shooting park rats

[powder11]

I know, I know... newschoolers. This high pressure inversion has really fucked up the snow, so after cruising some groomers yesterday, I got bored enough to go watch a 1/2 pipe contest.

Seriously though, I went to the North Face pipe comp at Blackcomb yesterday mainly to play around with some manual features on my new canon 7D and figured the non stop action at face level would be a proper venue to dial things in, but I was pleasantly surprised by the athleticism and talent at this event. Apparently it was a qualifier for X Games, so lads and ladies were throwing down. Here are some of the shots.







Peter Olenick









Peter Olenick

[BmillsSkier]

Cool pics Powder11! Looks like you were front and center for that big, right-side first hit?

It wouldn't be TGR if there wasn't a disclaimer first that park skiing sucks but good on you for seeing the athleticism of the sport. Of course lots of these newschoolers could use some tips on how to stay out of the backseat, learn to make a decent turn, and stop wearing those stupid tall-t's though.

GET OFF MY LAWN!

But hey, it's progression and alot of what we like seeing Candide and Sage do wouldn't exist without this foundation. Oh, and it's an Olympic sport now too, which is cool.

Who won?

[k2skier112]

Grrrrrrr, super disappointed.....a camera, not a gun!

[AKPogue]

Grrrrrrr, super disappointed.....a camera, not a gun!

Me too!!

[BigDaddy]

Grrrrrrr, super disappointed.....a camera, not a gun!

Ha, ha... thought the same thing, too. Maybe it was intentionally worded that way???!



Cool shots, but DBS still thinks you're a cunt. You need some snowboard half pipe pics to appease him....)

[AKPogue]

Grrrrrrr, super disappointed.....a camera, not a gun!

Me too!!

[Chainsaw_Willie]

I used to bullseye womp rats in my t16 back home. They're not much bigger than a park rat.

[powder11]

Ha, ha... thought the same thing, too. Maybe it was intentionally worded that way???!



Cool shots, but DBS still thinks you're a cunt. You need some snowboard half pipe pics to appease him....)

No way snowboarders would let some Arcteryx wearing old dude in ski boots stand on their deck to shoot photos, it would fuck with the vibe of their comp way too much. If people like DBS/Jer/Advres and the like think I'm a cunt, then I take that as a compliment and know I'm doing ok.

Not even sure who won... the only name I recognized was Olenick, but that means he must be getting too old to be still doing this shit. I admire the athleticism and acrobatics because I wouldn't even think of doing that shit on skis, but I know most of the guys who started doing this many years ago were pretty much anti FIS, so it's kind of ironic that its now an olympic sport.

[BmillsSkier]

^^^
Not entirely, especially with the "older" guys of the newschool all having a mogul background - they're used to the FIS and have now made it work for them to some extent.

[gramboh]

Nice pics. Seeing top level halfpipe skiing in person is pretty damn cool I think. Throwing back to back doubles in an icy pipe takes a lot of skill/athleticism and big balls. I think Olenick won? Can't find the results over at NS.

[ak_powder_monkey]

some thoughts on your photos, they are well exposed, well timed, and fairly cool, my biggest problem with most of them is that there is no context in most of the shots, as in for the most part I have no idea that they are in a half pipe, or how high they are etc.

[jfost]

some thoughts on your photos, they are well exposed, well timed, and fairly cool, my biggest problem with most of them is that there is no context in most of the shots, as in for the most part I have no idea that they are in a half pipe, or how high they are etc.

yes, except for the several where you can see the pipe walls, and the one where you can see the whole inrun + the pipe, and the one where you can see the "measuring stick". So really maybe only 2 or 3 of all the photos. Other than that, I totally agree.

[Knoxious]

I thought maybe a bit too much "noise" in the pics... is that too high ISO?

[Harry]

It is funny how non-skiers see this.

I have a non-skiing older brother in his 60's who loves to watch new school/jibby stuff in ski movies, but he thinks powder/Alaska sequences are booooring.

I had a movie going in my DVD and he thought the Ian MacIntosh segment was dumb because he just goes straight, but the next segment was Bobby Brown going off a HUGE booter and my brother was on the edge of his seat.

