Pearlman Photo

Anto Chamberland Interview

2011-03-09T11:12:00.002-05:00

I met Anto about 3 years ago, on one of those wonderful 1am, -25 degree, downtown Montreal night shoots. A nice little feature at the time and Anto stepped up to the plate with a 180 gap to switch 5-O. Ever since then Anto has continued his progression and recently had a full part featured in Brothers Factory's 2010 flick, NEXT LEVEL. Things are definitely on the up and up for Anto, so keep your eyes peeled.

The following is the 'directors cut' version of an interview I conducted for Snowboard Canada Magazine and published in the Fall 2010 issue. Enjoy.

JP – What keeps you busy when you’re not strapped into your snowboard?

AC – I like to surf, skate and I’m also a part-time firefighter.

JP – Surf? Where does a kid from Montreal get waves?

AC – Sometimes I’ll drive down to New Hampshire, there isn’t always good surf down there, but a quick check of the surfing forecast helps before making the four-hour drive. There is also a stationary wave in Montreal on the St. Lawrence River. It’s nothing like the ocean, but it’s a great feeling.

JP – Have you always wanted to be a fireman?

AC – No, just since 9/11. I thought it would be a good career for me and I’ve found it to be the best job in the world.

JP – If Lady Gaga, Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton were trapped in a burning building and you could only bring two of them down safely, who would it be and why?

AC – I guess it would be Lady Gaga and Lindsey Lohan. Does Paris have a life? She can stay there, the others are pretty weird to though.

JP – Lately we have seen footage of you in the Brothers Factory movies. How did you hook up with them?

AC – Charles Demers (one of the two filmers) was with a small crew in Montreal. He needed one more rider to help shovel a set-up and called me. I ended up filming with them for the next three days. He sent the shots to his brother (Will) and I guess he liked what he saw because I’m still filming with them.

JP – The BF crew is full of talent, what advice would you give to someone trying to get into a crew like that?

AC – I would say it’s harder than you think. You have to be ready to fully invest yourself in the project. Filming a movie is one hell of a job, the guys behind the camera want the movie to be the best and they work their ass off big time. If you plan to go to school or have two jobs, don’t start filming and waste the filmers time for a 5-trick season. You don’t build a video part in an afternoon, it’s a big ass project so you better be ready.

JP – What’s the best thing about being a shred from Quebec? What’s the worst?

AC – The best would have to be the amount of snow and rails we get in our cities. The worst would be the lack of big mountains, big jumps and the season is a little shorter as well.

JP – Last year was definitely one of the shorter ones, did you try to get out of town in order to get the job done?

AC – Yeah, we went to Philadelphia when they got like a metre of snow. The last time they had that much snow was in 1995 so people were struggling just shovel it all. There were cars stuck everywhere throughout the city. It’s weird because it’s so normal for us but so dramatic for them. When we were riding everyone was looking at us like ‘what the fuck’?

JP – What’s one thing that you would change about the snowboard industry today?

AC – I would remove the snowboarders that shred for money and not because of the passion or love they have for the sport.

JP – Those who have seen you ride know that you’re one of the passionate ones, when you hang up the boots, what would like to be most known for?

AC – For my perseverance and determination. For every problem that I’m faced with I believe there is a solution and more often than not I find that solution.

JP – Who is the person you respect the most, why?

AC – My dad. I could say cheesy stuff like he had always been there for me and that’s true, but I respect him because of the way he reacts to all the fucked up, hard, good and bad situations we can face in life. He’s been through a lot and remains positive through it all, I respect that.

JP – It seems like everyone in Quebec has their own opinion on where the best place for Poutine is, what’s yours?

AC – I don’t really like Poutine, but we definitely have the best Maple Syrup.

JP – Wow, a Quebecer that doesn’t like Poutine, that’s amazing. Lets pretend you’re down to your last $20, what do you do with it?

AC – Find a way to make it $40.

JP – Nice, what about the most ideal place to be stranded for the rest of your life?

AC – Not sure, a house near a hot water point break or somewhere in B.C… Tofino, Whistler or Squamish.

JP – Cats or Dogs?

AC – Dogs for sure. Cats don’t do anything. Dogs are like a good friend, always there and happy to see you.

JP – Finish this line… If Notorious B.I.G. was still alive today he would…?

AC - … be finishing his 15^th album, which is just as good as the first and dominating east coast rap.

JP – Fill in the blanks...

AC – (in bold and underlined) My name is Anto and I really like Tim Hortons. I also really like MacDonalds because it makes me feel good for half an hour and after, kind of weird on the inside. Sometimes I like to cook and eat sushi because that’s just how I roll. But most of all I like to got to my moms house to grab spaghetti sauce and desert because chicks don’t cook anymore and it will never be as good as my moms anyway.

JP – Appreciation time, who would you like to thank?

