Steep, the ski movie that many hope will be winter’s celluloid answer to Riding Giants, the documentary that chronicles the history of big wave surfing, premiered over the past two weekends in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Chronicling the history of big mountain skiing, from the early ’70s exploits of Teton County ski mountaineer Bill Briggs and Chamonix’s Patrick Vallencant to heli-assisted first descents in the wilds of Alaska, the promise of the film has been tantalizing skiers for years.

Here is what the Tribeca film folks say about it: “Whether it’s jumping out of a helicopter hovering above the powdery slopes of Alaska’s mountain ranges or trying to outrun an avalanche in the French Alps, Steep traces the legacy of extreme skiing from its early pioneers to the death-defying daredevils of today.”

The Steep folks themselves say, “It started in the 1970s in the mountains above Chamonix, France, where skiers began to attempt ski descents so extreme that they appeared almost suicidal. Men like Anselme Baud and Patrick Vallencant were inspired by the challenge of skiing where no one thought to ski before. Now, two generations later, some of the world’s greatest skiers pursue a sport where the prize is not winning, but simply experiencing the exhilaration of skiing and exploring big, wild, remote mountains.”

To see a trailer, go to www.thedocumentarygroup.com