Being a professional sports person will always come with an element of risk of injury but few sports are as dangerous and adrenaline packed as elite World Cup skiing.
Streif – One Hell of a Ride is a documentary on the year-long preparations for the 2014 Hahnenkamm Mountain’s downhill course, the ‘Streif’, a challenging course that is so difficult the crowd will give you an uproarious cheer for just finishing it, no matter where you place.
World Cup skiiers put everything on the line to challenge this highly technical and dangerous course that has claimed the careers of several elite champion skiers including Todd Brooker and Hans Grugger.
Since the first races on Streif in the 1930s the course has had several significant safety upgrades including triple barriers, removal of rocks and grass and removal of other obstacles. It’s still includes sharp corners, rough side hills, very steep slopes and poor visibility. It leaves many to question if the prestige and prize money is worth the risk.
Streif – One Hell of a Ride features some breath taking images of the Austrian Alps and includes interesting footage of the athlete’s rigorous training techniques. There are no lucky winners at Streif; everyone who finishes has worked for years to conquer the run and every athlete is filled with courage and a childhood dream to win the world’s most prestigious ski race.
Edited by David Hoffer with some constant brand placement and a repetitive style of narration the film occasionally feels like a very long Red Bull or Audi commercial, however if you are an extreme sports fan, there is plenty of engaging information, excellent cinematography by Gunther Goberl and thrills and spills to make Streif – One Hell of a Ride an enjoyable watch.
Reviewed by Ceri Horner
Twitter: @CeriHorner
Rating out of 10: 7
Streif – One Hell of a Ride will be released on DVD and Digital on 17 February 2016.
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