Why do we do anything we love? Or why do we love anything that we do? I’m not sure which version of the question is most appropriate here.
What I’m getting at isn’t just as simple as, “Why do I ski? Why do I surf? Why do I (insert job here) for a living?” It’s more like, “Why do I dedicate my life to this?” Why choose a career so you can live within access to that thing you love? The ocean, the mountains. Better yet, for many, why avoid a career entirely so you can have more freedom to do that thing you love? Why build your life around each season, the next trip, or the opportunity for an existence that doesn’t require a vacation just to escape it all?
“Throughout my entire career, I have tried to explain to friends, family and strangers the magic of working as a professional freeskier,” says filmmaker and skier Paddy Graham.
Graham’s accomplishments include wins in professional big air/slopestyle events, as well as a growing filmography. He’s starred in and/or produced films like Same Difference (2017), 121 (2019), Action Men (2020), Long Days (2021), and now his latest, We Can’t Not, tackles something different. It’s a ski film about making ski films. But for Graham, there is no confusion about why he’s dedicated himself to the craft. We Can’t Not is made to explain that for the people closest to him.
Paddy reenacts a moment somewhere around seven or eight minutes into the film that’s all too relatable for a lot of people. Sitting at the dinner table, getting pelted with questions about what he actually does for a living. Loved ones always mean well, but the vulnerability of explaining something you’re compelled to pursue is one of those experiences that really forces a person to tackle those queries. Truthfully, if it weren’t for family and friends asking us why, we might not ask ourselves. We’d just do it. So, Paddy Graham made a film about it all…and about skiing…and about making ski films.
