darkest demons in the aftermath of a tragic event.

“It’s like when you fall in love – you can’t control it. You know it might hurt you, …but the feeling is so good”

One Step Beyond is a story of lives led to extremes, of living your dreams and coming face to face with brutal reality. Of incredible friendships and finding the strength to overcome life’s cruelest obstacles. Of sharing amazing experiences with wonderful people… and of choosing to laugh.

GÉRALDINE FASNACHT
Snowboarder, Base jumper, wingsuit flyer (born 18th June 1980, Switzerland)

“I discovered the mountains and mountaineering through snowboarding. It’s like surfing a never ending wave… Happiness for me is painting lines on mountains… wide open spaces, freedom…”

Géraldine has notched up 12 years of snowboard competitions, with 8 of those on the international freeride circuit. She achieved a staggering 11 wins, 3 of those in the Verbier X-treme. She discovered basejump and wingsuit flying 10 years ago, finding the perfect parallel to drawing lines in the snow… doing the same in the sky. She has combined her passions on numerous trips and expeditions from Switzerland to the far corners of the planet – Mali, Baffin Island, Queen Maud Land in Antarctica, snowboarding spectacular mountains and making first basejump descents.

She shares her adventures through conferences and seminars via her company Lineprod, making presentations for corporate groups and children alike. Her love for nature and the outdoors shines through in everything she does.

KARINA HOLLEKIM
Free skier & Base jumper. (born April 25, 1976, Norway)

Karina grew up with a thirst for adventure and a fierce stubborn streak. She took to the ski slopes at a young age, only accepting the need for instruction from her dad after a high speed encounter with a hut! Shaping her life around her desire to ski bigger and higher mountains, lessons at school and work as a computer programmer soon gave way to time in the Alps. Life as a professional skier eventually lead her to explore base jumping and to achieve her childhood dream of being able to fly.

In August 2006 Karina suffered a near-fatal crash after her parachute failed during a routine parachute jump. She hit the ground at over 100 km/h and doctors said she would never walk again, but after 20 surgeries she has recovered and is now skiing again.

“…I guess this stubbornness and strong belief in my capability in managing things on my own has followed me, both in good and bad, ever since.”

SAMUEL BEAUGEY
Alpinist & globetrotter (born June 3rd 1971, France)

Sam grew up at the foot of Mont Blanc and has set up base camp on the slopes above les Houches. He became a mountain guide in 1994 … crampons, ice axes, skis, snowboard, wingsuit, snowkite, parapente – he has everything in his toolkit. He has accomplished a number of first descents and ascents (ski descent of Linceul on the Grandes Jorasses with Jerome Ruby, new route on Kwangde Shar in the Himalayas, snowboard descent of Everest North Face with Jerome Ruby & André-Pierre Rhem). With over 800 base jumps under his belt, he made the first wingsuit jump from Trango Pulpit (6100m) after climbing a new route Azazel with the Planet Big Wall team. In recent years he travelled to both polar regions, climbing new routes with wingsuit descents on Baffin Island and Antarctica.

He was joined by Géraldine on the Antarctic expedition and the couple were married in July 2011.

GIULIA MONEGO
Freeride skier (born June 23rd 1981, Italy)

Giulia spent the first part of her life in Venice, moving to Cortina in the Alps at 13 where she started ski racing. She quit the race circuit in 2001, tired of the stress of competitions, completed her ski instructor qualification and studies in tourism at Milan university. She then moved to Verbier where she has been based ever since, competing in freeride ski competitions (she won the Verbier Xtreme in 2006) and working as a freeride ski instructor for Powder-extreme ski school.

“My love for the mountains has given me the opportunity to live every season and use every tool, available. Climbing, paragliding and biking in the summer; skiing and climbing in the winter making the most of the outdoors. My years of experience have allowed me to push my limits further each day in new adventures, facing new and harder challenges.”

More info available in the downloadable press pack… HERE