Grand Army sets out to "Seek and Destroy"
Ski and Snowboard group premieres film

Brendan Conroy | staff writer

On Friday, Nov. 30, the ski and snowboard group Grand Army Productions premiered its latest film, "Seek and Destroy," at the McCarthy Arts Center. This is the second film that Grand Army, which consists of mostly St. Michael’s College students and graduates, has produced. Its debut film, "Infiltration," premiered last April.

The man behind the camera

St. Michael’s senior Michael Hayes is Grand Army’s founder and president of the school's ski and snowboard club. He did the filming, editing and producing for "Seek and Destroy," which features the best clips from over 20 hours of footage, Hayes says.

Senior Mike Hayes, right, runs both Grand Army Productions and the St. Michael's Ski and Snowboard Club. He filmed, edited and produced, "Seek and Destroy." Brendan Conroy, photo

The footage was taken at six different mountains including Smuggler’s Notch, Mount Snow, Sunday River and Okemo, as well as at various locations around Burlington and Troy, N.Y., Hayes says.

"Seek and Destroy," which features both backcountry skiing and park riding, took a long time to complete because a computer with footage on it crashed. The film was not completed until five minutes before it was premiered, Hayes says.

“I didn’t have it when I came over to McCarthy,” he says, adding that he had to have a friend run it over.

The political science major says he started Grand Army during his freshman year when he began making ski and snowboard videos at the St. Michael’s Jibfest. About five people were in the original Grand Army, he says.

According to Hayes, he finds people to join Grand Army during competitions and events that the ski and snowboard club runs. Grand Army now has 14 members, made up of nine skiers and five snowboarders.

Grand Army growth

Hayes says that he got the idea to start a ski and snowboard production group from the Meatheads, a group of skiers who graduated from the University of Vermont. Grand Army is different from the Meatheads in that they also welcome snowboarders, Hayes says.

He adds that although Grand Army is not as popular as the Meatheads yet, it is now sponsored by a Web site, tramdock.com.

Hayes got involved in filming and producing when he took a video course in high school and his work has evolved since, he says.

“This film is by far so much better than 'Infiltration,'” Hayes says.

Hayes also says that the film came out better because he got a new camera and improved production capabilities.

“It gives a chance for SMC kids to see what we do,” he says.

David Schumacher made his Grand Army debut in "Seek and Destroy" after being asked by Hayes to join.

“The Grand Army has a crew of very good riders with a lot of talent,” Schumacher says. “Everyone seems to bring something good to the table.”

Hitting a jump and being launched over a tree?       

A member of the Grand Army team is launched over a tree branch, a stunt performed multiple times in "Seek and Destroy." Photo courtesy of Mike Hayes

Sophomore Chris Freeman attended the "Seek and Destroy" premiere.

“I thought the film was really cool,” he says. “It was cool seeing kids in a ski movie that I recognize walking around campus.”

Freeman says that the best part of the film was how Grand Army found places to perform tricks in all sorts of locations, such as skiers and riders being towed behind an SUV, hitting a jump and being launched over a tree branch.

According to Freeman, Grand Army has a lot of potential to make it big. He says he will buy the "Seek and Destroy" DVD when it comes out, which Hayes expects to start selling in Alliot and on Grand Army's Web site within the next few weeks.