Director Michael Ritchie's (The Golden Child) debut film is a tense and taut look at the world of Olympic skiing. Robert Redford is the hero, a handsome loner from Idaho Springs, Colorado, bent on making it to the top of the heap. As the pressure and tension build, Redford handles himself well, learning in the process how fleeting and lonely fame can be. Redford is well cast as the all American boy chasing his dream, and Gene Hackman is excellent as the tough and demanding American ski coach.