Downhill Racer is the 1969 freshman feature film effort of director Michael Ritchie. The movie is also his debut pairing with star Robert Redford; a few years later, they worked together in the The Candidate. David Chappellet (Robert Redford) takes over an injured player's spot on the U.S. Olympic team, under the tutelage of Eugene Claire (Gene Hackman). However, the cocky young slope star's selfish skiing style causes conflict with Coach Claire. When David starts a romance with equally narcissistic European beauty Carole Stahl (Camilla Sparv), the relationship never has a chance to progress. In fact, her primary role is seemingly as a lure deployed by her ski maker boss to win potentially profitable product endorsements from David. This movie drama is really a character study, posing the mostly unanswered question, "Just what drives Dave to such lengths to win at any cost?" Dramatic downhill action filmed in Denver, Colorado supplies Downhill Racer with eye-catching scenery and a plot climax.moreless