[powder11]

some thoughts on your photos, they are well exposed, well timed, and fairly cool, my biggest problem with most of them is that there is no context in most of the shots, as in for the most part I have no idea that they are in a half pipe, or how high they are etc.

Thanks for the tip, Blake, I will tototally remember that the next time I find myself shooting 1/2 pipe pictures.... oh wait, but look at that big white thing with blue stripes in virtually all of the photos! Isn't that what those kids are calling a "half pipe" these days?

[digger]

It is funny how non-skiers see this.

I have a non-skiing older brother in his 60's who loves to watch new school/jibby stuff in ski movies, but he thinks powder/Alaska sequences are booooring.

I had a movie going in my DVD and he thought the Ian MacIntosh segment was dumb because he just goes straight, but the next segment was Bobby Brown going off a HUGE booter and my brother was on the edge of his seat.

I'm a "seasoned" skier as well and love slopestyle and pipe on one or two planks. 3000 feet in three turns is interesting but seems like a waste of a lot of great snow.

[sklar]

Thanks for the tip, Blake, I will tototally remember that the next time I find myself shooting 1/2 pipe pictures.... oh wait, but look at that big white thing with blue stripes in virtually all of the photos! Isn't that what those kids are calling a "half pipe" these days?

He's completely right though...

1. Interesting silhouette, I would have no idea it was from a pipe comp unless you told me
2. Nice close up shot, no context, works okay with the rest of the set though. Looks like it's a big crop? Pushed too far in post ? It's noisy.
3. See #2, piece of opposite wall is not adequate context
4. See #2
5. See #3, butt shot
6. See #2, no face
7. See #3
8. Best of the set, The part of the lip hes took off from gives context. Peter O is old
9. Tough light, I'd rather see the skier properly exposed and the sky blown out than an underexposed skier
10. See #3, no face

[sklar]

Also, Alexander Ferreira (18 years old) of the US Rookie team won, earning himself an X-games spot

[hutash]

Considering the large number of park rats these days, and small caliber semi-automatic weapon should do the trick.

I guess there is a reason the general public should own an AR-15

[Joe Dirt]

Cool pics man. Looked like fun

[grskier]

Not even sure who won... the only name I recognized was Olenick, but that means he must be getting too old to be still doing this shit. I admire the athleticism and acrobatics because I wouldn't even think of doing that shit on skis, but I know most of the guys who started doing this many years ago were pretty much anti FIS, so it's kind of ironic that its now an olympic sport.

He's older, for sure, but also coming off of some major injuries. I called one of his first competitive pipe runs last year during this comeback and for him to move up to second at a pretty big event like this is pretty money.

As far as pipe skiing is concerned.. some of these kids know how to carve....

[grskier]

Also, Alexander Ferreira (18 years old) of the US Rookie team won, earning himself an X-games spot

Oh, and this... fuck yeah!!! He's crushing it right now.

This next generation is talented.. and the old generation is holding on for the first Olympics... It'll be really interesting to see who makes the US team..

You have the old guard, Tanner, Simon, etc
then you have some young guns like Alexander, Torin (really nice kid) ect who are really good and beating a lot of the big names.

[sklar]

Oh, and this... fuck yeah!!! He's crushing it right now.

This next generation is talented.. and the old generation is holding on for the first Olympics... It'll be really interesting to see who makes the US team..

You have the old guard, Tanner, Simon, etc
then you have some young guns like Alexander, Torin (really nice kid) ect who are really good and beating a lot of the big names.

Aaron Blunck is another to watch for, he goes HUGE and is only 16 i think? He's coming off a podium at the Grand Prix

I'm hoping for an old school Tanner-Simon battle at X, I know Tanner has the run in him, we'll see if he pulls it out. Simon was skiing pretty well at the Grand Prix, but still not as well as Riddle, Wise and the French.

[Snow Dog]

You didn't take a picture of me (I was in an orange jacket). Somebody left some Lhasa Pows in the snow but at 196 they're too big for me.

[summit]

Nice pics!