As Inertia Mountain readers know, the West Coast of North America has had its snowiest start to winter in years. As of this writing, four of the deepest base depths in the United states are in the Pacific Northwest with Mt. Bachelor rounding out the top 5, boasting a snowpack 120 inches deep with over 300 inches of snowfall recorded this season (and it’s currently dumping).
As a filmmaker — or rather glorified button pusher — trying to capture the action of some of the best up-and-coming talents and most stylish riders in snowboarding, the massive amounts of snowfall is both a blessing and a curse. The harsh weather of an exposed volcano in Central Oregon in mid December can be unrelenting and more than enough to cause even the best camera gear (and goggles) to malfunction. But the storm days creating powder-filled landings, which are refilled after each run, are when the best moments occur.
Early season edits always have a unique look to them. The sun sits low in the sky and at times the light is only visible above the trees and mountain tops for a couple hours a day. This provides fantastic contrast to the picture that can be lost later in the winter as the sun begins rising higher in the sky. So, in order to stack clips, it requires a sense of urgency on behalf of the cameraman and rider.
Luckily the riders featured in this first episode of the 2016 Bachelor Party series were willing to brave the elements and get after it. And when the sky’s finally parted the Bachelor Parks crew put together some incredibly fun and creative features for everyone to session in between storms.
Watching this footage again is a reminder that we are in the midst of special season. With snow returning to the mountains of California, the Southwest, and PNW, and no signs of the faucet turning off, there should be plenty more of this action to come.
