The Extreme Sports Documentary Hero’s Journey
“It’s not about the glory,” the Hero says into the IMAX camera.
Across all cultures, every true story of dangerous outdoor sports achievement follows the same monomyth made up of identifiable stages — The Extreme Sports Documentary Hero’s Journey:
The Hero
The Hero is at the top of His game. He (not her) is a legend who built modern [alpine climbing/ultra marathoning/hot lava surfing]. He is a tan, fit, 45-year old white man with stubble. Always. The Audience sees Him on the cover of various outdoor and sporting magazines, as a series of athletics-adjacent commentators describe his prowess. [Jon Krakauer/Joe Rogan/Tim Ferris] raves that he “revolutionized the sport.”
The Big One
The Hero has hung up His [skis/scuba gear/Tyrannosaurus Rex saddle], but remains tempted by a singular challenge, the Big One. Some think it is not possible, but they agree that if anyone can do it, The Hero can. He could be the first to [surf a tidal wave/climb Everest in Crocs/skydive naked without a parachute from the International Space Station.]
The Meaningful Backstory
The Hero tells us why The Big One is so meaningful. Getting The Big One was the dream of Them, his 2–7 mentors who died with him [on the mountain/on the whitewater/in the Great White Shark wrestling tank], in the quest to get The Big One. “I have to do it for Them. It’s not about the glory,” the Hero says into the IMAX camera.
The Personal Stakes
The Hero’s Wife does not want the Hero to attempt The Big One. The Hero’s Wife is herself an enthusiastic [mountain biker/deep sea snorkeler/black hole spelunker.] Enthusiastic enough to be married to the Hero and understand His Undying Drive. But not enthusiastic enough to want to risk the The Hero’s life and their seven children’s future. But enthusiastic enough to understand when The Hero disregards her wishes entirely. “That’s just who [Connor/Laird/Jackson/Slater/Diesel] is,” says The Hero’s Wife, with a weary half-smile.
The Setback
The Hero attempts The Big One. It is even harder than He imagined. The IMAX footage is beautiful and terrifying. The Hero gives his best but is [crushed along the shore/swept away in an avalanche/skewered at terminal velocity on the spire of the Empire State Building/beheaded by the sharp edge of the half pipe.] But miraculously — as if His work remains unfinished — He escapes without injury.
The Doubt and Recommitment
The Hero is shaken after nearly ending up like Them. He looks at a picture of The Hero’s Wife in a meaningful way. She is not interviewed again because the budget only allowed one day of filming at the Hero’s home in [Jackson, Wyoming/Oahu, Hawaii/Bozeman, Montana.] The Hero considers forgoing another attempt at The Big One, but then of course He makes another attempt because otherwise this documentary would suck. The Audience worries The Hero will die, but then remembers that The Hero’s use of the past tense in His interview segments suggest He does not die.
The Conquest
The Hero reattempts The Big One. It is hard, even harder than during The Setback. It looks [cold/hot/high/deep/fast/far/radioactive] in the IMAX footage. But The Hero perseveres and succeeds at The Big One. He has done it. He has [surfed the wave/tightrope walked across the Atlantic Ocean/Pogo Sticked into heaven and suffocated God.] All told, the successful attempt at The Big One takes 8 minutes of screen time. Credits roll.
