In a column published on Wednesday, Aymeric de Rorthays notes an unprecedented curiosity among young people for the mountains and mountaineering since the release of the documentary Kaizen.
Commodification, egocentrism, disconnection, ecological and digital hypocrisy, exploitation of Sherpas, violation of media chronology rules… Many controversial topics have flourished regarding Kaizen, the documentary by influencer Inoxtag retracing his ascent of Mount Everest, which has accumulated more than 30 million views on YouTube since its release on September 14 (after being shown in theaters the day before). In the midst of the storm, the general manager of Vieux Campeur, Aymeric de Rorthays, published a column this Wednesday to show his support for the 22-year-old.
Since the film’s release, the boss of the chain of stores specializing in sports equipment for the mountains and hiking has been delighted to note “a significant increase in requests for information concerning mountain equipment”. He mentions “an unprecedented curiosity that years of campaigns and reflection had failed to arouse”especially among a young audience.Beyond the debates and controversies that success brings, this film is an ode to adventure, to surpassing oneself, to nature and to the mountains, values that are dear to us,” explains Aymeric de Rorthays.
Also read“It was one of my biggest dreams, and I did it”: Inoxtag confides in Le Figaro after his ascent of Everest
A practice to be supervised
The business leader had not seen such a phenomenon since “the film The Big Blue (by Luc Besson in 1988, editor’s note), which encouraged many French people to discover scuba diving” And to continue: “Some films mark their era, and beyond their success, they can have a significant impact on our lifestyles and on society, he assures. The impressive success of Inoxtag’s documentary film represents a turning point in my opinion. It reinvents the way we encourage young people to discover nature and the great outdoors, while encouraging them to set goals for themselves.”
The grandson of the founder of Vieux Campeur nevertheless points out in conclusion of his column that the influx of this new public in the mountains must be supervised, because “Mountaineering involves risks, which are rightly recalled in the film.”
