In 2007 Askel Lund Svindal had one of the most spectacular and scary crashes the Downhill Skiing world had ever seen.  He was on the notoriously difficult, and fast, Birds of Prey downhill run at Beaver Creek in Colorado when he missed his mark on the takeoff of a jump by just inches.  The crash would leave him in the hospital for several months with injuries most of us would have trouble recovering from.  World class athletes have a knack for getting over what we mere mortals would consider horrific, career ending injuries.  American World Cup Skier Lindsey Vonn is a testament to that.

When it all goes wrong, and you find yourself on the wrong side of the edge of the envelope, the incident can leave an indelible mark on your psyche…a permanent stain on your soul.  How do you recover.  How do you go back to the place where the worst happened and trick yourself into ignoring your fear, and get back to doing what you love?

Askel Lund Svindal gives us all a lesson in this short film from Antimedia. Very Impressive.  Thanks to Michael Murphy for sharing this great find.

YouTube Description:

Downhill ski racing is one of the most demanding sports in the world, both physically and mentally. Blink of an eye is a short film documenting Aksel as one of the few athletes who combines an extraordinary level of focus with brutal physical strength to perform among the international elite. Aksel’s remarkable comeback from his Beaver Creek crash in 2007 is a true testament to his superior mental strength. In fact, his focus is so strong that he does not blink once during a 2 minute run…

Regular TV-broadcasted downhill races do not re!ect the actual speeds nor the unbelievable forces which alpine downhill athletes endure. More importantly, it is impossible for the TV viewer to grasp the fear and mental pressure these athletes expose themselves to. Blink of an eye is our attempt to show how raw downhill skiing really is.

Director – Niels Windfeldt
Producer – Andreas Braten
Executive producer – Kristian Kjelman
Music – Trond G. Hansen
Sound design – Trond G. Hansen
Filmers – Andreas Johannessen, Niels Windfeldt, Matt Pain, Trond G. Hansen
Color Consultant – Julien Alary
Drone Pilot/Grip – Daniell P. Ashby
Motion Graphics – Process films
Title design – Dennis Magnus-Andresen
Production assistants – Kisse Haugland and Knut Løkås
Helishots – Magic air
Partners – Telenor, Red Bull, Head, Oakley, Alpinco and Norgesskiforbund

www.antimedia.no