AC – Mom and Dad, Juliano, Laurie, Karo, Mic, Etienne Chartier, Andre Dallaire and AAD crew, Pat Trottier and Alternative, Al, Ant, Fred, Steph Groulx, Mat Bouffard, Jaz Lacroix, Vince Laplante, David Brocklebank, Charles and Will Demers, Franko, the BF crew, Dom Bouvette, Oli Croteau, Alexis Paradis , you, and anyone else I forgot.

Oh, By The Way... This Happened.

2011-03-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

Mark McMorris - Backside 1440 Triple Cork!

Do the math my friends, that would be a total of 4 full rotations and 3 flips... WOW! That is all, just... Fucking... WOW!

MENS OLYMPIC HALFPIPE COMPETITION

2010-02-18T23:57:00.010-05:00

WOW, I mean W… O… W… WOW! The Olympic Games Half-pipe competition did not disappoint. There were 48.4’s (well one of them), double corks (lots of them), a hobbit, a reality T.V. star and an athlete who started their run with back-to-back double corks (hold on… those last three are the same guy)… ladies and gentlemen, it’s Louie Vito. There were children amongst men that didn’t perform like children, men amongst men who performed like children and a double McTwist… co-incidentally thrown down by the same guy who got a score of 48.4 out of a possible 50.

He won the gold medal, he also won the gold medal four years ago in Turin and is widely considered the best half-pipe rider in the world. His name (if you’ve been residing in a cave for the last few months) is Shaun White and he’s pretty good at snowboarding.

Just to be clear, there was some competition and it was fierce. Silver medal winner Peetu Piiroinen was stomping huge tricks and bronze medal winner (Shaun’s team U.S.A. teammate) Scotty Lago’s lofty airs no doubt left jaws gaping throughout the crowd. Iouri Podlatchikov, Louie Vito, Markku Koski and Canadian Justin Lamoureux had had great runs in the finals, but it just wasn’t enough to dethrone Sean White.

Dropping first in heat one, Shaun earned a score of 45.8. That was on the first run of the competition. It was the qualification round. The final 39 snowboarders to follow through two heats of qualification were unable to beat that score. A feat 18 snowboarders in two heats of semi-finals were also unable to top. In fact it took until the final run of the first finals heat, for the score to be beaten. Then on the last run of the night, shattered… by the same person who set the original mark, Shaun White. What that means is Shaun White had already won the gold medal before he started his final run. A run where he would unleash a double McTwist on the final hit and received the competitions best score, 48.4. Just, because he can.

The day wasn’t all about Shaun White though, I mean let’s be serious, he rode the pipe just three times all day (during competition anyway). Justin Lamoureux put in a solid performance throughout the day, even though one must wonder why the announcers put so much emphasis on his age. It seemed like everytime Justin was about to start his run the announcer would blurt, “At 33 years of age, here is Justin Lamoureux, he’s the oldest member of Canada’s snowboard team at 33 years of age. At 33 years of age, he is the only member of Team Canada who’s seen New Kids on the Block in concert… twice. At 33 years old Justin is the only competitor who’s seen Karate Kid… at the movie theater.” Okay maybe some of that wasn’t said, but come on, we get it... he's 33.

While not completing a single double cork all night, Justin was the only Canadian to make it out of the qualification stage and finished a very respectable 7th overall. While his riding may not be spectacular, he is technical, extremely consistent and seems to know that the judges need to see from him. Congratulations Justin.

Scotty Lago represented the Frends crew with pride and monster sized airs. Actually, there was a point in one of his semi-final runs where it looked as if he somehow stopped all momentum downhill and just went straight up, that was a frontside 1080 atleast 15 feet outside the pipe’s walls.

Notably missing were Lago’s, Frends crew members, Danny Davis and Kevin Pearce, who both missed the event due to injuries, but Lago clearly had them in mind dedicating one of his runs to the 2 injured competitors.

Throughout the day snowboarders from Germany, Spain and as far away as China competed in the event on Cypress Mountain. There was even an Australian competitor who was a modest fifteen years old.

One wonders if his parents had to sign a permission slip in order for him to even be there. I for one was glad he didn’t make the finals as he would surely have had to be home before the street lights came on, quite the scheduling conflict that would’ve been. It’s amazing to me that he even made it all the way to Vancouver in the first place, I mean, imagine how many weeks of allowance money you’d have to save to pay for that plane ticket. Okay, so he’s young, but he didn’t ride like it, he didn’t make the semi-finals but he did put together scores that beat quite a few veterans and two-thirds of Canada’s team… except for “at 33 years of age, here’s Justin Lamoureux” of course. Yeah he’s fifteen, but he deserved to be there and I won’t name names, but there were a few that seemed a little out of their league riding with the worlds best.

