Lots of good times and memories with lots of fun people in this video so check it out and get amped up while you’re putting your boots on.

That’s Fine from Voleurz on Vimeo.

Check out this fun edit from our opening day shred that the guys at Push.ca put together.

Our drive was uneventful for the first several hours until we missed a gas station and ran out of gas near Rhitzvill (Shitsville?), WA. After several tries to siphon gas out of our snowmobiles using the blow-dart gun we finally gave up and called a tow truck.

1 hour, several coffees and many Snus later we were back on the road. At around 4 am, as we began to run out of caffeine I started to look for other methods to stay awake while driving, such as pumping the Mars Volta, and driving with my head out the window of the truck at full highway speed. Seconds after pulling my head into the safety of the vehicle after one of these “refreshments,” a massive owl, with an estimated 4 foot wingspan smashed into the side of the window in a collision course with where my face had been only moments before. Mason wasn’t convinced we had hit an owl until several hours later, when we found the owl’s wing hung up on his snowmobile and several other smaller pieces plastered over mine.

We arrived while the rest of our group was already out shooting photos so we used the first day to unload sleds and get prepared for the following week of shooting. After KC and Bibby returned to the cabin we heard horror stories of a massive avalanche that had been released that day taking out 30 ft (10 M) Trees as it came down. Definitely an eye opener, we were on our toes and extra cautious for the remainder of the trip. We ended up having a couple awesome sessions  and put together a fun segment for the new Voleurz movie. I also downloaded a sweet ap for my iphone and made several mini timelapses. Here’s one from the continental divide.

After 6 days of shooting we started receiving non-stop phone calls about the epic conditions and over 200 cm’s of snow that had fallen in Whistler since we left, the decision was made to cut the trip short and power back up to Canada. Mason and I jumped back on the road and drove another 20 hour straight drive (with only one pit stop for a shredded trailer tire) to catch the tail end of the system that was hitting Whistler.

After spending a full day and a sleepless night in the car we still managed to make first chair on Blackcomb on our first day back!!!

A bit of a late update but here it goes…

I had the opportunity take part in the Deep Winter photo showdown with Andrew Strain’s team “Steam Train” at Whistler Blackcomb January 12-14.

The rules of Deep Winter were as follows:

- 6 photographers are invited to take part and must select there own athletes.

- All shooting must take place within the Whistler/Blackcomb boundaries

- All shooting must be completed over the 3 days given for the competition

-After 3 days of shooting the photographers are required to build a 3-5 minute slideshow showcasing their photos from the following 72 hours and display them at a showing the following evening.

Each group was made up of an amazingly diverse group of people, several of which had decades of experience riding Whistler/Blackcomb with a huge pocket full of secret spots to session for the photo bank. Several of the spots were dependant on a good snowfall and we were more than blessed by mother nature on all 3 days!

Our group consisted of 3 snowboarders and 3 skiers with a variety of riding styles. Each rider had a ‘hit list’ of features they were excited about and one of the hardest parts of the competition was trying to coordinate them. Andrew Strain did an amazing job running all over the mountain with a heavy camera bag to ensure everyone checked off their list!

Throughout the competition several crews were arriving at “Top Secret” locations to find out that someone had shown up earlier and was already shooting. It was became a race trying to move faster than the other competitors for the entire 3 days.

On Saturday, January 15th the six teams gathered at the Fairmont Chateau with 1200 eager viewers to watch the final presentation. Every slideshow was nothing short of epic and the cast of competitors were several of the current “who’s who” in the ski/snowboard photography world.

At the end of the day, Blake Jorgenson took home 1st prize, followed by Robyn O’Neill. We were excited to round off the podium with a 3rd!!!

Even after 3 long days of shooting, the Steam Train (Team Strain) was still excited to celebrate. For some reason the hotel wouldn’t accept our giant $1000 novelty cheque but we made due anyways, heading straight to our favourite Whistler watering hole (The Longhorn Saloon) for some celebratory Stokers!

Can’t wait until next year!

Thank you to Andrew Strain for supplying me with some photos for my blog!

BD

Check out the full length movie here

2 Days In The Backcountry from Braden Dean on Vimeo.

Enjoy?

Look on the Bright Side from Voleurz on Vimeo.

BD

LOTBS Microteaser #1 – Double Pits to Chesty from Voleurz on Vimeo.