By Hannah Truby
The number of movies about moms: kind of low. The number of movies about moms who shred: even lower. This alone makes Paaso and Saugstad's 'HERE, HOLD MY KID' exceptionally refreshing, but it isn't the only reason.
“I'm a very goal oriented person,” Elyse Saugstad tells me over the phone. “And I didn’t think that would translate necessarily to this but, funny enough, becoming a mom gave me a new goal: ‘Watch out, ski industry; I can keep this rolling – regardless of being a mom."
If 'HERE, HOLD MY KID' had a thesis statement, this might be it.
“Our goal from the get go was never to make a ski porn movie,” Saugstad says. “It was a movie with a story, a comedy, but there's so much more to it.”
Featuring pro freeskiers Elyse Saugstad and Jackie Paaso, the documentary-style parody is a charming and hilarious take on working moms. New mothers themselves, Saugstad and Paaso play caricature versions of their real selves as they travel the globe with their two-year-olds and hubbies in tow. Antics ensue as the two compete both as skiers (the prize being a contract-winning ski segment) but also as moms (the prize here being the unattainable title of "the mom who can do it all").
Recounting the film’s conception, Saugstad says, “[My kid] was probably about three months old at this point. Jackie was still pregnant. And I was talking to a sponsor that she and I shared. Then this idea just dawned on me: Oh, my gosh. Jackie, and I have to do something about being new moms, and how fun would it be to be competitive moms taking the piss out of each other, you know? Moms that are just constantly trying to one up each other!"
To help bring their vision to life, Paaso and Saugstad chose writer/director duo Adam Gendle and John Verity of "Ski Good, Money Will Come". In part due to their distinctly-British humor (think of the British version of The Office), the skiers knew the pair would help bring their vision to life.
Between the four, coming up with various antics and escapades (sabotage, baby boop, awkward husband small talk) was easy money.
“Brainstorming all that, that was the fun part,” Saugstad said. “This movie would not be this movie without them.”
I asked the women if they’d always planned on having kids, or if there was ever a point where they worried that choosing motherhood might mean leaving certain parts of themselves – career, skiing, passions – behind.
Paaso answered first: “I didn't know if it was possible to do both, and it is…but it is a lot harder. You still have to make sacrifices. But you end up wanting to make them, which is interesting because it's terrifying and really rewarding and amazing.”
“When I started my career, I was petrified of having kids,” added Saugstad. “In your 20s, you're very focused on your job. 15 years ago, when athletes had a kid, a lot of times they’d also decide that that was the end of their ski career. This was a big reason why I waited.”
Saugstad's concerns weren't unwarranted. In the sports world, motherhood has historically marked the end of an athlete's career. Even for those who return, they often face significant changes, new obstacles, and, at times, penalties—as Serena Williams did in 2019. American track star Allyson Felix called pregnancy “the kiss of death” in the sport industry. after having her first child, Nike cut Felix’s pay by more than half, despite her being one of the brand’s most widely marketed athletes at the time.
“It’s all a perception game,” Saugstad explains. “People see your value decrease when you become a mom, like there's no way you could be important or valuable as an athlete now – we're marketing tools.”
While the industry may shuffle a bit behind, the world is changing, and both women feel hopeful.
“It’s a new thing, in the sports world,” Saugstad continues. “And that is the understanding that women can actually continue on as a mom. Jackie and I hope that the movie catches fire a little bit, and has a ripple effect down the road, and then we'll see what comes of that”.
Between wrapping up the film, doing press tours, and resuming work at the S.A.F.E. A.S. Clinics, the pair are enjoying a small and well-earned break.
“The last few weeks have been the first time we’ve been able to kind of take a breath, and just work without somebody crawling up your leg,” laughs Paaso. “Producing a movie, it’s so much more than just showing up and being an athlete and skiing. Elyse and I have been full-on trying to make it happen while being moms, and I can't believe we did it.”
'HERE, HOLD MY KID' is now available to watch on YouTube.
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