When the snow crystals settled there was only one left standing, the same one who stood there four years previous, the same one who has graced the top pedestal in so many half-pipe competitions across the globe and the same one who could do it all again in Russia four years from now. He’s the Flying Tomato, The Animal, he is Shaun White. Enjoy the show while it lasts because we are witnessing possibly the greatest clutch, big-time half-pipe competition snowboarder… EVER!

HONORED

2009-11-15T10:00:00.007-05:00

"She was there through my incarceration, I wanna show the nation my appreciation. Girl you're my angel your my darlin'..." Oh Shaggy you crack me up. You probably think I'm weird, well you're weird, okay. Go listen to Angel by Shaggy right now and if at the very minimum a slight chuckle doesn't erupt from your person then well... I guess I am weird. Seriously though it's funny, like Fran Drescher and Bob Marley ran into each other on a hot Jamaican night, Bob played some reggae and Fran laughed, Bob played some more just to shut her up. A few rum based beverages and cannabis laden cigarettes later their two bodies would become one without a raincoat. Afterwards Bob probably got out of bed and put all of Frans belongings outside. Not because he'd do something like that, but because a lot of people would, I mean c'mon she is pretty annoying. Nine months or so later the first baby to ever come out of the womb singing Caroline was born. By the way this has absolutely nothing to do with me or my blog, I was listening to this song today and well yeah here we are.

Anyway on the photo and snowboard side of things, all is pretty peachy. As you can see in the pictures above my name appears rather largely as do two of my photos (note: not the cover photo, I wish but no not mine, that is Oli Gagnon's photo). The one on the left is of Eiki Helgason doing a method in Whistler and the other is of Max Baillargeon (that's a mouth full) with a nosepress.

I was fortunate enough to be asked by the photo editor if I would be interested in being apart of the Photographer Check Out feature, their first one for Slash Snowboard Magazine, obviously it was an honor I could not refuse. I wrote the little piece on the left and it was translated into French as the magazine is based out of Quebec, but once the issue leaves the stands I'll put the translation up here, until then you will have to go grab it at your super duper favorite retailer of printed magazines.

Again a big thank you goes out to Oli Gagnon, Etienne Tremblay and Etienne Gilbert for allowing me to be apart of this feature, hopefully I was a good guinea pig.

There is more news including German translation, photos in galleries and more, now that I have the internet again I will update a lot more frequently. Stay tuned.

Photo of the Phortnght

2009-08-12T18:49:00.003-04:00

Gaetan Chanut - Half-Cab, Pemberton Backcountry - Un-published.

As of late I've been posting a lot of photo's that have been published, but this Phortnight I've decided to change it up for a couple of reasons.

For starters I like this photo and secondly it's a little tribute to the snowboarder in this frame, Gaetan Chanut.

Although this was the one and only time I've been fortunate to shoot with Gaetan, it was a treat to say the absolute least. He is one of the most (if not the most) talented snow athletes in the backcountry that I've ever witnessed.

The day that I snapped this image was a complete bust until the wee hours of the afternoon when Gaetan decided to drop the hammer on this cornice drop. My snowmobile died (literally, one of three pistons seized... buh-bye) 10km's into a 40+km ride and Gaetan doubled me the rest of the way. I feel that it's important to note here that I am not the smallest or lightest human around, so again kudos to Gaetan.

When we finally arrived to the Alpine (above the tree line) it was the slimmest of pickings regarding spots to snowboard, and when we did find something the wind picked up and ruined it. After some diligent searching and a huge 30+ foot Indy cliff drop that he stomped like a maniac... first try no less, Gaetan radioed to us that he had found something worthy.

We pulled up on our snowmobiles and Gaetan was ready to drop, he asked the filmer what he should do, "A Half-cab" was the response. To the non-snowboarders/skaters out there that is a switch frontside 180. So, Gaetan dropped and stomped this bad boy and we went home. Gaetan beat us all down to the trucks that day... he had a massage appointment to keep, while I was bumping around like the head of a bobble-head on the back of Reno Belisle's sled. So a big thank you goes out to Gaetan for putting on a show that day and to both he and Reno Belisle who carried my not so small rear-end around the Pemberton Backcountry.

Bahama Mamma

2009-08-05T19:14:00.005-04:00

The Bahamas, ah the Bahamas, a sun drenched, hurricane protected, white sanded, turquoise colored water paradise. I'm not exaggerating, not even a little bit... everyone has been to the beach, hell I've been to beaches in about 20 different countries but the Bahamas takes it to a whole different level. It's the best beach you've ever been to... on crack.

The sun shines virtually everyday, the water is the most beautiful color blue any pupil has bared witness to and they have some crazy wildlife. Barracudas, dolphins, curly tailed lizards, geckos (way cooler than the one in those damn commercials), I think some kind of grouper fish (can't remember the name, but it's big, ugly and tastes amazing) and pigs that swim. You read correctly, pigs that swim. While I never actually saw this local phenomenon, I did see photos and to be honest it gives me just one more reason (among many) to return.

