By now it is no secret that Scandinavia has been producing some of the most innovative park skiers in recent years—I gots to get me some of whatever they put in the water up there, because they are breeding a new beast! Amanda Cade and Nick Meilleur, the brilliant minds at LORE Agency have cooked up an absolute winner of a film that combines creative filming and editing with mind bending skiing. A long-time fan of Nick’s work, his polished, glassy filming style entrances me every time. As the first feature to come out of LORE, it is safe to say they have set the bar sky high. And even though the collection of skiers featured in this film is expansive to say the least, the blend of film work and editing adapt smoothly to each athlete. From Oslo to Austria, and Arlberg to Levi, this crew made up of Joona Kangas, Lucas Mangold, Kai Mahler and many more friends captivate the masses far and wide with their flare on the sticks.
Personally, the second greatest dazzlement of this video stems from its shooting locations. With most of the shots in the first half of the video taking place in the far north of Norway and Finland, one could look at these rather flat, snow capped landscapes with not much optimism, be it for skiing or filming. However, that is so not the case for these creative minds. It is a true talent and a gift that should be shared to be able to gaze upon an environment and see your own individual vision of progress and joy. That is exactly what these Scandinavian rippers do.
Growing up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I did not have to work hard to find inspiration to get on skis. I was lucky enough to have a family that fully endorsed skiing, and the opportunity was at my feet. Nothing but respect to those who grow up in the midwest of America or the far north of Europe and find creative ways to take skiing to a whole new level without having massive peaks out their doorstep. These cold blooded animals put out nothing but energy as inspiring as their skiing. With a beautiful feel captured throughout, “Halcyon Days” is no doubt a documentation of the joy and clarity that following passion can lead to. People always talk about the golden age of freeskiing, and as incredible as it was we just might be living in the Halcyon Days of the future.
