Jagged Edge: Telluride world premiere & whitewater gear swap over Mountainfilm

Mountainfilm in Telluride is a local Festival with international clout. Ever year for the past 32, a cutting edge, Jagged Edge crowd of filmmakers, authors, scientists, environmentalists and adventurers, mountaineers and river runners alike, have gathered in town for a catchall celebration of mountain living and mountain arts.

Jagged Edge is a long-time Mountainfilm supporter. (The owner of the building which houses Jagged Edge, Susan Dalton, is the Festival’s board chair.) This year for the first time ever, however, Jagged Edge is doing more than taking a back seat  – and orders. Owner Erik Dalton and manager Cari Mackey are screening a world premiere in keeping with the origins of Mountainfilm as an event for gonzo athletes.

“Hotel Charlie” is a movie series, which follows some of today’s best expedition kayakers in the world as they search the globe for first descents on sections of rivers (or entire rivers) never run before because of the combined challenges of access, safety, extreme whitewater and limited exit strategies once committed. Filmmakers Jessie Coombs and Ben Stooksbury have both been to Telluride before to show earlier installments of “Hotel Charlie”  to eager crowds at filled to bursting Jagged Edge. The fifth installment in the series happens Thursday, May 27, 7 p.m. at the Telluride Elks Lodge to accommodate a growing audience of enthusiasts.

Over the long Mountainfilm in Telluride weekend, May 28 – May 31, Jagged Edge is also hosting its third annual Whitewater Gear Swap. The event is designed for the community of river rats that congregate in town as a way to buy and sell used equipment and connect with one another.  Check in for people wanting to sell gear is all day Friday May 28t at Jagged Edge,10am-8pm.  The swap itself happens Saturday May 29,10 a.m.-6 p.m.  

All proceeds from the screening of “Hotel Charlie” are split between the non-profit San Miguel Whitewater Association, which works towards greater river recreational opportunities for all in San Miguel County and American Whitewater, a nationwide nonprofit fighting for river access and protection

Twenty percent of the sales from the gear swap go to the same two nonprofits.

Fans of Jagged Edge need to know the store has just launched a brand new website,  http://www.jagged-edge-telluride.com/. The site includes a blog with gear updates, the history of Jagged Edge and contact information. Check it out and comment in the blog, especially if you have had experience (good or bad) with the gear de jour.

For more information about Jagged Edge, “Hotel Charlie” and what’s in store for the summer, click the “play” button and listen to Erik’s podcast.