CATSKIING TV / POWDER GUIDES / Episode 3 Teaser

We filmed at Selkirk Wilderness Skiing for Episode 3 of Powder Guides for The Ski channel and thought we would share a quick little clip from some of our footage with lead guide Jason.

Catskiing Canada shooting Powder Guides @ Selkirk Wilderness / Photo: David Couse

FRESH LINES / Monashee Powder Snowcats / Dec.22, 2011

Early Season at Monashee looks like mid season this year! Photo: Colleen Gentemann

This year’s Catskiing Canada tour started at Monashee Powder Snowcats.. and yep.. La Nina is here.. already into lines that you don’t get into mid season sometimes…

PURE POWDER STOKE / FWA Powder Catskiing : Fernie

Christian popping the lid @ FWA / Photo: Colleen Gentemann

Getting a little air is one of the joy’s of Catskiing in the powder… the feather bed landing makes ya hold it a little longer or pop it a bit harder. Either way… it just feels good.

Christian makes this look easy.. if you take a closer look.. he is on a no board.. I think he was threading the needle in his case.

PURE POWDER STOKE / Fernie Wilderness Adventures (FWA) / Fernie

Sani Alibiac @ FWA (Fernie Adventures Catskiing) / Photo: Colleen Gentemann

INTERVIEW / Pleasure Snowboard Magazine Editor / Markus Fischer (Fischi)

Europe’s powder peddler of Canada’s Catskiing goods.

Catskiing Canada caught up with Markus or affectionately known as “Fischi” the editor of Pleasure Snowboard Magazine.

Markus Fischi @ FWA Powder / Photo: Colleen Gentemann

On the heels of a film project at Monashee Powder Catskiing with film crew iSenseven for upcoming editorial and film Kaleidoscope  (click here for link) on Catskiing in the great white north. Fischi shares his experience with Canada’s SnowCat Operators.

Most people don’t know that Fischi is also an avid windsurfer, when he is not shooting snowboarding on one of the four corners of the globe.  On all accounts (no offense to the German people) But he is very funny for a German guy with a great open minded attitude and approach to working on set filming in the backcountry.  We decided to throw some questions at him to share a little bit about the guy who is really helping bring Catskiing’s message to the doorstep of the powder hungry Europeans.

 Markus, can you tell us a little bit about your background?  Where do you live?

I’m from a small town just out of Munich/Germany. I started pleasure mag together with some friends about 15 years ago, when we were working together in a warehouse to earn some money for university. since then, snowboard photography and travelling to all kinds of winter destinations has taken a special place in my life. i picked up photography in university (when i studied graphic design) and it has been fascinating to me since then.

 As editor of Pleasure Snowboard Magazine.. what trends are you seeing in the backcountry experience?

People are getting more serious about going to the backcountry. some years ago, people were talking ‘backcountry’ when they were riding next to some pistes in resorts. nowadays, lots of people hike with snowshoes and splitboards to reach some terrain they were not able to ride before. also for shooting stuff, crews go out far into the backcountry with sleds, helis and cats to get unique shots in untouched terrain. I guess its men’s longing to get out into nature as far as possible to have a break from their jobs and get away from the masses.

 You have been working a fair amount of writing/photography and filming in Canada at Catskiing Operations can you share with us about the filming and editorial that has resulted from this?

We have had two really big stories over the past years about cat operations, a third one just in the making for the very next issue of pleasure mag. first one was a story about powder mountain. this was my first cat operation ever and we had really good conditions. the trip resulted in a big feature and the cover of our 10 years anniversary issue. the second big trip was just before the olympics. we drove the whole ‘powder triangle’, from powder mountain all the way to FWA at fernie to K3 at revelstoke and back. what made this trip special was to have three completely different operations in one feature and of course to have a nice roadtrip in between. our last trip so far brought us to monashee powder snowcats last season. the article is just in the making, so i have to keep the shots secret at this point. just some basic facts: MPS is an insane lodge in the middle of nowhere with thousands of acres of rideable terrain with a super good crew and they probably have the best chef at a cat operation worldwide. we could ride there for a full week, so now you know what to expect in our next issue…

What i can show here, is a panorama photo that we used for our booth at the ISPO tradeshow in munich just some days after the monashee trip. it meant, i had to compose the panorama on site (in full resolution), send it via satellite internet from the lodge. it got printed to a huge size to fit the background of our booth. we came home the same day, the tradeshow opened and it was already there. so sick!

