KING OF STORMS RETAINS WHISTLER CROWN

JORDAN MANLEY WINS DEEP WINTER PHOTO CHALLENGE FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

Pro photographer Jordan Manley has proven his talents once again, winning the Deep Winter Photo Challenge for a second year in a row and receiving accolades for the ARC’TERYX Image of the Show. His photos ranged from close-ups of patrol dynamite to skiers bursting through powder filled trees to macro shots as intricate as a skier reflected in an icicle.

Chad Sayers, Dave Short and I had a great three days putting our ideas together. Fortunately we had new snow prior-to and during the event, said Manley, who won the $3,000 first prize. “Of course the weather is always a challenge at this time of year, but that is the point after all. It pushed us to be as creative as possible and keep our heads down, plugging away, trying to pull together a compelling show. I tried to tell the story about not just skiing in Whistler at this time of year, but also about the work that Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol has been doing to keep the resort safe during a season when Mother Nature has showed us who’s boss, not just in Whistler but throughout North America. “

This year’s pro photographer roster included snowboard photographers Crispin Cannon and Brian Hockenstein and ski photographers Andrew Bradley and Dan Carr. They wowed the Whistler crowd with fantastic slideshows that truly captured the essence of winter at Whistler Blackcomb. Cannon and Hockenstein placed second and third respectively winning $3,000 in prize money between the two of them. Their “a day in the life” themed slide shows were both entertaining and comical.

“The Deep Winter Photo Challenge was the perfect early warm-up for the season. It was the most nerve-wracking, exhausting and fun project I’ve done,” said Cannon, whose slide show featured stop-motion photography; a very time-consuming method that plays out almost like a movie. “There is so much pressure knowing no matter what, everyone is going to see your successes and failures. My crew and I took three 18-hour days to make it happen and we are all proud of what we accomplished. Congratulations to Jordan, the show was inspiring.”

The judging line-up included iconic photographers Dano Pendygrasse, Paul Morrison and Eric Berger, as well as Tom Duguid of Arc’Teryx and Mike Berard, who is photo editor of SBC Skier Magazine and works at Origin Design.

“The third annual Deep Winter Photo Challenge was another big success. Great photography and excellent slideshows entertained the sellout crowd,” said Morrison, who won the first ever ‘King of Storms’ title. “Jordan Manley proved to be a worthy winner once more. All the competitors worked extremely hard in tough conditions and deserve the thanks of everyone in attendance for five great presentations.”

Inspired by the awesome storms that often rage through the Coast Mountains each January, dumping perfect powder onto Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the GORE-TEX Deep Winter Experience has stormed into town, January 9-18. In addition to the photo challenge, the event features ski clinics, avalanche awareness tours and GORE-TEX discounts.

The Deep Winter Photo Challenge, presented by Arc’Teryx (check out the National Post article I wrote on Arc’Teryx posted elsewhere on this site) is the signature event.  Visit whistlerblackcomb.com/deepwinter for more info.

Meanwhile, check out this podcast to learn some powder skiing and riding tips from Whistler Blackcomb’s Ski and Snowboard School, as well as view an interview and images from Jordan Manley’s winning entry in last year’s Deep Winter Experience.