Robert Redford: His Beloved Utah Canyon (Sundance), and Downhill Racer

[ChrisC]

Sundance, Utah, remains more low-key since Provo Canyon does not receive as much snow as nearby Big or Little Cottonwood Canyons. Still, it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing ski areas in North America, and an excellent day area.

It's somewhat ironic that the Sundance Film Festival of 100k+ attendees has now outgrown Park City, UT, in the slowest part of the ski season in late-January, and is relocating in Boulder, CO.


Robert Redford and His Beloved Utah Canyon

The actor, who died on Tuesday at 89, spent much of his life working to preserve the serene natural beauty of Utah, even as his Sundance Film Festival brought Hollywood glamour to the state.
......
In 2020, the resort was sold to investors with the proviso that more than 1,500 acres of its land would remain undeveloped. Mr. Redford set aside an additional 1,200 acres of his own land, which will remain wild.

Residents say wildlife remains plentiful in the canyon, including elk, moose, bobcat, and beaver. Natural springs feed a mountain stream filled with rainbow trout.

The legacy of the conservation efforts will be felt for many generations, Ms. Mack said: “People are able to hike on lands that Robert Redford and his family have preserved. And they will be able to access those lands — forever.”

Robert Redford and His Beloved Utah Canyon

The actor, who died on Tuesday at 89, spent much of his life working to preserve the serene natural beauty of Utah, even as his Sundance Film Festival brought Hollywood glamour to the state.

www.nytimes.com

 

[ChrisC]

And I assume I will finally have to watch this movie if the WSJ gives it this type of respect.

Free on PlutoTV Link


Robert Redford Made a Sports Movie Masterpiece—but It’s Not ‘The Natural’

The skiing-obsessed movie star’s “Downhill Racer” was an innovative sensation which still holds up today

As the sports hack, I’d like to add Redford’s trailblazing contribution to an important if erratic genre: the sports movie.

I don’t mean Redford as the aging slugger Roy Hobbs in “The Natural,” a gauzy-lensed rework of Bernard Malamud which flipped Malamud’s bleak finish into something pyrotechnic and Hollywood. I can get sucked into “The Natural” while flipping around, but I mean something else:

“Downhill Racer.”

https://www.wsj.com/sports/robert-redford-downhill-racer-64685d21?st=gBXZ68&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

 

[MarzNC]

I recently watched Downhill Racer because it showed up on some oddball channel. May have seen it before but didn't remember the plot at all. Not what I expected.

Related article about how a stunt double ended up a cameraman shooting film on skis.

September 18, 2025

https://skiracing.com/downhill-racer-ski-film-joe-jay-jalbert/

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Related article about how a stunt double ended up a cameraman shooting film on skis.
https://skiracing.com/downhill-racer-ski-film-joe-jay-jalbert/

Thanks for the link. Great piece although the adjective in the first sentence "unheralded" is exaggerated. It's been a well-known inside tip amongst film-geeks for decades, especially fans of the French New Wave movement.

I learned about it in the mid-80s at CU Boulder during the annual Conference on World Affairs (an incredible event). While discussing a different film, veteran presenter Roger Ebert brought up Downhill Racer with the oft-repeated line from his famous 1969 review "the best movie ever made about sports without really being about sports at all." Back then, you couldn't just go to a video store and rent whatever you wanted, so I didn't see it until a decade later in Chicago.

 

[jasoncapecod]

I love that movie and Gene Hackman is great in it also

 

[ChrisC]

My ski movie viewing history is more: Better Off Dead, Hot Tub Time Machine, Hot Dog, Aspen Extreme, Ski Patrol, and Dumb & Dumber - plus the mix of Warren Miller, TGR, Blizzard of Aahhhs, etc.

 

[EMSC]

Not what I expected.

I agree that it is a good flick, but one's expectations are automatically off if you expect a standard hollywood "Ski Movie" or a "Sports Movie".

 

[snowave]

Went to Sundance only once to ride about 15 yrs ago mid-winter (weird.... fluffy powder snow on top, rain/sloppy on bottom half), but the scenery was spectacular, particularly at that little cabin on the summit. One thing I particulary remember was a portapotty in the parking lot has a space heater in it. The base area, with it's somewhat upscale rustic /but similarily low-key vibe, is beautiful. I've only been back a couple times, both in summer). We have a nice collection of recycled glass into glasses that remind us of Sundance.

Redford was an icon, plain and simple. For his movies (acting and directing) of course, and his environmentalism. He seemed like a super nice guy, from most accounts.

Fun Story... My Dad was skiing there once way back in the late 80s, I think... and told me a story about riding up the sloow lift with a really nice guy that had the same jacket as him, so they talked and laughed about it and other things. Anyway, it was "Bob", but he didn't know until they got off, and he said his name was Bob and he put two and two together and instantly recognized him.