The annual Arc’teryx Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by GORE-TEX, is back for its eighth installment, and this year’s theme is “King/Queen of Storms.” Six photographers have been invited to shoot in-bounds at Whistler Blackcomb during a 72-hour window, and will be tasked with getting the best photos of their athletes immersed in the mountain culture. The photographers will then create a montage or slideshow of their best images, and present it to a live audience at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on January 18. This year’s photographers include Jason Hummel, Chris Brown, Nicolas Teichrob, Zoya Lynch, Cameron Hunter, and Erin Hogue. The photographers will be vying for a total prize purse of $9,000, and will be judged by a panel of industry pros.
For more information check out the press release below:
Press Release, Whistler, British Columbia, January 6, 2014:
Skiing and snowboarding are more than just hobbies to the locals and guests of Whistler Blackcomb – it’s a way of life. It is a culture defined by those with a passion for sliding on snow and a love of the mountains. Many have tried to capture and explain this sacred tradition, but never is it more artfully documented than at the annual Arc’teryx Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by GORE-TEX®.
Six professional ski/snowboard photographers have been invited to compete in the Arc’teryx Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by GORE-TEX® for the title of “King/Queen of Storms”. The photographers are all given the same 72 hour window to shoot in-bounds at Whistler Blackcomb, to capture athletes in their natural mountain habitat of powder-filled bowls, glades, and après bars. Each photographer will create a montage of the best images from the three days and their slide shows will be shown in front of a live audience on Saturday, January 18 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. The slideshows will be judged by a panel of industry professionals and a total prize purse of $9,000 will be awarded.
The photographers competing in the 8th Annual Arc’teryx Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by GORE-TEX® include:
Jason Hummel – a Northwest native who has been skiing in the backcountry since he was six years old and shooting photos professionally since 2009.
Chris Brown – an ex-professional snowboarder who found a passion for being on the other side of the lens.
Nicolas Teichrob – an award-winning action sports photographer and filmmaker who works as a geoscientist in his spare time.
Zoya Lynch – a professional ski photographer based out of Revelstoke, BC who specializes in capturing backcountry and self-propelled adventures.
Cameron Hunter – a passionate photographer with a lifelong love of action sports and the outdoors.
Erin Hogue – a Whistler-based snowboard photographer with a determination to get the shot, no matter the situation.
“I’m really excited about Deep Winter because it forces you to work within the confines of the contest,” says Deep Winter competitor and photographer, Nicolas Teichrob. “It forces you to be creative and come up with new things you may have overlooked. It’s a really good celebration of winter in Whistler.”
New for this year, social media and audience participation will play a bigger role at the Deep Winter event. As soon as the judges have made their decision and announced the 2014 King/Queen of Storms, the Arc’teryx Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by GORE-TEX® People’s Choice Award contest will go live at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/deepwinter. All the photographers will have a Deep Winter image of their choosing posted to the site, allowing anyone who wishes to visit the page and vote for their favourite. The contest will be active for 72 hours following the Deep Winter event and the photographer with the most votes at the end of the three days will win a trip with Whistler Heli Skiing.
Acr’teryx is also currently hosting a Deep Winter inspired Instagram contest to coincide with the event. Users are invited to post a ski, snowboard, or mountaineering photo using the hashtags #DeepWinter and #Arcteryx. The contest will run from now to the end of February and all tagged photos will appear on the Deep Winter website. The top five photos from each month, as selected by a panel of Arc’teryx photographers, will be posted to the Arc’teryx Facebook page where people can vote for their favourite image. The photos with the most votes will win Arc’teryx gear, including a Qunitic Back Pack. For more information, visit www.deepwinterphoto.com/instagram-contest.
Tickets for the Arc’teryx Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by GORE-TEX® are $20 and available for purchase at any Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations location, online at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/deepwinter, or by calling 1-800-766-0449. Doors open at 7pm and the slideshows start at 8pm.
Guests looking to plan a trip to the consistently rated No. 1 Mountain Resort in North America can visit whistlerblackcomb.com/deals_packages or call 1-888-403-4727.
