Wednesday, January 4, 2012

ARC’TERYX DEEP WINTER PHOTO CHALLENGE RETURNS JANUARY 14, 2012



Six Professional Photographers Compete To Be Crowned This Season’s King/Queen Of Storms

WHISTLER, BC, January 4, 2012 – January in Whistler is storm season, which means plenty of snow and deep powder days on the mountains. The ARC’TERYX Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by GORE-TEX, celebrates the storm season by showcasing the work of six top ski and snowboard photographers. For the sixth year in a row the ARC’TERYX Deep Winter Photo Challenge pays homage to this sacred occasion and to the skiers, riders and photographers who cherish it. 

“Deep Winter is all about showing images from the often untold side of winter,” says professional skier, Mike Douglas.  “We get a lot of snow in Whistler in January, and it's interesting to get out there and document the stormiest days. Shooting in stormy weather is way more work for both the photographers and athletes, but it's also really rewarding to see what you can produce in just three days.”

During the ARC’TERYX Deep Winter Photo Challenge, professional photographers are given 72 hours to shoot in-bounds at Whistler Blackcomb, capturing 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 January 14 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. The slideshows will be judged by a panel of industry professionals with a prize purse of $8,500 and the title of “King/Queen of Storms” up for grabs.

This year’s contenders are:
  • Robin O‘Neill - A Whistler local and not only last year’s second-place Deep Winter photographer, but also the winner of The Deep Summer Photo Challenge 2011
  • Mason Mashon - Professional mountain biker, award-winning filmmaker and one of the brightest young photographers in the industry
  • Jussi Grznar - Currently Snowboard Canada Magazine’s Senior Photographer 
  • Steve Lloyd - A Utah native and outdoor enthusiast whose photos grace the pages of everything from Skiing Magazine to Backcountry Magazine
  • Mark Gribbon -  Originally finding his passion in photography shooting skateboarding, Mark is now a commercial photographer specializing in action sports
  • Reuben Krabbe -  At 21 years of age Reuben is the youngest competitor and one of the biggest young up-and-comers in action sports photography

A new addition to the ARC’TERYX Deep Winter Photo Challenge this year is the People’s Choice Award, where the public will get to vote on their favorite photographer. Each photographer will choose three photographs taken during the competition to go online  where people will be able to vote after the event for their favorite. The most popular photographer will take home a heli-ski experience from Whistler Heli-Skiing. All online voters will be entered to win a prize package from event sponsors.

Tickets for the ARC’TERYX Deep Winter Photo Challenge are $20 and are available at any Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations location or by calling 1-800-766-0449. Doors open at 7pm and the slideshows start at 8pm with an after-party at Merlin’s Bar in the Upper Village.
To connect with the Deep Winter Photo Challenge online and for a chance to win tickets, check out Whistler Blackcomb’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/whistlerblackcomb and follow @WhistlerBlckcmb on Twitter.
The Deep Winter Photo Challenge is presented by ARC’TERYX, GORE-TEX®, and Whistler Blackcomb. Additional sponsors included Kokanee, Go Pro, Smirnoff, the Whistler Question, Atomic, and Mountain FM.
About Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb, the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is situated in the Resort Municipality of Whistler located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. North America’s premier four season mountain resort, Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, over 8,000 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receives on average over 1,090 centimetres (430 inches) of snow annually, and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.  For more information, visit whistlerblackcomb.com.

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