THEME: The Travel Experience
PHOTO: Manuel Diaz
RIDER: Jason “J-Rob” Robinson
MEDIA CREW: Justin Hostynek + Oli Gagnon
RUN: Three Amigos
LOCATION: Haines, Alaska
CAMERA: iPhone 5
WRITER: Arlie Carstens ©
When flying in Haines, Alaska, the views from the helicopter are always breathtaking, especially when the doors have been removed so that the film crew can capture better and more expansive shots.
On this particular day, professional snowboarder Manuel Diaz whipped out his iPhone to capture the silhouettes of Absinthe Films cofounder Justin Hostynek and photographer Oli Gagnon as they were setting up to film rider Jason Robinson’s descent of Three Amigos—the heavily contoured, nearly vertical run to looker’s left of the cornice just beyond Hostynek’s right shoulder.
Hostynek is wearing a headset and microphone, so that he can communicate his desired camera moves to the pilot. Once the doors are off, the sound of the chopper blades and high velocity winds make it nearly impossible to communicate, otherwise.
In a way, the precision with which the pilot, film crew, and athlete must coordinate their efforts is not unlike that of a dance troupe, soccer squad, or F1 race team. The process of making a snowboarding film is a combination of art, adrenaline, atmospheric sciences, in-flight physics, on-snow talent, camaraderie and trust all rolled into one highly choreographed production.