Posts Tagged ‘France’


La Grave: A Skier’s Journey Ep2

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Here is the second of the series presented by Arcteryx and Gore (here is the first: http://jordanmanley.com/blog/kashmir-a-skiers-journey).

My only goal was to really try and do justice to a place that I am very passionate about, La Grave. All things considered, it was/is a lofty goal. The scale is hard to reproduce, for one. Two, it’s not alaska – the snow isn’t always perfect.

I learned a lot about film making/story telling during the making of this, and of course it was a great excuse to go back and ski in La Grave for 3 weeks. Each time I go back I become a stronger skier, and my skill and knowledge about moving through the mountains improves. Most of the film is shot on-slope, meaning that I am immersed in the skiing just as much as the person I am filming. This certainly can take away from showing the scale of the terrain in comparison to the human moving through it. However, it is my preferred method to shoot – I love to ski and be a part of the process, not just an observer. Though, it also lends an intimacy to the images, and hopefully makes the viewer feel like they are that much closer to being there, along for the ride too.

Very special thanks to Bruno Florit and Joe Vallone for their voice over work and insight during our repeated visits to La Grave. Also, thanks to Michel at the cable car. Lars and Ptor, and anyone else we skied with who opened our eyes to new areas, thank you.

Here is what I wrote when I arrived in La Grave back in February 2010, at the start our 3 week trip there:

“The grandur of rock and ice here blow the mind, and the way a skier can move through such a huge volume of spectacular terrain in a day is like nothing else I’ve experienced [although I went to Chamonix after this and it is different, but just as spectacular]. You have to be on your toes, and you have to know where you’re going, as there is no ski patrol, nothing is marked, and the terrain is extremely complex. You’re on your own to wander the mountains, giving you a much more real experience as a skier, and consequently you feel that much more alive.”

La Grave: A Skier’s Journey Ep2 from Jordan Manley Photography on Vimeo.

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Winter road revisited

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

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My 2008/09 winter began in Antarctica, what is actually it’s spring. I was accompanied by Chris Davenport, a steep skiing living day legend and all-round nice guy, and a host of other unbelievably talented ski mountaineers; humbling. The trip didn’t pan out like it should have due to a major mechanical issue with the boat that was to take us there, but Anatarctica is a place I know I will return to someday, it has left a mark on me. The amount of mammalian life that flourishes in such a hostile environment is mind blowing, and it all depends on one species – Krill! Mind boggling too is the glaciation, as you can imagine.

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I arrived back in Vancouver/Whistler late November, but winter had not done the same. Fortunately the snow began to fall just in time for the Deep Winter Photo Challenge at Whistler Blackcomb. This year I was joined by my good friends Chad Sayers and Dave Short. We worked hard and were awarded first place again this year.

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Chad and I and our friend Tobin then headed to Europe to go find winter and experience a special place called La Grave. We did some of the best skiing of  of our lives there. Followed by that was a trip to the Montarosa massif in Italy. It was unforgettably deep.

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La Grave – Street Skiing from Jordan Manley on Vimeo.

I did two weeks of Catskiing with Dave Treadway in the Kootenays when I returned to Canada. Somewhere in the middle we fit in the Cold Smoke Cold Shot Face Off which is a photo contest format. We shot for 4 days touring around the Kootenays and had a blast with our friend Pete Velisek. The judges awarded us first place overall, although, after seeing the shows that Kari Medig and Steve Ogle had to offer the judges had their work cut out for them.

At the beginning of March Chad Sayers, Dan Kostrzewski and I headed up to Smithers and Terrace for Powder magazine assignment. It was an exploration of the ski terrain and ski culture both towns have to offer, and an interesting look into the difficulties that northern communities endure in order to sustain even a simple ski operation.

And then winter returned to Whistler. Finally. I spent 8 days almost fully away from the camera, skiing at the resort and up on the Hurley Pass at Backcountry Snowcats. Check out a video from our weekend there.

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