It all started on a chairlift.

During the season of ’96 in Southern Ontario, Ben Wannamaker and a few buddies were talking on a chairlift about movie names, and the idea of ‘Sickness and Health’ came to be. This was only a seed, but it would prove to blossom into just the boost that skiboarding needed.

Fast-forward 5 years of skiboarding later and Bent Films was born. Erected on a whim with the intention of giving the soul skiboard film producers any sort of competition, Wannamaker put the wheels in motion of the first all Canadian skiboard movie.

After hooking up with Dave Jarvis, Neal Lyons, Tom Dolezel, Andy Stewart, Kevin Miller, Simmons and Iannick B, Wannamaker had a full roster ready for filming. There was only one problem. He had not the tools, nor the knowledge to edit a successful full length video for the public. Enter Paul Recalde and ESB Productions.

            Initially Recalde and ESB were on deck to simply edit Sickness and Health and be done with it. But Recalde had another idea. Why not combine both Recalde’s footage of up and coming riders (Brian Class, Adam Lynam, Ethan Mitchell, John White) and Wannamaker’s Canadian pros to create a video that would rival anything that the competition could come up with.

            Wannamaker and Recalde teamed up and took the newly named ‘Sickness and Health: Biohazards film tour’ all over Canada and the US. Everywhere from Whistler to Tokyo, New York X games to the handrails of Vermont, Wannamaker and Recalde followed the riders, and the riders followed them.  

            After the film was released, much to the surprise of Recalde and Wannamaker, ‘Sickness and Health : Biohazards’, was picked up and distributed by such big guns as Black Diamond Films in the UK and Skiboardsonline.com and Getboards.com in the states.

            After a 2 year hiatus and upgrading of gear and film knowledge following the release of ‘Sickness and Health: Biohazards’, Bent Films is back.

The long awaited 2 year production of ‘White Dwarf’ will be the first full length skiboard specific video released on DVD. And in September 2004, Neal Lyons, Andy Stewart, Simmons, Brian Class, John White, Adam Lynam, Ethan Mitchell, Ryan Markham and an absolute hoard of ripping rookies will show you that skiboarding is far from a fad. It is here to stay.