Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with xczone in any way other than being a big
fan of their work. That being said...

I just watched "Unlimited" again - the first time, there was just too much
to take in and talk about. This is another excellent film from xczone.
It's different from "On Snow" and "The Dao", in that it is not just about xc
skiing, but more about attitude and lifestyle and how great it is to be fit
and in shape and living places where you can play outside and make your life
wonderful. Consequently it plays to a much broader audience than either "On
Snow" or "The Dao". If the xc scenes affect non-skiers the way the mountain
biking segments hit me, this film will be very successful.

The film covers a lot of ground - it's structured according to seasons
(winter, spring, summer, fall) and covers deals with oxygen-fed sports and
the people who do them and the places where they do them. The winter one is
the opener, and has great stuff - starts out on woodies, with people
trudging through the woods being retro, and then they come onto a skating
track and two of them wind up skating in leather boots and 7'skis, with
shots of guys telemarking backwards- it's pretty wild. Then they go nuts
and show crazy people doing backscratchers and helicopters and all kinds of
outrageous stuff (on new gear this time).

Then they go to Bend for the spring section and ski with Justin and Beckie
up in the mountains - this is absolutely gorgeous stuff. Wadsworth makes
the comment about how great it is when you're in shape that you feel almost
superhuman, and can look at a ten thousand foot mountain and know you can
run up it. (well, maybe he can...) The shots of him and Beckie are
absolute clinics on how to ski.

The summer seg is mostly in the Gatineau Park and surroundings, and will
make everybody realize why we live here - great mountain bike and trail
running shots, and conversations with competitors and triathletes and it
just goes on and on.

There's a great segment in the last part of the film is what Dave refers to
as BMX XC. They race two guys up a ski lift hill, then back down, and it's
based on both speed and style, and they're encouraged to get in each others'
way, and there's some fantastic and very entertaining stuff going on.

There's also unbelievable talent in this film - masters champions, xc sprint
champions, polar explorers, doctors, housewives, ski salesmen, people who
have to be nuts, factory reps - excellent excellent people.

The package comes with two disks - one is the "Unlimited" film, and the
other is an instructional DVD that is invaluable for clubs and anyone who's
teaching skiing. It's very very good.

There's a whole bunch more on there, but too much to talk about -
interviews, out takes, director's commentary, etc... all in all, well worth
having.



Tim