Breck Team Shoot

A few weeks back I shot the Breckenridge Ski and Snowboard Team for the National Ad Campaign that will be running in the Worlds finest Ski and Snowboard Magazines.  I feel very fortunate to have been hired back for the third time in a row on this project!  I would like to Thank Missy Barone and Austyn Williams from Breckenridge Ski Resort.  Britt Gale from the Vail Resorts Photo Dept.  Rex Lint from the Vail Resorts Video Dept.  Kylee Evans and Rich Rodgers from Cultivator Advertising and Design.  Our stylist Ashley Kelly, and of course all the athletes, JJ Thomas, Bobby Brown, Steve Fisher, Colby West and Duncan Adams.  Without you all this shoot wouldn't have been possible, so thank you very much!

A few behind the scenes photos.....




To see a behind the scenes video of the project, click here


GJ Landscape

En route back to Breckenridge from Silverton there are several different routes to take, and trust me I've taken them all.  The easiest and fastest from my experience is to head north on HWY 550 and meet up with I-70 in Clifton or Grand Junction.  Worn out and tired this is the route I chose.  I've passed through here easily 1000+ times in my 18 years living in Colorado.  I've always though that this section of the Book Cliffs is really an amazing zone.  I've wanted to stop countless times but usually am on some kind of a time restraint and can't do it.  Pulling in around 6pm this day the light was looking really cool and decided I had more than enough time to stop.  So I thought I knew how to access the area I wanted to get into and shoot some photos of, but it turns out I was wrong.  Non the less, I was able to get to where you see below in the photos.  By the time I found the access to where I wanted to go the light was fading and it was time to just keep on truckin home.  Until next time, enjoy.....






Radium Hot Springs

Pashley, Zac Hale and Zach Siebert swung through town a couple weeks back to visit Woodward and I figured their Colorado Summer experience wouldn't be complete without a trip down the mighty Colorado River.  Raduim Hot Springs is a must stop on the trip.  Cliff jumping and then warming up in the hot springs afterwards is hard to beat.  Pashley snapped this shot of myself.

Visit Dragon's blog here for more....

Women in Wonderland

I got the call in the middle of my Sims shoot to head down to Silverton to link up with a Roxy/DC all girls crew consisting of Robin Van Gyn, Raewyn Reid and Erin Comstock.  Amber Stackhouse was there to film, and Heikki Sorsa came along too for support.  Super fun crew!  Its been awhile since I've been able to focus on the women's side of snowboarding and I must say I was impressed.  It was great to mix it up and I couldn't have asked for a better crew to end my season with.  Well, I have Superpark in Mammoth and then thats it for me, but essentially this was my last trip of the year.  Time to head back to Summit County, get my edit on, and relax a bit!

This coyote was curious what we were doing in his zone.  Luckily he didn't front too hard. 

I'm an ELK-AHOLIC


I just wrapped up a week long shoot with Sims Snowboards in Crested Butte, CO.  This is my third shoot with Collective Licensing out of Denver and easily one of the best.  I huge thanks goes out to Marc, Carly, Gabe and Chris (along with the entire team) for taking care of us all week and helping create another successful shoot.  Also, a huge thanks to Tom Sims for...well being Tom Sims.  Tom is the man, and it never gets old making turns with him and hearing his endless vault of stories from the good old days.  Next stop Silverton for another week long shoot.  This time with DC and Roxy.  Looking forward to it!  Stay tuned....

Working Outta My Second Home

Yes, even though I don't have a first home I do somehow have a second home.  After Idaho I drove straight down to my Cabin to link up with Pashley and his crew of misfits, Scotty Arnold, Zach Siebert, El Doug and Tom Pelly of Australia.  Our plan was to spend a week at the Bonnie Bell cabin, compile enough shots for a Feature in "Australia and NZ Snowboarding Magazine", while of course stacking shots for Snowboarder Magazine, my first priority.  It was a successful week to say the least.  Good times with good friends, and about half way through the week a storm rolled in and dumped over a foot of fresh.  It was such a blizzard all we could do was take laps all day.  Not a bad "day off" and a real boost for the crew to get the stoke on.  Not that anyone was bummed, it was just a nice change of pace to put the cameras away and remember why we all do this thing called snowboarding anyways.  It was the best turns of the year for me easily.  Hasn't been the best year in that department, but non the less it was some epic riding right out the front door.  It was good to finally experience my spot in some really good conditions too.  It still blows my mind that this is "my spot".  I couldn't be happier with my purchase.  Private Property is the future.  By the time it was all said and done, no one was ready to leave and Scotty had already assured me that he would come back and live here if I would allow him to.  Sorry bud, nice try, get your own damn spot!  That was that.  Another week of my winter done.  Where to go next?

