Teton Gravity Research Premieres at Aspen's Wheeler Oct. 10

Aspen —“Last year, I was flying around in helicopters in Valdez, Alaska. This year, we were snowmobile skiing in Haines.”

Colter Hinchcliffe said that about the new Teton Gravity Research film, “Actually, It Is Rocket Science,” which hits the big screen at Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House on Oct. 10. The 31st installment in the TGR catalog premieres locally with two showtimes: 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Hinchcliffe, a local professional skier who has been in TGR movies since 2011, will be there. So will Kelly Hilleke and professional freeskier Tim Durtschi.

For context, this isn’t just a movie night. It’s the biggest gathering of ski culture in the valley that doesn’t involve buying lift tickets or waiting in a line at the base of Ajax. The Aspen Times reported that Hinchcliffe called it “one of my favorite evenings of the year,” noting how rare it is to get the community to come together and share some stoke before the snow actually falls.

The film itself leans into a comedic theme. Hinchcliffe explained that the crew wove the idea that skiing is “actually rocket science” throughout the movie with semi-goofy skits introducing every scene. Some are elaborate; others are off-the-cuff. Every segment has its own little skit. It’s a departure from the purely cinematic, silent-wonder format of previous years, though the locations remain top-tier: Japan, Bute Inlet in British Columbia, Finland, Andorra, Jay Peak in Vermont, Haines, Alaska, and Montana.

Hinchcliffe’s segment focuses on snowmobiling to extreme locations in Haines, Alaska. He called it “an old stomping ground” for him and Durtschi, noting that Haines was his first location when he broke into ski movies. The nostalgia is palpable in the footage, but the logistics were a pivot from Valdez due to better winter conditions in Haines.

Then there’s Kelly Hilleke, 20. This is the second year TGR has filmed him. His segment centers on an invite-only freeride contest in Wyoming called Kings and Queens of Corbet. The weather was a mess leading up to the event. Hilleke didn’t know if he’d compete until 5 p.m. the day before, during a seven-day weather window that wasn’t looking good.

“I remember the announcer saying ‘Oh, and in the clouds is Kelly Hilleke…'” Hilleke said. He was nervous, dropped in, landed the first trick he wanted to do, and skied out the whole run for second place.

Two days later, on Feb. 16, he blew his knee hitting a rock in Jackson Hole’s backcountry while filming.

As of October, he’s doing great. He ran the Boulder Marathon last Sunday and completed Aspen’s Four Pass Loop this Sunday. The knee held up. The film is ready.

The Wheeler is a historic venue, and filling it with locals who are about to spend the next six months on or near snow is a specific kind of local economy in motion. You’re not just watching a movie; you’re witnessing the pre-season ritual for thousands of people whose lives are dictated by snowpack and lift lines.

For those planning to attend, the 4:30 p.m. showing is likely the better bet if you have kids or want to hit the bars afterward without staying up until midnight. The 7:30 p.m. show is for the night owls who want to finish with a drink in hand before heading home to check the weather app one last time.

Hinchcliffe’s segment is about history and nostalgia in Haines. Hilleke’s is about nerve-wracking weather calls and a knee that took a hit but didn’t break. The film is about the absurdity of chasing snow to the ends of the earth, wrapped in a joke that it’s all rocket science.

It costs you your evening and probably a few dollars for parking if you’re not walking from downtown. What it gives you is the collective exhale of a community that’s been waiting for winter since June.

The film premieres Oct. 10 at the Wheeler. Hinchcliffe, Hilleke, and Durtschi will be in attendance. If you want to see what “rocket science” looks like on a snowmobile in Alaska, or how a 20-year-old skis out of the clouds to take second place in Wyoming, you know where to be.