When it comes to getting their kicks, skiers go downhill. Snowmobilers, conversely, go uphill.

The common thread among extreme athletes in both sports is a thirst for speed, a conqueror mentality and a thrill-seeking spirit.

It's hard to say who is crazier, but "Thunderstruck 7," which screens on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Egyptian Theatre, makes a good case for the snowmobilers.

"Thunderstruck 7" showcases the exploits of some of extreme snowmobiling's top riders as they attempt high-speed ascents in the backcountry terrain of the Rocky Mountains.

Tightly edited with a minimum of banter (that's a good thing with extreme sports documentaries), the 75-minute film captures closeup and aerial footage of Team Thunderstruck trick-riding and speeding up seemingly impossible routes on turbo machines.

In one of the more impressive clips, Canadian Randy Swenson climbs nearly 2,500 vertical feet in 74 seconds up a rock-lined chute just 7 feet wide at the top.

It's not until the aerial camera hovers over the summit, looking down the chute Swenson just ran, that the viewer truly gets a sense of the accomplishment.

The crash-and-burn moments, meanwhile, need no additional perspective.

Early in the film, riders Wes Little and Lyle Sinden attempt a simultaneous ascent, only to lose momentum mere feet from the summit.

Both riders fall, and their machines come rolling down the mountain with them. In Little's case, his machine rolls right over him - twice. If everyone has their version of the winter adrenaline rush, for these dudes, this is it.

"Thunderstruck 7" benefits from the multiple camera angles and crisp, high-definition cinematography. Gearheads will dig the fact the make and model of each machine is flashed on screen along with the names of the riders.

The lone drawback is the relentless alt-rock/rap-metal soundtrack, which is typical of this sort of extreme sports film but nonetheless wears on the senses.

But that's a minor complaint. Anyone with a sled - even if they've never caught air - will get pumped up for another riding season by watching "Thunderstruck 7," and that's exactly the point.

Chad Dryden: 672-6734