Deep Winter Photo Challenge

Fairmont Chateau Whistler- Sat. Jan 5th at 7pm Event at 8pm

Inspired by the awesome storms that rage through the Coast Mountains each January, dumping feet upon feet of perfect powder onto Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the 2nd Annual Deep Winter Photo Challenge has blown into the village again. This grass-roots celebration of the storm season and the photographers who capture it will see Paul Morrison, last season’s “King of Storms” come back to defend his crown against: Dano Pendygrasse, Ian Coble, Bryan Ralph, Jordan Manley and Phil Tifo. Watch as these photographers present their slideshows capturing epic powder days, dramatic skies, inspiring scenery, stormy conditions, deep tree skiing, and the lifestyles characterized at Whistler Blackcomb.

We are cheering for our boy Dano Pendygrasse!!

Any conversation about photographers in Whistler quickly includes Dano Pendygrasse. In the 15 or so years since Dano started documenting the birth of the snowboard scene in Whistler, his name has become synonymous with excellence in snowboard photography.

Dano has been published around the world in dozens of publications, spent time as a staff shooter for both Transworld Snowboarding Magazine and Snowboarder Magazine before spending the last few years launching the successful Future Snowboarding Magazine in Southern California.

Now back in Whistler (after a three month detour in Honduras), Dano has refocused on his love of mountain photography and continues to challenge himself creatively to bring unique and timeless images into the world. He is currently digging deep into the vaults to bring selected works to the public for the first time.

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NEMO Studio get a Patrick Swayze facelift

Nemo traditional takes time off at the end of the year to let all the team players go snowboarding and do what they do. With the studio empty, it is a great time to take on the big project of updating the space. As most projects at Nemo this one also has a theme of inspiration. Voyeurism. The spark of inspiration was” Dirty Old Men”. However, voyeurism seems to cover that and then some. The nature of photography is voyeuristic as is invades our personal space and gives an outsider a look into the subject. The doors will have two way mirrored windows so on lookers can see what is going on in the studio but the crew in to the studio won’t know they are being observed. There is an obtrusive side to photography and instead of denying we choose to celebrate it. As the space is decked out, we will share more images.

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Mertz + Nike ACG

Recently I had the opportunity to go on a week long solo photo mission
with Nike ACG and their athletes. We spent our time up at Timberline
for the riders to get on-hill testing for next years outerwear. Here in the
states we don’t see much of Nike ACG winter outerwear (with the
exception of the sweet ass jacket Nemo helped design!) all we get here
is generic granola gear. (is that safe to say on here?? hehe.) Not the
case in Europe, ACG is killing it with a wild line and a rad team of
all European riders.

In
true NW fashion it pissed rain like hell everyday, which made for loads
of feedback from athlete to developer on the gear. Alas, pissing rain
or not, we suited up, slapped high 5′s and dropped in. There were uber
exxtreme backies, races to the chairlift and endless shenanigans to
capture daily. It was great kicking it with everyone, learning cuss
words in French, making fun of Irwin the Dutch guy for being so damned
evil, being force fed bottle after bottle of wine at dinners and having
loads of fun with everyone else while taking care “da bizz”.
Big thanks to Trevor and Dona for helping out!

Word em up.

*** SUPER EXTRA BONUS STORY ***

ACG athlete Mirjam, producer Jimmy and I flew to Pendleton,OR to check out the wool factory.
Pendleton wool and Nike ACG did a collaboration and designed the native
american pattern you saw on some of the jackets and blanket. They
wanted to film Mirjam’s trip there and try to get some ski shots, but again
snow conditions were not in our favor, being that there was NO snow in
or out of town, so we just hit the factory. Peep it.

Leave it to the Euros to buy cowboy hats and wanna hit up the Indian casino. Gotta love it.

Thanks again to everyone involved!

-Mertzy

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