October 20, 2002

He has been called the Tiger Woods and Robin Williams of climbing. Timmy O’Neill, one the world’s fastest and funniest climbers, will be a featured speaker at Radical Reels during this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival. Radical Reels – a presentation of outrageous skiing, boarding, mountain-biking and kayaking films – kicks off this year’s film festival on Tuesday, October 29, 7:30 p.m., at the Eric Harvie Theatre in Banff.

O’Neill’s multi-media presentation highlights his 2001 world speed record climb of the famed 3,000-foot Nose on Yosemite's El Capitan, and includes the award winning short film Front Range Freaks [Part One]: Urban Ape. The film follows O’Neill as he climbs buildings in downtown Denver and Boulder, Colorado.

"A great climber and certifiably insane,"his fans say – Timmy O’Neill is a must see. Tickets for Radical Reels are $15 and can be purchased at the Banff Centre Box Office, 1-800-413-2368, 403-762-6301 and at Rude Boys, Rude Girls and Outabounds in downtown Banff.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival takes place October 29 and November 1–3 at The Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta. In addition to the Tuesday evening Radical Reels presentation, the festival features over 40 mountain and adventure films from around the world. Other featured speaker includes Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind climber to summit Everest, and American alpinist Steve House.

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Downloadable photos of festival speakers, including stills from Urban Ape are available at www.banffmountainfestivals.ca/ftp