Monashee Panoramic / Photo: Markus Fischi

 What was something really interesting from the last trip to Canada?

The size of the country! MPS is right in the middle of interior BC, so we had to decide to either go from Vancouver or Calgary. It took us almost two days just to get near MPS and another half day to get up to the lodge. we later learned, that we could just have flown into Kelowna, which would have saved us about two days… you live, you learn.

Road tripping out in Canada / Photo: Markus Fischer

 What is your perspective of Catskiing? What do you think Europeans know or think about Catskiing?

I think its a really great way to get into the backcountry. you have really good guides (and i think i can speak for all cat operations) around you at any time who try to minimize the dangers of the backcountry. in europe, people still don’t know too much about catskiing. most people are well aware of heliskiing, but the price tag keeps it a dream for most of them. if more people knew, that there is a less expensive (and still very comfortable way) to get to untouched terrain, it would become more popular. but it will always have a more exclusive touch to europeans, as heli and cat operations aren’t allowed in almost every part of europe and scandinavia due to the lack of space.

What is your favorite aspect of Catskiing?

Being able to ride in almost any weather condition! thats for sure the most important advantage over heliskiing. Even in unstable snow conditions and in total whiteout you can still ride in the trees quite well.

 How does it compare to other  powder experiences around the world you have filmed?

Everything has advantages and disadvantages. if you hike, you have a very limited radius and you can’t bring too much gear. the riders are already done by the time you reach your spot.  with sleds, you have a big radius, you can bring alot of gear, but you have to get sleds first, learn to ride them (lets say its a love/hate relationship in my case) and you still need someone to guide you. both of these ways have the big advantage that you can pretty much stay as long as you want at any spot that you think is worth shooting.

With the heli, the average day is super hectic and you can’t bring too much gear. everything needs to be organized to fit into a tight schedule.

shooting at a cat operation is more easy. of course, you also have to stick to a schedule as well, especially when you are going with the same cat as the customers. you don’t wanna be a hold up. you can still skip a run or two to build a kicker or prepare a spot. and the most important advantage for shooting is that you always get to rest your bones on the way up. you have your sandwiches on board and your drinks. you can talk with the riders, what they wanna do next and so get a good plan of what to shoot next.

 What is your favorite Catskiing Photograph?

Well, i got three so far (which also represent the three operations i’ve been shooting at):

- Xaver Hoffmann, powder slash at Powder Mountain

this was the cover of our 10 years anniversary issue. xaver has been one of germany’s most successful contest riders at that time. he has attended two olympics, countless world cups and is one of my all time favourite riders. he only flew in the day before from a icy pipe contest and had not ridden real good pow in almost two seasons. the shot was taken on the very first warmup run, where i didn’t even want to bring the camera. luckily i decided otherwise…

- Sani Alibabic, frontside 180 at rock garden, Fernie Wilderness Adventures

Sani Alibabic @ FWA Powder Catskiing Photo: Markus Fischi

This is an outtake from our ‘powder triangle’ feature. sani has been a long time travel companion over the past decade. he had his first shot in our very first issue in 1997 and has always been a good friend since then. he quit his pro career last winter and is now team manager at burton europe. the shot is from ‘rock garden’, my favourite spot at FWA.

- Stephan Maurer, powder slash at K3

This was probably one of the sickest lines i witnessed catskiing. the whole gully was way steeper than it looks on the picture and got super narrow in the middle with not too many room for mistakes. stephan just went for it. i like the moment when he is still ‘floating’ almost weightlessly into the first turn before dropping down.

 What is the future of “Catboarding” in terms of board technology?

I brought a ‘AESMO’ on our last trip. thats a board with just a soft deck instead of bindings. it looks more like a surfboard with a deep swallowtail, a really wide nose and a very unique 3d bottomshape. wolle nyvelt, salomon pro and freeride legend makes them. You just attach a doggy leash that you keep in your back pocket so the board won’t ride away when you fall and thats it. the conditions at catboarding operations are ideal for that as you don’t have to traverse too much and you always have enough pow around, so you don’t need bindings. its a completely new experience. if i would go on a ‘normal’ catboarding trip, i would only bring this baby. so much fun!

