Sebastian Müller

The characters in ski films are as diverse as skiing itself: always the same and yet always different. This may mean that a protagonist can always ski and usually does so on snow, only the how, where and why differ. So in this episode we meet old and new heroes who live and film this eternally beautiful skiing in their own way.

No video can replace practical, real-life courses. But Xavier and all sorts of other institutions invite us to expand and refresh our knowledge. There's a bit of contest content to go with it!

In view of the northern congestion and the associated avalanche situation, we are also watching videos about avalanches here today. We cover a wide spectrum: from scientific-educational to case studies and VLOGs to music and film. The quality of the videos presented starts at educationally valuable, but steadily declines towards the end until it becomes unbearable. But the selection is large and you have been warned. So, despite all the fun in the powder, watch out!

Inspired by the last column "Snow of Tomorrow", the new mantra is: "Sustainability sells". The VdW and the ski film industry also need to reorient themselves: "Bigger, deeper, steeper" plus "fat beats" times "kerosene" only leads to "head shaking to tired yawns" among the trained public. So here we present a selection of particularly "green, sustainable, environmentally friendly" ski films, or at least that's what we think.

Another year has passed, and in this new one everything will be good and even better! The offerings have burned down, the wax has solidified into symbols and we now know exactly what is really important: video art and skiing!

You can't reinvent the ski, unless your name is Sean McConkey. All striving for powder and weightlessness has its origins in steep face skiing. So in these hopefully reflective days for all of us, let's go back to those roots. After all, whatever we do in the mountains: style means everything.

The südstau has delivered, the mountains are full of white splendor. The videos are still lagging a little behind, but we're already seeing something from the Italian Dolomites! Plus a fresh film from Austria and a slightly older French one from the Julian Alps. Also: once again, we can't get past Nikolai Schirmer.

In fact, even the best pictures from the deepest bluebird day eventually wear out. In the long run, it takes more than action, upbeat music and slogans. Maybe it's art and maybe it's called cinematography if you don't just like ski films because of their performance data. Personal reference and preferences and soul connection (!) are added on top!

Like the weather, like the VdW. It's been a while since the first hopeful snowfalls, so early winter video production has come to a bit of a standstill. Apart from a fresh patrol, we take a look back: in two season edits and in a gem from the old days. Ordered by ascending sight, with the best at the end. Have fun!

Welcome to the new VdW season! Spectators are not the rule at our games anyway and the world probably needs moving images to dream and indulge more than ever. And hopefully our beloved heroes, and those who want to become heroes, will always be able to show us all the perfect white mountain world freely and without restrictions.

Your calls have been heard! The VdW play a little encore. One last piece with an all-time favorite protagonist, in high alpine and steep terrain, at top speed and with profound lyrics.

We conclude the Videos of the Week season with a stocktaking: how are all the powder junkies and gully hazardeurs, park kids and ski touring fanatics coping under house arrest? What substitutes are needed? Videos of the week, for example? We see that some do it with style, others with style, and the best thing is that we all continue to do nothing at all out there!