The Fourth Phase Premier
Words + Photos by Erin Hogue
Last night it seemed as though everyone in the snowboard industry was in Los Angeles at the overly hyped and much anticipated world premiere of Travis Rice's The Fourth Phase.
This twice postponed 4 year project, in conjunction with Redbull and what once was Brain Farm, followed up Rice's The Art of Flight.
Keeping in tune with Rice's previous dramatized style of snowboard films and, "based on the premise that to truly understand something you have to become it.", proclaimed the night's host, MC G$ G Spot Gzus.
Rice; along with Mark Landvik, Eric Jackson, Mikkel Bang, Victor de Le Rue, Jeremy Jones, and more, chase the hydrological cycle across the globe. They began with booters and tree-jibs in Wyoming, to riding big lines in Japan. Then heading north to Russian volcanos and ending in Alaska with whether they could actually snowboard or not you got a sense of what it's like to push the boundaries and venture into new zones.
"This will be way easier to build than the last", says Travis to the guys that are following him in the dark, pinning it up 90 degree faces where if you don't make it you're done. So, 'easier than the last build' actually means it's going to take 10 dedicated crew members, plus all of the riders, 4 days of waking up at 3am and busting their asses all day to actually break into the zone.
20 person sled crews with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gear, an 8 foot octo drone creates a cinematic masterpiece in itself.
They also incorporated some unique POV footage, and at points it feels as though you're right there with them outrunning the sluff.
Even the premiere took it one step further by having musician and songwriter, Kishi Bashi, perform elements of the films soundscapes live.
The whole night was next level. As for the movie itself don't take my word for it decide for yourself, for the next month it will be premiering around the world before being released on Red Bull TV on October 2nd. For what is claimed to be a 'first of its kind event' including a pre-show at 8:30 p.m PST.
Travis in movie intro, "To seek is not to be content with where one is to see is to look for something more..."