Of course anything, that is made specifically for riding pow is perfect in these conditions. thats why we combined our second trip with a powderboard test. you can’ get better test results anywhere else

WTF is this???? Photo: Markus Fischer

 If you could ride everyday in powder where would that be?

Anywhere in BC! i just love the terrain and the people there. its for sure the best area in the world to travel to when it comes to riding pow.

 Tell me a little bit about your experience at: FWA (Fernie Wilderness Adventures)

Super nice, down-to-earth operation. nice small lodge with alot of charme and super good guides. ‘rock garden’ was probably one of my favorite photo spots!

 Tell me a little big about your experience at K3 Catski

Karl is one of my favorite guides. the terrain was just perfect. different to the other operations, because you stay in a motel in Sicamous and get shuttled every day. perfect if you wanna ride during the day and have some nightlife in Sicamous or Revelstoke.

13) Tell me a little bit about your experience at Monashee..

Pure luxury! the owners Carolyn and Tom have found the perfect spot for their lodge, have a perfect team, a perfect chef and rideable terrain that would be named ‘state’ in some other countries.

Tell me a little bit about your experience at PowderMountain..

The most outstanding feature of powder mountain is – besides its incredible terrain – its closeness to whistler and to vancouver. perfect for combo trips!

 What photographers have been a big influence on your career?

My favourites are for sure Dean ‘blotto’ Gray and Andy Wright. I have always admired their work and their professionalism and I really like both as a person. another big influence (especially when it comes to riding/shooting in BC) is Mark Gallup. this guy is just great. its because of him that i always wanted to shoot deep in the canadian backcountry. i’ll never forget his shots from island lake lodge. and you can just spend hours juts listening to his stories. he is a true legend!

What is your favorite “post catskiing” activity you enjoy while in Canada?

Outdoor hot-tubbing! no matter if it was the wood-powered tub at FWA (with my editor chickening out because he was afraid of the cougar ! Or the big hitech pool at Monashee: its always good to relax in the hot water with some brewskies and recap the day riding. best feeling in the world!

Finding Your Line

Andre Bloemink @ FWA (Fernie Wilderness Adventures) Catskiing / Photo: David Couse

“I remember the day this was shot, David came up to me with the biggest grin I have seen. This is huge because the guy is always smiling and stoked, but this was a smile on steroids. He grabbed Andre the guide and myself and we stood over his shoulder and looked at this photo. It had captured a bit of magic for both of them, it WAS the line and the moment.”

Finding the line.  The one that you replay all off season. You know exactly what I mean.

Everyone does it. We are constantly scouring the spaces between trees, beside a run little spaces to ensure our skis or snowboards “find only virgin turns”.  I think its part artform part experience and a good portion of luck. That said, I feel and swear that some people just have the “powder sense”.  Surfing can be the same way, some people without any indications on the horizon know to paddle to the horizon when a sneaker set is ripping in. In the backcountry while Catskiing you need not put those instincts hard to work, however, there is this next level of sense.  “Finding THE line”.

“Every once in a while, perhaps only a few times a season, we all nail it. The perfect line, the best choice using the terrain slope and angles only to improve the turns and hits we take. Its as if we are possessed and when its over, its like we knew that something special just happened”

Backcountry Catskiing I think just puts you in the best possible position for those magical moments. You have more space.  A bigger powder canvas to draw your turns on. A guided leader to point out features that are out of your eyes reach.  A Fresh pair of legs rested and ready to push your line to the next level. I am talking about “The Line”.

Sure, each time you go Catskiing you get fresh turns, but every once in a while you just have that magical line like a perfect line drive with your golf ball genltly placed on the green. You shanked all season but had fun, then you nail it. Its this perfection that stays in our minds and keeps us coming back for more.

scott

PURE POWDER STOKE: Island Lake Lodge / Fernie

ISLAND LAKE LODGE / PHOTO: MiKE McPHEE

INTERVIEW: Island Lake Lodge / Mike McPhee

Balance of Powder in the Catskiing Universe

We caught up with Mike McPhee from Island Lake Lodge with 7 questions to share some backstory on the Promo Video called “Balance of Powder” (see the teaser at bottom of article)

