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G.N.A.R. the movie | Shane McConkey’s creation comes to life

Sylas Wright
Sierra Sun
Courtesy of Grant Kaye / http://grantkaye.comSkiers perform tricks in the Alpine Meadows terrain park last winter during the filming of G.N.A.R. the game, which Scott Gaffney edited into G.N.A.R. the movie. The film, which documents 20 hand-selected skiers participating in the unique game invented by Shane McConkey, premiers Friday at Alpine Meadows.
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TRUCKEE, Calif. and#8212; Shane McConkey would be proud and#8212; and highly entertained.

More than seven years after the late Squaw Valley icon penned the final chapter in and#8220;Squallywood,and#8221; detailing a wacky, one-of-a-kind game he called G.N.A.R., his buddies from UnofficialSquaw.com brought the humorous, often completely shameless antics to life on the slopes.

And now, thanks to the editing expertise of Scott Gaffney, those unconventional acts of skiing comedy are encapsulated in what’s sure to become an instant classic and#8212; G.N.A.R. the movie.



and#8220;It’s just a fun flick, definitely putting the fun back in skiing. And it definitely turned out better than I thought it would,and#8221; said Gaffney, director of Matchstick Productions and brother of Dr. Robb Gaffney, who wrote and released the original and#8220;Squallywoodand#8221; in 2003.

G.N.A.R. the movie premiers Friday night in the Alpine Meadows base lodge. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the movie starts at 9. Entry fee is a suggested donation.



Be warned, however. G.N.A.R. was not intended for young eyes and ears.

and#8220;I want to make sure people know this movie is not for kids,and#8221; Gaffney said. and#8220;It would be rated R if it was rated.and#8221;

Yes, G.N.A.R. and#8212; which stands for Gaffney’s Numerical Assessment of Radness and#8212; has the potential to be viewed as crude to those averse to, say, male nudity. Or the s-word, which is used 79 times not counting the opening credits.

But for the average skier or snowboarder, watching 20 and#8220;hand-selected yahoosand#8221; vie for a winner-take-all prize purse of $25,000 should be nothing short of pure entertainment, Gaffney said.

and#8220;There are a bunch of locals in it, and it’s just pure ridiculous on the mountain,and#8221; Gaffney said, explaining how in McConkey’s game, points are awarded for performing stunts such as, well, skiing naked, for one.

and#8220;I don’t want to give away too much, but they end up getting kicked out of Squaw because of the naked skiing, so then they ended up taking it on the road. They got a day in at Alpine, Kirkwood, Mammoth and then Snowbird, and kind of just took the whole vibe in an RV and hit the road with it. And it turned into a pretty entertaining tale.and#8221;

Local athletes who appear in G.N.A.R. include Ralph Backstrom, Kevin O’Meara, Chuck Mumford, George Hjelte, Greg Lindsey, Spencer Cordovano, Mattias Sullivan, Alex Cox and Robb Gaffney. The film also features archived footage of McConkey himself, as well as interviews with the Gaffney brothers, Mrs. Sherry McConkey and photographer Grant Kaye.


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