The locals are ridiculously friendly with smiles adorning their faces at every turn, hard to imagine why... HELLO, you live in the Bahamas. I was fortunate enough to spend five days in this Caribbean paradise and every time I get a flashback, a picture in my mind of one of the most beautiful places I've ventured to, I want to throw my shorts, flip flops, sunnies, a hat and the trusty SPF 30 into a small bag and return... never to return.

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Four Seasons resort on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas, granted not as visited or popular as Nassau/Paradise Island, but that's one of the best parts. It was one of those vacations that you don't need a vacation from, there was no hustle bustle, no schedules, no tours, just relaxation in a tropical paradise. Picture a deep tissue Shiatsu massage... this time on Blueberry Cush, trust me it's relaxing.

We took a boat ride to the island where they filmed parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series and where just a year previous the Victoria's Secret Swimsuit catalogue was photographed... now that's a gig I need to get in on. We snorkeled, went for a swim on/in the Tropic of Cancer, drove the one road that traverses the island and took a water taxi to a small island where they cook up the aforementioned super ugly fish and drench it in butter, SO GOOD.

Having visited over 25 countries and countless cities, this is the most beautiful destination I've stepped foot on. Hopefully these photos will provide a small amount of proof.

This is the actual Tropic of Cancer, check the longitude/latitude, it's legit. We swam here, white sand, turquoise colored water... this place is WHERE IT'S AT!

This curvaceous palm tree was right outside our patio at the Four Seasons, on an unrelated note, the fact that my girlfriend worked for the Four Seasons did amazing things for our hotel bill.

On our drive we took a random turn up a dirt road and stumbled upon this old cannon, would not have sucked to man that bad boy back in the day... what a view.

This is a shot of the pool at the resort, taken on our last night in paradise.

This is the island where they shot the Victoria's Secret Catalogue, it's also where we ate steak and lobster on the beach, toiled with curly tailed lizards, snorkeled with giant starfish and a very curious Barracuda, which we later found out are not harmful to humans... unless they're bigger than you are, WHAT?

Photo of the Phortnght

2009-07-30T12:46:00.002-04:00

Alex Cantin with an up-hill in-run Frontside 5-Oh in Nelson, B.C.

Published in Snowboard Canada's 2009 Buyers Guide Pg. 207

What can I say that I haven't already said about Alex Cantin, he's a quiet killer, a snow stomping machine whose nickname is the mountain lion. This was taken on the trip I organized and fulfilled for Canada's national snowboard rag, the last feature of the trip and a rail that required a tow- in by two people with shovels... definitely not the most ideal of settings but that didn't stop Alex from executing this picture perfect Frontside 5-Oh.

Photo of the Phortnight

2009-07-15T17:30:00.010-04:00

Jesse Delgrosse - Backside 720 on the infamous 1080 Gap.

Published in Snowboard Canada magazine Pg. 195 and in Whitelines Magazine (UK) Pg. 24-25

As the backdrop shows the Whistler Backcountry can be a dangerous place to play. On this particular day I was perched next to a mini-van sized piece of ice and snow, the remains of an avalanche a few days previous. Hearing and seeing smaller avalanches all around me I snapped this photo of Jesse getting inverted in one of the most peaceful yet perilous destinations I have yet to spend time in.

Photo of the Phortnight

2009-06-30T19:43:00.003-04:00

Justin Van Der Poelen Log Ride Backside 180 Out.

Published in the Gallery of Snowboard Canada's Fall 2007 Issue Pg. 209

VDP as he is known is a really fun snowboarder to work with, we met up on a beautiful spring day and went up Blackcomb mountain specifically to hit this feature. I had never seen it before, but as soon as I did I was sure we'd get something special. The session lasted for about an hour and a half and we got quite a few shots, this was the banger though and I was ecstatic that the former Snowboard Canada Photo Editor Colin Adair agreed. This was my first published photo in the Gallery of a major snowboard magazine.

The Callout

2009-06-30T15:06:00.007-04:00

Recently I was asked to provide a company with a photo for an advertisement in Snowboard Canada for the hefty sum of nothing but some used equipment. The snowboarder doing the asking had been told by his team manager at Sessions that if he could get the photo for free, he would appear in a Sessions advertisement in one of the magazines upcoming issues, pack your bags... we're going on a guilt trip.

The company as I mentioned is Sessions (which was recently purchased by mega-company, Samsung) and on their website claims that "... the Sessions brand remains synonymous with the authentic core sports lifestyle and culture." Apparently at the cost of the snowboarders it supports/sponsors and the photographers who work with them. By asking this of their sponsored rider they are bribing them in order to get a product (in this case my work... my photo) for free so that they can advertise their product to the masses that comprise Snowboard Canada's readership at the lowest possible cost to them.

