Experiencing Interruptions?

The Edge of Impossible

Showcasing the unlimited potential of the human spirit and friendship, The Edge Of Impossible follows Tony Schmiesing's journey to become the first quadriplegic to heli-ski the rarefied backcountry of the Chugach Mountain Range in Alaska, the Mecca of the extreme freeskiing world.

A small footnote in skiing history (for now), this first descent project is a significant one in disabled skiing history. Considered technically unattainable for a bi-ski, a rig designed for groomers and not deep powder, Tony Schmiesing, the High Fives Foundation, Points North and his team chose to bypass conventional wisdom and push the boundaries of what was previously thought possible for a quadriplegic skier. With no roadmap and some technical tweaking, the project was a monumental success.

This uplifting and truly inspirational film about creativity, determination and teamwork was directed by Conor Toumarkine and produced by the High Fives Foundation, who, in the spring of 2014, gave a Winter Empowerment grant to Tony and his team to provide them with the tools and travel necessary to accomplish Tony's lifelong goal of experiencing the weightlessness of pure Alaskan powder skiing.

  • Conor Toumarkine
    Director
    Moving Forward
  • Conor Toumarkine
    Writer
    Moving Forward
  • Tony Schmiesing
    Writer
  • Conor Toumarkine
    Producer
    Moving Forward
  • Roy Tuscany
    Producer
  • Tony Schmiesing
    Producer
  • Tony Schmiesing
    Key Cast
  • Brian Sheckler
    Key Cast
  • Duncan Sisson
    Key Cast
  • Travis Callison
    Key Cast
  • Tony Schmiesing
    Music Supervisor
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 23, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Conor Toumarkine

Conor Toumarkine grew up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is there that his love for the outdoors and passion for photography and videography originally developed. After graduating high school he slowly worked his way west to bigger mountains and deeper snow. For the last 15 years Conor has been shooting one camera or another and growing his passion into a career. Conor loves to tell stories of human emotion and triumph. He finds no greater satisfaction than being able to drop a viewer into a story so that they can experience a life event the way he did.

Add Director Biography