Top 10 Best Extreme Sports Documentaries
I know very well that you are tired of sitting at home, watching Discovery, and covering yourself with fat. You want extreme sports, adrenaline, adventure, and everything that makes the heart beat faster.
Not everyone has enough time, opportunities, money, and especially health. Not everyone can jump with a parachute or ride a motorbike at high speed. Why risk yourself if you can look at people who do this almost every day? I will not advise useless science fiction films about heroes, this is not necessary. I present to you a list of 10 extreme sports documentaries and be sure, each of them is based on real events.
1.TT3D: Closer to the Edge (2011)
A great tradition has existed in the UK since 1907 ‒ the Tourist Trophy (TT) super-festival of races is held annually on the Isle of Man. These races are beyond the ordinary. Despite the fact that various motorcycle festivals take place all over the world, participation in the Tourist Trophy (TT) is the culmination of the life of every rider.
TT3D: Closer to the Edge 2011 ‒ these are, first of all, amazing shots in motion, for which special equipment was purchased; an amazing story with heroes of motorcycle racers about the features of the festival, the atmosphere and spirit of Tourist Trophy (TT) itself. We can see gorgeous shots both directly from the festival itself and during preparation for it. We learn with the help of heroes how the preparations for the competitions go, as well as about the features of the festival because the main highlight is the race that is held in five classes.
Also, we are able to virtually travel to an exciting spectacle with the participation of the best motorcycle racers. This is what attracts thousands of viewers and dozens of investors and partners. Unfortunately, as in any other competition, the risk to life is as high as possible. During the races died more than 230 riders.
2. Man on Wire (2008)
On August 7, 1974, the French tightrope walker Philippe Petit accomplished what was later called the “artistic crime of the century.” He walked a rope stretched between the towers of the World Trade Center in New York for 45 minutes. This was the pinnacle of his career, in which there were already similar tricks with Notre Dame and the Harbor Bridge in Sydney. The documentary directed by James Marsh is not only a hymn to the brave man but also a tribute to the era that was destroyed on September 11, 2001. This film is not like a base jumping documentary on Netflix.
3. Senna (2010)
It is an extreme sports movie about the life and tragic death of the legendary Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna. In the mid-80s, he came to the world of Formula 1. The film tells about his constant struggle on the track with the French world champion Alain Prost, and the off-track fight against politics, waged by the sports federation. In life, he was always a humble and shy patriot of his country, donating millions of dollars to charity. In one of the races, Senna crashes into a wall and dies in front of the eyes of 300 million spectators. This racing weekend went down in Formula 1 history as a “black weekend.” Until now, Senna is revered in Formula 1 as one of the greatest pilots in his native Brazil ‒ almost as a saint.
4. Free solo (2018)
Rock climber Alex Honnold is the first person to conquer the impregnable rock El Capitan of Yosemite Park. Alone and without insurance, he covered a thousand meters on a steep slope in less than four hours, making one of the most incredible feats in the history of modern sports. For climbing, this is comparable to landing on the moon ‒ excellent physical preparation, endurance, composure, and a drop of madness were needed not only to him but also to the film’s directors, who were constantly climbing after Alex.
5. Maiden (2018)
In the late 1980s, no one could imagine a team of girls alone at a prestigious regatta. What was needed was a heroine who would defy stereotypes ‒ and it is Briton Tracy Edwards. In 1989, she led a gang of 12 like-minded people who went around the world on a Maiden yacht, proving that thirst for adventure can be the fuel of a person’s life, regardless of gender. Thirty years later, a film about their gamble entered the Oscar shortlist and conquered independent American distribution.
6. The Crash Reel (2013)
American snowboarder Kevin Pierce has reached legendary status. His victory over champion Sean White in the halfpipe final at the European Open in 2008 in Lax, Switzerland, lifted him to the top in this contest. In 2009, Pierce was hit hard while training a dangerous jump ‒ a double cork. He received a head injury and spent a week in a coma. The film tells about the struggle of Kevin Pierce to restore his life.
7. Being Evel (2015)
The extreme sports movie tells us about Evel Knievel, a superstar who earned fame and money by jumping on a motorbike over long distances. His records still stand today, despite the fact that motorcycles have become many times more powerful. Johnny Knoxville, of Jackass fame, produced this reverential account of Evel’s life and accomplishments. One of the best extreme sports documentaries of all time.
8. 20 Seconds of Joy (2007)
Norwegian athlete Karina Hollekim, one of the most famous free riders and base jumpers in the world, experienced a terrible tragedy in 2006. During the next jump, Karina received twenty-five fractures on her leg. The doctors wanted to remove the leg and made a diagnosis that the girl could never walk. However, in spite of everything, in 2009, Hollekim again goes skiing. This picture is a peculiar result of the difficult and very tragic life stage of Karina. All five years, while shooting this picture, the athlete had to repeatedly experience the most difficult tests. In 2006, during the Red Bull Vertigo competition, Karina nearly lost her life due to a parachute that did not open in time. This film is a fierce battle between a young girl and death itself.
9. Momentum Generation (2018)
The documentary “Momentum Generation ” talks about young American guys who started surfing professionally in the 90s. All the characters of the film come from different cities, but the guys have one common goal, to which they go together. Climbing to any peak is always very difficult and requires considerable effort. But motivated and confident guys hope for the best outcome. They enter the world of professional surfing and make their way to the horizon of the best surfers.
10. Hitting the Apex (2015)
This documentary tells the story of the six greatest motorcycle racers in the world. The viewer learns how these champions achieved fame, what they had to put at stake for this, about the fate of these people after they won the main race in their lives. Acting as a leading character, Brad Pitt will show the whole atmosphere of the elite races created by Mark Neal.
It tells how this dangerous sport developed. The film tells about the sports career of each of these six racers: Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez, Marco Simoncelli, Casey Stoner, about how they achieved the desired results, what they did for the sake of fame. They knew very well that you could win everything, but you could lose everything, especially if you were riding a motorcycle at a speed of 200 miles per hour.