It is not the first time a company has tried to 'low-ball' me on the price for a photo, Rossignol and retailer Pacific Boarder also join the list of companies that preach about cost cutting, lower budgets and how badly they want to promote the snowboarder in question... if they could only get a deal on the photo that will be used to market their product.

As a business there is a cost that accompanies advertising/marketing your product in order to sell it, these companies believe that putting my name on my photo and the exposure that comes along with it is sufficient payment. So let me get this right, I get exposure or promise for future work and you get my product which will in-turn help your company make money... but I get exposure? The last time I tried to pay my rent with exposure, the land-lady laughed in my face and asked me for the rent money.

If a company intends to use my product to market their product, to sell their product, to make money from their product, shouldn't they pay for my product? These companies claim to be core and claim to support the riders and the industry, but in reality they are just out to make a quick buck... your hard earned quick buck all the while screwing over the hard working people they claim to support.

This next part is important and needs to be understood, not only by the snowboarders I work with but by Joe Public as well. I enjoy working with the people I get to work with and I truly want to see each of the riders who perform in front of my lens succeed, but unfortunately I am unable to do that at my own cost. It will be impossible for me to attain my goals, to stop serving drinks at a bar or fishing Nike's out of a storeroom if I give my work away for free.

Bribing a snowboarder with the promise of a full page advertisement if he gets the photo for free is ridiculous and to prove it the team manager didn't even have the balls to ask himself. By the way if you're wondering who it is, I won't name names... you know who you are.

Another reason that companies conduct business in this manner (aside from the usual bullshit reasons of recession, lower budgets etc... did I mention that Samsung now owns Sessions, I'm pretty sure they have money) is because they have gotten photos for free in the past from other photographers/hacks who just want to see their name in a magazine. Ego-maniacs that couldn't care less about the integrity of the business, as long as their photo gets used and their name appears alongside, they're happy even though they don't get paid for it. As someone who is trying to make a living selling my images and the words I type it disgusts me to think that there are other photographers giving away their photos and wondering why the industry treats us with so much disdain. If my photo is good enough to be used in an advertising campaign, then it should be paid for... instead if I say no, they go to plan B and use a B grade image because it's free. Again I will not name names, those people know who they are and as much as they may think so, their futures aren't that bright. Afterall it will be very hard to make money from your images when you keep giving them away, once you start it's hard to stop, if they know you give away your work, why would they pay for it?

As I'm sure you are no doubt aware, I said no and I'm sure Sessions will use another photo from a photographer they will exploit in order to make their money, a photographer who deserves nothing more because they accept it.

Next time you head out to by some new snowboard gear try to keep in mind that not all companies that claim to be core... are, that not all companies who claim to support the riders and the industry... do so. That at the end of the day, companies like Sessions, Rossignol and Pacific Boarder only want your money and they will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to get it. Don't believe the hype, buy something else.

The Grind

2009-06-17T12:34:00.002-04:00

Loyal followers and occasional visitors to my blog may have noticed a substantial drop in the amount of content located here, but don't worry I'm not going anywhere.

I've been working two jobs in an effort to try and save up enough money for a very productive '09-'10 winter and also working on a pretty secretive new project. Needless to say I have been one busy human being.

Working in the retail and the restaurant industry gives my mind the necessary time to wander and while I'm not grabbing a fresh pair of NIKE kicks or blending up massive fruit ladened daiquiri's I'm thinking about this new project.

While I can disclose very little at this point in time, I just wanted to let you - Joe Public (and Joan Public) - know that while there may be a little gap in the content here at Pearlman Photo, I am still grinding away in an attempt to continue doing what I believe is my sole purpose in life.

The Photo of the Week has now changed to the Photo of the Phortnight (intentional spelling error) and my interviews although still being conducted will be put on hold for the time being.

I am extremely open to comments and critiques from anyone and everyone so if there is something missing on here that you would like to see, or a way in which you believe I can make this blog better, I implore you to leave a comment or five. My goal is and always will be to bring you the content you want to view and read about.

So until next time, this is Pearlman Photo letting you know that I am still on the grind in every possible way, climbing my way to the top with your help and trying to entertain the masses with photos and words.

Pearlman Photo out.

Photo of the Phortnight

2009-06-17T12:21:00.003-04:00

Brian McClatchy Switch Front-side 50-50 180 Out.
Published in Snowboard Canada's Buyers Guide '09 Pg. 201-202

Brian was one of the first snowboarders I got to work with on a regular basis, and also happens to be one of the happiest people in the industry. With a perennial smile on his face from ear to ear, he rides a snowboard better switch than most do regular. The rumor mill has been churning lately and apparently Brian has hung up his board and boots for greener pastures. Regardless of how understandable that may be, it would still be a shame. If anyone knows what Brian is up to, feel free to leave a comment.

