Waging Skihad

It even snowed down in Los Andes. 60 degree temperatures down in the town of Los Andes quickly fell to near freezing, and fat white flakes started falling to the ground. It never snows down here. The Palm trees, at least for one day, were coated in powder. Not something I’ve ever seen in Colorado, certainly. Thank you Ullr.

The Storm coincided nicely with the freeskiing community stopping by Ski Arpa for the 2^nd stop of the Freeskiing World Tour. Suddenly what had been my quiet refuge at 9,000 ft, for 48 hours became the center of the ski world, and was packed with athletes, media, and support staff. It afforded the chance to both film first-rate action and catch up with some old friends (And of course have one big party). I’d like to extend a big thanks to all the organizers of the event for their graciousness, and also pulling off one of the best competitions I’ve seen. Check it out over at www.freeskiingworldtour.com

The terrain at Arpa is big and watching athletes charge hard first hand is a thrill. After the big snowfall the night before inspection, the venue was primed and no one was holding back. We were treated to Flips, spins, and massive cliff hucks. I bunkered into a post along the ridge line with a great view of the venue and made sure to capture all the action to bring to you in our film.

While I was hunkered in, hiding from the wind and trying not to freeze, Zach got a real treat. H-E-L-I-C-O-P-T-E-R. It’s only a word – but it puts a huge smile on Zach and my faces. With a big helping hand from The North Face (Gracias Trinidad!) we put Zach in the air for over 30 minutes of El Arpa Aerial Photography. Doors off, strapped in, and hard banking turns – what a ride (for Zach at least).

While there was little sleep, lots of running around, and lots of quick thinking on our feet this past weekend, we are excited to continue working on the project. We are moving off the mountain this upcoming week and continuing with interviews. 

We will also be filming around Los Andes, Interviewing in Santiago, and then sending me back Stateside. We are also trading in the Heli for a new transport vehicle to film from, El Luchador! Stay tuned. 

-O.