Travis Rice is one hell of a creative visionary. Having his name associated with three of snowboarding’s most celebrated films in recent memory (That’s It That’s All, The Art of Flight, and The Fourth Phase) illustrate the point. So, when Travis says he wants to build a kicker in the Chilean Andes backdropped by a total solar eclipse, the appropriate response is, “When do we leave?”
With a team consisting of renowned photographer Tim Zimmerman, local snowboarder Manuel Diaz, and helicopter guide Greg Harms, Rice made the trip down south for a July 2 eclipse visible in various parts of South America.
The set-up for the shot was sketchy, to say the least. Early season meant little snow, and the crew set to work building a kicker of half rocks and half snow.
In the end, their efforts didn’t result in the photo they wanted. But, they did have one hell of a session as evidenced by the video above. How many snowboarders can say they sent a jump in the Andes during totality? Huh?