20 Questions with Greg Desjardins

2009-06-03T13:01:00.008-04:00

Greg is a good guy, great snowboarder and a business man. Actually he is more than that, Greg is one of the most dedicated and technical snowboarders I have yet to work with. He has appeared in two ROME snowboard movies and had one of the most technical parts in the game in Brothers Factory's premier video entitled WHAT!. This was the first season that I had a chance to work with Greg and he quickly became one of my favorite snowboarders to work with, a tribute to the hard work and perfectionist attitude he brings to every session. Recently Greg agreed to do this interview even though he is in the middle of starting his own company and editing the latest (no doubt amazing) video from the Brothers Factory crew. Read on to hear what he had to say.

PP (Pearlman Photo) - Hey Greg, how was your season?

GD (Greg Desjardins) - The season was pretty good, unfortunately I was injured for most of it. I decided to put off surgery and started riding in February to save my season. My knee was painful at some points but I think I did pretty good for the time I had.

PP - What was the injury and when is the surgery scheduled for?

GD - I tore my meniscus ligament at the start of the season and actually just had surgery to repair it.

PP - Meniscus surgery, wow sounds like a blast, how long are you out for?

GD - Yeah it's a kind of a fun thing to try, ha ha. I was only in the hospital for a day, I watched the whole thing on a screen and I couldn't feel the lower half of my body. The worst part is when the doctor stuck the needle in my spine to freeze me, but it's all good as I could walk again the day after.

PP - Yikes, so let me get this straight, you snowboarded on a torn knee ligament that required surgery... why?

GD - I really like to snowboard, not to much to say about it really.

PP - Fair enough. So now that you've had surgery how are you spending your down time this spring?

GD - Well I've been helping out the Brothers Factory crew with editing for the new movie called Time is Now and I've also been spending a lot of time on my new street wear company.

PP - Pray tell my friend.

GD - Well it's called Plenty Clothing, it's about making clothes that have a fit that guys and gals want.

PP - Why did you do it, what are your goals moving forward with Plenty?

GD - I think I did it to keep the love I have for snowboarding and to be independent of the rest of the shit that comes with sponsors and other companies.

PP - The other shit that comes along... please explain?

GD - Like kissing the butt of a team manager just to get a travel budget and incentives... it's not for me.

PP - Having said that, how do you plan to make Plenty different so that it doesn't fall into the same category as certain companies?

GD - I think that it's important not to disappoint the people you support and to do that I believe that you have to keep your team small and be realistic with the promises you make. I don't want to support snowboarders only, I want to support any person who is good at what they do.

PP - Sounds like a pretty good plan Greg, speaking of people who are good at the they do, who is your role model?

GD - My mother.

PP - Solid answer buddy, can you expand on that a little?

GD - She is generous, a hard worker and does the best she can in every aspect of her life. She isn't scared to do anything and that seems weird to some people.

PP - Cool, let's jump back on the board, did you do any traveling this season?

GD - Not really, just inside my home province of Quebec, I went to Montreal, Sherbrooke and Riviere Du Loup.

PP - What about the future, any snowboard destination that you haven't been to that you'd like to visit?

GD - Yeah any place in Europe, I've heard so many good things.

PP - Yeah snowboard locations in Europe are abundant that's for sure. What about the best story form this past season?

GD - When I was with Frank April, Charles Demers, Max Legendre, Dan Migno and you at a restaurant in Mercier, just outside Montreal. Dan found the smallest piece of plastic in his soup and decided to give the waitress shit. Then she called the cops to scare us.

PP - Yeah that was pretty funny, speaking of which, often times while we were working together this winter you would yell if you weren't able to land your trick, following up immediately with a huge grin. Makes me laugh every time, why do you do it?

GD - I do it because it's fun to yell and get out the rage that I have inside. Afterwards I just have to smile.

PP - Pick a person dead or alive that you would like to meet?

GD - Jim Morrison, he is so fucked up!

PP - Ha ha, nice choice, if you had one question to ask him what would it be?

GD - Why you preferred to live your life in 28 crazy years instead of a normal full life?

PP - That's quite profound Greg, keeping with that theme, where do you see yourself in ten years?

GD - I will live for what I love and with the people I love, probably very similar to the life I'm living right now.

PP - What about the near future, any big pans for next season?

GD - I'm not really sure yet, probably continuing to work on my company.

JP - Sounds good and for the last question... the people need to know, is it just a coincidence or does your family own the Desjardins bank?

GD - Ha ha, no it's just a coincidence.

Photo of the Week

2009-05-29T12:17:00.004-04:00

Alex Cantin Switch Frontside 50-50, Nelson, B.C.

