Sam Anderson and Alex Havey, aka Sinister Films, have been making heavy street videos for the past few years, but this winter handed them a completely different set of challenges. They brought two young up-and-comers into the mix, Gibby Corcoran and Bobby Stitt, and within the first week of filming both riders were seriously injured. Between concussions, dislocations, and the weight of feeling responsible for their well-being, Sam was then involved in a traumatic car accident that would send most people into a full spiral.
When something that is completely out of your control happens, and you aren’t responsible for the occurrence, but are still bound to the outcome, how does one cope with that? The intertwined feelings of terror and accountability create a maze of psychological hurdles: guilt, grief, panic, accountability. Making sense of trauma like that is nearly impossible. But when it’s early February and you’ve already given months of your life to a project you committed to, you’re left with a decision. Do we stop now or try to push through?
Faced with a tough decision already, the crew was dealt another blow. Adding insult to injury, all the funding they had previously secured was pulled out from under them. Left shell-shocked, and without a clue of what to do, they pulled together and still made it happen. Much like drowning, when your head is held underwater, life doesn’t slow down or offer a break. But if you can push through the adversity and the pain, swim your way to the surface, and get that breath of air, you can come out the other side.
This is HEAD UNDER WATER a video that serves to represent so much more than just snowboarding.
Filmed and Edited by: Alex Havey
Featuring: Sam Anderson, Gibson Corcoran, Bobby Stitt, Colton Carroll, Blake Lamb, Jackson Brown, and Chris Church
Additional Filming by: Ben Haley, Gibson Corcoran, Noah Daily-Chwalibog, Chris Duncan, Mikey Callender
Supported by: Front Range Toyota Stores
Additional Support by: Never Summer Snowboards, YES Snowboards
