Wow! I can’t say it enough. The documentary The Crash Reel is a serious wakeup call. I had heard it was one the best documentaries from 2013 and on a lot of “must see” lists. I was expecting a film showing a lot of snowboarding crashes and various X-games wipeouts… NOT!
This film documents snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s story. If you don’t know the name, you are not alone. I had no clue who he was and that he was set to outdo Shaun White (snowboarding’s Ginger posterboy) at the 2010 Olympics before a crash during a training session in Park City, Utah.
The film does an excellent job of telling his story… from his early days through to his fight to recover from a severe TBI (traumatic brain injury.)
I won’t go into detail about what happens in the film other than to say that the industry is a lot more dangerous than I ever imagined. The reality of just how fragile our bodies are and how careless we are (especially young folks) with the risks we take, smacks you in the face with this story.
It is not a happy story, as it tugs at your heart strings throughout… but it IS a good film. It is shocking, dramatic, horrifying, and inspirational – but mostly educational. I’m glad we watched it as a family because my boys needed to see that reality.
Kevin’s story is a hard one to watch at times, but he continues to inspire as a motivational speaker and advocate for brain injury education.
RATING 10 out of 10 
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