Published in the 2009 Snowboard Canada Buyer's Guide. Pg. 199-200

This was the first time I had met and worked with Alex, it was on a trip to Neslon for an Snowboard Canada story that I wrote and photographed. This was the first of many sessions on the trip, a 90 foot long hand rail to get things started and a big sign of things to come for Alex.

20 Questions with Andrew Geeves

2009-05-19T15:53:00.007-04:00

Andrew Geeves is a character to say the least, stick like and gangly in stature he seems to be better suited on a basketball court than strapped into a snowboard. Yet there he is and as anyone who has seen his video parts will attest he is very comfortable on a shred stick. Whether it's dropping into a three kink handrail (where he executed a textbook frontside boardslide, that was three years ago by the way) or cruising through the Whistler Backcountry with the sports best, Andrew is quickly becoming a household name. With two solid video parts to his credit, Andrew had a chance to film with one of the biggest filming companies in the sport, Standard Films. On a recent trip to Quebec I had a chance to catch up with this young gun for some Q&A, read on to see what he had to say.

PP (Pearlman Photo) - Geeves, how's it going, what have you been up to lately?

AG (Andrew Geeves) - Hey Jeff, sorry for the late reply, things have been crazy. I recently went to Superpark at Mammoth Mountain and now I'm at home in Winnipeg for a while, just hanging out.

PP - Nice, back in The Grime for some home cooking. You've been busy lately, rumor has it that you're putting a part together for Mike Hatchett's film crew Standard Films, after two solid outings with Sandbox how did this opportunity present itself?

AG - I got a call from my team manager at DC who asked me if I was down to switch it up this year and film for the new Standard Films flick Black Winter. I was obviously thrilled and jumped at the opportunity.

PP - Do you feel any extra pressure filming with one of the biggest companies in the industry?

AG - Yes and no. I mean I always try my hardest while filming, but yeah there is some pressure built up.

PP - I bet, adding to it all you have been seen rooping around the Whistler Backcountry with some seasoned professionals, how's that going for you?

AG - Honestly, it's a dream come true. Devun (Walsh) and Ikka (Backstrom) are my favorite snowboarders so I was pretty star struck. I don't normally get like that, just with my all-time favorites. It was awesome though, they definitely showed me what's up.

PP - Devun is arguably the king of the Whistler Backcountry and we all know Ikka kills it as well, it must be nerve racking when you're out there trying to get shots while those two are watching?

AG - Well, I went out with them a handful of times and there was definitely some nerves considering my two favorite shreds were watching. The stuff they hit is pretty fuckin' big man, so they understood why I wasn't into hitting some of the stuff they did. Devun showed me some features around their own spots and I ended getting a couple of shots and some banger bails.

PP - Ha ha, well thats to be expected, it's all about experience and those two gentlemen definitely have an abundance of it. Speaking of which, how are you liking the whole snowmobile aspect of the sport.

AG - It's sick, actually, I lit my sled on fire earlier this year.

PP - Geeves everyone who reads this has to know, how exactly does one light their snowmobile on fire?

AG - Well it was pretty embarrassing, but right after Devun stomped one of his tricks we ripped out of there. Unfortunately I forgot that my emergency brake was still on, after about five minutes of hill-climbing my sled started smoking and then caught fire. Luckily Colin (Adair, DC team photographer) was there and helped me put it out. It was pretty scary, but luckily only the protection layer of the wires was affected.

PP - Crazy story, you're lucky it wasn't worst, sledding can be dangerous and expensive thats for sure. Any tips for someone heading out there for some real shredding?

AG - Just have fun and do what looks cool to you. Don't try to please the whole world.

PP - Words to live by my friend. Let's jump off the board for a minute, you just picked up a new head wear sponsor, can you fill everyone in?

AG - Yeah, Vivo Headwear, my buddy Anthony started it. I'm really stoked on it, I have a lot of input and the team is looking prime time.

PP - Sounds legit, who else jumped on board?

AG - Well Eero (Niemela), Leanne (Pelosi) can be seen rockin' the gear and they just hooked up skateboarder Cory Sheppard, it's definitely a hot new head wear brand, check out the website... www.vivoheadwear.com

PP - Will do (and so should the readers). I believe that you just celebrated your 20th birthday, what went down?

AG - Best birthday ever. I had all my DC teammates there, Mike Hatchett, Colin and Anthony. I met up with with my boys from Whistler/Banff at Motel 6. It was a great time for sure. I actually socked some dude in the face that night. I was in my room and heard a bottle break, I ran outside and saw one of my homies getting choked by some douche, so my buddy Chuck (Charles White) and I ran over and cracked him.

PP - Well sometimes these things have to be done. We have worked together a few times and to be truthful you are a pretty mellow fellow so a story like that comes as a bit of a surprise. Any others that you'd like to share with the readers?