Mike McPhee is an respected photographer / marketer and still a stoked snowboarder living the dream. Quiet but well spoken, he doesn’t need any encouragement to get talking about powder and Catskiing… Someone to keep an eye on the future of Catskiing..  His photo blog is: www.MikeMcPhee.com

Mike McPhee on set shooting "Balance of Powder"

1) Tell me a little about your new upcoming movie.Balance of Powder..  For the last few years we have been putting together a TV show for syndication in the USA and DVD handouts.  We usually use all the B-Roll we get from the various companies that film with us.  This year we wanted to take it up a couple notches and create something that looks different and also speaks to our demographic, whom tend to be older affluent skiers.

2) What was the origin of the concept behind the idea of the movie? I was reading some demographic / psychological info about our client types and it talked about how they need to get out of the city on a couple ski trips a year, how they dream about standing on remote peaks, like to be unique and ski unique terrain features and are driven to find these special exclusive places.  So I thought it would be cool to contrast our demographics city existence with our pure mountain experience.

On set of "Balance of Powder" Photo: Mike McPhee

3) Who are the people involved in the movie? Darryn Shewchuck from Mica and me from Island Lake, Malcolm Sangster, Eric Crosland and Dave Mossop from Sherpas Cinema and skiers like Callum Pettit, Eric Hjorliefson, Kye Petersen, Ian McIntosh, James Heim, JP Auclair and Lynsey Dyer.

Photo: Mike McPhee

4) What are you hoping the movie conveys? I am hoping that it conveys the magical internal craving that makes us go to the mountains and the aesthetics of the experiences we offer.

Filming 'Balance of Powder" with Sherpas / Photo: Mike McPhee

5) What was unexpected during filming/ editing of the movie?  We almost had too much snow when filming at Island Lake Catskiing!  The Sherpas came 3 times and it was always snowing, so we ended up filming in the trees every time.  Unfortunate, we did not get to film the amazing alpine bowls, ridges and chutes that Island Lake has to offer.  We also got shut down for a few days at Mica for weather and because there was an expensive ciniflex camera involved – things got a bit stressful.   

Dumping on Set of "Balance of Powder" /Photo: Mike Mcphee

6) How was the movie shot? (original angels/technology/terrain)   Well we hired the Sherpas, as they are the most unique and creative filmers in the snow industry right now.  They spent several days setting up a huge wire cam in the trees and got one of the best group ski shots I have ever scene.  They also used a Diablo high-speed camera for a few shots.  Then they brought up a Ciniflex camera to Mica and shot some of the coolest looking ski footage and scenic’s we could have hoped for.  Basically it took more time, logistics and patience to set up the unique shots, but was well worth the effort in the end.

Photo: Mike McPhee

7) Where do you see Catskiing filming / Self marketing going in the future?  With so much ski and snowboard footage, movies and TV shows out there, you really have to be unique to stand out from the pack.  Self marketing takes some vision and patience, but seems to be the way to hold true to your brand and get the right message out. 

CATSKIING TV / ISLAND LAKE LODGE :: All I Can Movie

This isn’t hype.. its the combination of perfect timing and total vision meeting peak talent….

With one of the most epic winters, working with Catskiing/Heliskiing leading creative marketers…

Not to mention capturing top athletes in the most stunning backdrops at Island Lake Lodge/Mica Heli

With Award winning Filmakers…..( All.I.Can won the award for BEST DOCUMENTARY and MOST INNOVATIVE VISUAL FX at IF3 International Freeski Film Festival in Montreal)

This is showcasing in the best possible light.. One of the best experiences any skier/snowboarder can TASTE/SMELL/FEEL..  and that is Catskiing & Heliskiing..

This movie.. Tastes/ Smells and Feels like.. I can’t wait for winter.

On set of “All I Can” / Photo: Mike Mcphee

Here is a little taster of the movie from the   Sherpas Cinema & Island Lake Lodge / Mica Heli.

Stay tuned for our interview with Malcom Sangster and Mike Mcphee on this project and the upcoming video production for Island Lake Lodge Catskiing called “Balance of Powder”

ENJOY

And just in case you didn’t already catch the original…

PURE POWDER STOKE: Island Lake Lodge / Fernie

Island Lake Lodge / Photo: Mike McPhee