So we just have to get up there.....


Yup right up there on that ridge....

I miss it already....



Headed up to "The Circus"



Good steez Pashley.  Are those Ugg Boots?


From one woodsman to the other Scotty, "you're doing that all wrong."

Snow day.  Lets take the day off and shred pow.  Sounds good to me!

CB

Made a quick pit stop in the Crested Butte region of Colorado before heading out to Idaho.  Otterstrom said he had the inside track to some new zones in the area, and the weather looked good.  So we made the call and B-lined it over for a quick one and a half day mission.  I have to say it has been a few years since I have been to Crested Butte, and it is as sick or sicker than I remember.  Its kinda like a mini Jackson.  Also very similar to Aspen, but without all the bullshit.  The mountain is for real, and the backcountry is just as for real if not much realer.  Not sure that's a word, but it's a dope spot to say the least.  Lots of pillows, cliffs, big lines, and even some kicker zones all in the mix.  One interesting thing too is the fact that they are really feeling the recession here.  No one can find work so everyone is moving out of town.  This in turn has made property extremely cheap.  I found a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, two car garage condo for $175,000.  That is unheard of in Colorado, and on top of it, in a mountain town.  I mean that is cheaper than Denver.  Makes me wonder if I could pull off living here.  Hmmmmm.....

Otterstrom hiking to the goods.....


The locals have a real good thing going out here.  10+ acres with this sick Airsteam trailer.  Not a bad way to kick it in the BC if you ask me.

Home Sweet Home

I've been hunkered down at home the last few days wrapping up some work for Vail Resorts.  It has been beautiful weather and I have been able to get a lot done just getting out for a few hours each morning.  Yesterday was especially early.  Up at 5am.  The reward was watching the moon set while the sun came up on the Ten Mile Range.  Needless to say, the shot I needed came together well with these conditions.  Below is a photo of Steve Fisher in the Freeway Halfpipe from later that same morning.  Next Stop Utah, then Idaho.  Until next time...

The Mayor of Breckenridge


Todd was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma this past fall.  So friends of the Franzen family are gathering items to raise funds via live auction and raffle to help with treatments his insurance does not cover.  Please join Todd for an evening of fun, fellowship and general kick ass time!  I've donated a photo entitled "Fruita in Autumn", so please help Franzen out and bid on it.

Date:          Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Time:         5:30pm - 9:00pm
Location:   Breckenridge Golf Course "Clubhouse"

Todd is the man.  He has been a great friend through the last.....damn, almost decade now, and I know he will continue to be for many years to come.  He's a fighter and a survivor and I know he's gonna beat this unfortunate illness.  We shot this portrait back in December before he started his treatment to try and capture his hair in all it glory before he started treatment.  Well last time I saw Franzen it didn't look like he'd actually lost much hair, and is more proof that he's got this battle. He's not giving into the cancer and the nasty side effects associated with his treatment.  Franzen, I wish I was going to be able to make it to the party, but unfortunately I'm on the road as usual.  I'll be seeing you at the Southridge very soon though!  Hang in there bud and have a kick ass time on tuesday.

TNF

I would like to thanks The North Face for a great couple of days of shredding and shooting at Silverton Mountain, CO.  I had a blast riding with Mark Carter, Johan Olofsson and the entire crew!  We even landed the heli at my cabin for for a quick lunch.  Not bad at all.  I will now be enjoying a few down days at home before I start a two day shoot for Vail Resorts.  Stay tuned....

Circa '93

Found this shot on the old facebook of myself and just had to post it.  My kit brought back so many good memories from the era when, as Willie McMillon might say, "Snowboarding.....It was better when you hated us."  I can even remember the hat I was wearing was the Special Blend zippo hat, and that green shirt was a "Shred Shed" shirt, the local shop in Durango at the time....R.I.P.

Get well soon KP!

I'm not good with words when it comes to situations like these, but I wanted to post this photo of Kevin Pearce from the Copper Pipe earlier this winter. He has one of the best McTwists in the game, and is easily one of the nicest most humble dudes in snowboarding. I....I mean...WE are all pulling for your complete and speedy recovery. Get well soon, and all the best to the Pearce Family...