THEME: Portraits
PHOTO: Patrick Armbruster
RIDER: “JP” Jan-Petter Solberg
LOCATION: Mt. Hood, Oregon
CAMERA: Canon EOS 1 (analog)
WRITER: Arlie Carstens ©
For his Transcendence film part, Romain De Marchi had an idea. He wanted to wear a bunny suit. Why, we didn’t know. But it seemed like a good weird idea at the time. Turns out, it was.
As filmmaker Justin Hostynek explains it, “On a solo drive from Whistler, BC to Haines, Alaska, I storyboarded the bunny suit concept while listening to "A Day In The Life” by The Beatles. Unfortunately, Romain injured his ankle skateboarding a week before we were scheduled to meet up at Mt. Hood to film the concept. I was crestfallen when I heard this news. Romain is a one-of-a-kind athlete. I figured there was no way we would be able to salvage the concept in time for completion of the film. In his place, Romain designated JP Solberg to wear the bunny suit.”
So, in June of 2001, while driving south from Alaska back down to the lower 48, I stopped at Mt. Hood in Oregon to film JP at High Cascade Snowboard Camp. It was here that we incorporated the concept into the ender of Transcendence. This was JP Solberg’s first year filming with Absinthe. He was 19-years old.
Unbeknownst to us at the time, JP’s work in Transcendence would go on to become one of the most recognizable and enjoyable film parts of the decade, putting both him and his incredible talents on display—both in and out of the bunny suit. All thanks and praise to Romain and his rolled ankle.”