Athlete shows talent on big screen

PALMER — Dane Tudor’s career is going downhill fast — and he couldn’t be more stoked about it.

The 21-year-old ski actor grew up in the Butte, but his sport has taken him around the world and onto the big screen. Tudor and his aggressive skiing are featured in the new Poor Boyz Productions film “Revolver,” which debuts tonight at the Palmer Depot.

Although performing in ski productions and training for competition takes Tudor around the globe — places like British Columbia, Colorado, Oregon and Japan — returning to the Valley still seems like home, Tudor said.

“I love Alaska,” he said. “It’s probably the best place I’ve ever been.”

Another good place is on the mountain making skiing come alive for viewers. “Revolver” is Tudor’s third movie and has earned some high praise from critics and reviewers. ESPN.com recognized Tudor as Best Male Performance in a Leading Role in its actions sports video awards.

“He literally steals the show in Poor Boyz Productions’ latest release,” ESPN.com reports in its awards announcement. It goes on to say Tudor “hops from massive kickers in the Whistler backcountry to powder in Niseko, Japan, to bony spines in Haines, Alaska, stomping every air and cleaning big-mountain lines with an effortless style.”

Making a name as a ski film actor is only part of Tudor’s aspirations. He’s also training to become more of a force on the competition circuit, like the Dew Tour and X-Games.

“I’ve caught a good portion of the dream, for sure,” he said. “The competition portion I haven’t achieved yet. … I think I’d be considered a newcomer to the competition scene.”

Tudor, who was born in Australia and moved to the Butte at age 2, was introduced to skiing at an early age by his mother, he said. They would winter in British Columbia and spend a good part of the time on the slopes. By the time he was in his mid-teens, Tudor began to believe he could have a future in the sport.

Now his passion for skiing is elevated by the detail required to be a professional, Tudor said.

Getting paid to ski “is pretty awesome,” he said. “But if definitely brings a different level of stress to the game. It’s fun, I like it a lot, but it is more of a business now. Sometimes it takes hours to get a shot, sometimes it takes minutes. It all depends on how you are and what kind of game you’ve got that day.”

Theory-3 Media’s production “Journal” was Tudor’s first film. He connected with Poor Boyz for his second, “Every Day’s a Saturday,” and “Revolver.” Debuting his newest project in his hometown is an exciting prospect, he said.

“The plot of this year’s movie is kind of like the evolution of skiing and giving little bits on technology and little things about what allows us to do what we can do now,” Tudor said. “There’s everything from Alaska powderlines, like big, big mountain lines, to summer park shoots and train park jumps and rails. There’s a big diversity of skiing throughout the whole movie.”

Tudor also speaks at local schools, urging youth to pursue their dreams.

“Put your heart and soul into something, you’re going to make it,” he said. “As long as you put in a good amount of work every day, you’re going to be there.”

And while he makes a living going downhill fast, “There’s no place to go but up.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

IF YOU GO

What: Premier of “Revolver”

When: 7:15 to 11 p.m. tonight

Where: Palmer Train Depot.

Cost: $10 at the door.