Extreme Sports Film Directors

Extreme Sports videos has been pivotal in the success of you tube and vimeo and the hundreds of videos that are uploaded to these viral instigators are seen by millions throughout the world. But there are some that do it better then others. We give you the Eight Best Extreme Sports Directors from around the Globe.

Sebastian Montaz-Rosset is a Frenchman on a mission – a mission to capture the incredible achievements, and incredible risks, of some of the world’s bravest human beings. His documentaries about BASE jumpers, tightrope walkers and parachutists show much more than just the preparation, intense concentration, skill and sheer foolhardiness of these people, they also provide a glimpse into why they do these things. We see them launching themselves off impossibly high precipices, but also sharing moments of friendly banter beforehand, and battling with a whole range of emotions in the run-up to a jump. All this comes together to give the viewer a feeling that he is the one taking that first step out into the abyss along with the others, which is a terrifying but also an amazingly liberating experience.

Stacy Peralta was one of skateboarding’s biggest names in the 70’s, part of the generation that revolutionised the sport and turned it into what it is today. But he was also a keen surfer, a passion that stayed with him and in 2004 prompted him to make the definitive surfing documentary, ‘Riding Giants’. This movie is about the death-defying antics of those who choose to ride the biggest waves, some of which reach up to 70ft. It traces the history of the sport, giving a picture of successive generations of half-men, half-fish who brave the ‘giants’, driven by a soundtrack of greats such as David Bowie, Alice in Chains, The Hives, Moby and Basement Jaxx.

Kevin MacDonald is the well-known director of great films like ‘The Last King of Scotland’ and ‘State of Play’, but arguably one of his best films is the 2003 documentary ‘Touching the Void’, a retelling of the story of two mountain climbers whose ascent of the Siula Grande in Peru nearly ended in disaster. Stranded in a heavy snowstorm, Simon Yates faced the hard choice of cutting the rope his friend was dangling from, or being pulled to certain death himself. The documentary follows this remarkable survival tale, with in-depth interviews and reconstruction of the fateful climb.

James Marsh’s award-winning documentary ‘Man on Wire’ pays homage to the daredevil Philippe Petit, who in 1974 performed a high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Centre. The film explored contemporary reactions to Petit’s death-defying 200ft journey, including his arrest by the police and subsequent psychological evaluation. This moving and well-researched documentary is an insight into just how far extreme sports have come from the Petit’s historical tightrope walk.

Once again we are back with the French, this time with the three friends Sébastien Foucan, Jérôme Ben Aoues, and Johann Vigroux, who in 2003 hatched a plan along with director Mike Christie to take the sport of free-running to the streets of London. The hour long documentary, ‘Jump London’, and its follow-up ‘Jump Britain’, see Sébastien, Jérôme, and Johann clambering and vaulting over some of Britain’s most recogniseable landmarks, including the Royal Albert Hall, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Edinburgh Castle and the Giant’s Causeway. Vive la Français!