LOCAL FILMMAKER FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES ON EXTREME ATHLETES

17 Mar LOCAL FILMMAKER FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES ON EXTREME ATHLETES

Ben Clark

Is it lower levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that creates the so-called “adrenaline rush?”

That’s one theory about what drives extreme athletes to risk their lives for the sake of adventure.

In his book, “On the Ridge Between Life and Death,” mountaineer David Roberts described traits he once shared with his comrades: compulsive, driven, self-absorbed, competitive and emotionally distantamong them. Later Roberts, who thought he was being heroic by vanquishing virgin mountains, learned the distinction between being brave (selfish quests) and being truly heroic (acts undertaken in the service of others).

Such epiphanies hit Roberts in his mellower 60s. Former Telluride local Rob Liberman missed his chance for reflections on a storied, if hair-raising career as an extreme athlete/adventurer. Robert Liberman, 35, a back country ski guide, was killed Tuesday, March 13, 2012, in an avalanche while helicopter skiing in steep mountains overlooking the coastline near the southeast Alaska town of Haines.

Liberman was among six people in a group that was helicopter skiing in an area known as Takhin Ridge, north of Haines. The region has become increasingly popular with back country skiers paying for helicopter services to reach undeveloped terrain.

Another Telluride local and reformed extreme mountaineer, Ben Clark of Godu Productions and his crew were in Alaska filming when Liberman and his snowboarding client, Nickolay Dodov, died.

Clark began his documentary series, “The Alaskan Way,” with the ominous scene that followed the deaths.

Chronicling the collaborative nature within a world-renowned heli-skiing guide school, the series tracks the progress of would-be guides along with their veteran mentors, while examining exactly what it takes to be a leader in the field. Over the course of a 10-week winter season, “The Alaskan Way” paints an intimate portrait of a life lived with deep passion for deep powder, showcasing not only the harrowing risks, but also the sweet rewards.

It is a life Clark not only filmed, but fully embraced – until recently, when he chose to walk away.

Clark’s life-changing decision was the subject of a recent New York Times article entitled “Extreme Grief,” published earlier in the month. Follow this link to learn more.

And watch the chilling trailer to Clark’s documentary.