Chad’s Not-So-Little Sister

THEME: Futureproof 

PHOTO: Scott Sullivan

RIDER: Romain De Marchi

LOCATION: Grizzly Gulch, Utah

𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗔: Canon EOS 1V (analog)

WRITER: Justin Hostynek

Pyramid Gap is the not-so-little sister of Chad’s Gap. Situated a short distance up the canyon from Chad’s, and measuring just a few feet shorter across, she is frequently mistaken for her big brother. In the week preceding the legendary Chad’s Gap Session of 2004, Romain De Marchi, Travis Rice, and Canadian ripper David Melançon prepared to make snowboarding history with a warm up session on Pyramid Gap. The three of them warmed up and clipped up with groundbreaking shots for the Absinthe Films feature Pop. 

But just getting to the jump ended up being the sketchiest part of hitting Pyramid. We didn’t put in the same amount of time or care into the Pyramid Gap in-run that later went into the building of Chad’s. Getting down a quarter mile of this narrow, bumpy, slushy runway to get to the take off at top speed was one thing. Hitting it switch was another. 

For this photograph, Scott Sullivan would have had his back to the in-run as each of the three riders approached the lip going mach-louie. If any one of them had blown out of the course near the take off, (where it was most likely to happen and where Scott was standing) a high speed collision would have been devastating. Stakes were high and the potential for disaster was enormous. 

With just enough blind faith Sullivan kept his cool as he lined up the trajectory of this cab 720 to go exactly where he wanted it in the frame. He waited for that precise moment when Romain’s body would eclipse the sun, sniped the shot, and nailed it.