AG - Ha ha, yeah I do actually. I was shredding the mini-park in Whistler and accidentally cut some Spaniard off, he was pissed and started chasing me down the hill, yelling at me in Spanish. He started pushing me, he couldn't speak a word of english and it got pretty intense, I was lucky because one of the guys I was shredding with (Chris Rasman) helped me out.

PP - Geeves you have to be careful out there, you're not exactly built for battles... thats how people get hurt. On that note any injuries this season?

AG - Yeah I was out for a month and a half with a separated shoulder that I suffered while shredding the park at C.O.P.

PP - Shoulder injuries are no fun, actually injuries are bollocks (there's one for your Scottish heritage) as a whole. How do you spend the down time, what's the perfect day in the life of Andrew Geeves without snowboarding in it?

AG - Wake up, bong rips, call some bro's, play some Skate 2, go for a skate, drink some beer, go home, shower, hit the bar, find a girl, take her home.

PP - Oh Geeves I love the honesty, but I may have to give this one an R rating... what about the perfect day with snowboarding in it?

AG - Wake up, bong rips, shower, gear up, go sledding or shred the mountain, go home, bong rips, beer/booze, dance party at the bar, find a girl, take her home.

PP - Ha ha, moving on now, one of your partners in crime this winter was the Icelandic Viking Haldor Helgasson, you two are the youngest on the roster for Standard Films and represent the new breed of snowboarders coming up. You are at the top of your game (regarding filming), what's that like for a 20 year old?

AG - It's pretty fuckin' cool man, there's some pressure but not as much as you'd think. I'm good at what I do and I enjoy doing it, filming gets stressful, but it's just snowboarding. Sure it's a job, but it's a pretty damn good one. I think people tend to lose the fun in snowboarding when the camera comes out, but you have to chill out and have fun with it.

PP - Any big plans for next season, any spots on the globe you haven't ventured to yet that you'd like to shred?

AG - I just want to go sledding up north, different spots, new areas and more natural terrain to rip.

PP - Is that where you see your career heading in the future?

AG - Well I'll probably shred rails and backcountry like this season, but I think that everything you do whether it's half-pipe, rails or whatever it may be, all adds up to one thing. Freestyle, big-mountain snowboarding. Thats where I want to be in a few years, riding AK (Alaskan) lines, busting methods and backside 180's off natural shit. That's where it's at. I never really appreciated it when I was a kid, but now that I've gotten a taste for most types of riding, I truly respect that the most.

PP - It's a whole other beast thats for sure. Speaking of beasts, who wins in an anything goes battle between Jason Bourne and James Bond (Daniel Craig's James Bond)?

AG - I want to say Bourne, but to be honest Bond has way more experience, I'm going to go with Bond for sure.

PP - I'd have to agree with you on that one, Bourne is a contender but James Bond would probably whoop him and he'd probably do it in a tuxedo which makes it oh so much better... with style. One last question for you, a 14 year old kid comes up to you and tells you that he wants to be a snowboarder, what's your response?

AG - You can do anything you want, don't let anyone tell you different.

PP - Thanks Geeves, you're a trooper.

AG - No worries my friend.

Photo of the Week

2009-05-19T15:41:00.003-04:00

Andrew Burns makes his second appearance in a row on the blog, unfortunately another un-published photo, yet still one of my favorites.

Snowmobiling in the Whistler Backcountry is an amazing experience with great views, better snow and the occasional hairy situation like avalanches, riding snowmobiles into hidden 12 feet deep creeks and 6 foot deep tree wells, to name a few.

Here Andrew executes a big backside 180 on a bluebird day with Mount Caley looming above.

Photo of the Week

2009-05-14T17:52:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately this photo was never published, but it remains one of my favorites to this day.

Taken on a trip to Nelson, B.C. for a feature story called The Nelson Challenge that I conducted for Snowboard Canada Magazine, this is Andrew Burns (with a back injury) getting lofty with a fence ride.

The Nelson Challenge was published in Snowboard Canada's 2009 Buyers Guide and was my first published feature story (written and photographed) it will also be my first feature story to be translated as it will appear in one of Playboard Magazine's (Germany) issues this year.

TIME

2009-05-03T12:14:00.006-04:00

Time - A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future.

Ummm... what?

Basically what's done is done and can't be undone, unless you're etch-a-sketching that is.

Time is one messed up phenomena, it can be the difference between success and failure, love and love lost, life and death. More often than not it's the smallest measure of time that separates the two, if the timing is off bad things tend to occur.

This past week 'time' had most definitely played its part in my life and time came very close to playing a very important role in my death.

The sun was shining and the birds chirping away on a beautiful spring day, the time was 11AM and I was half way through a walk with my loyal four legged friend, Maverick. We were waiting patiently at the crosswalk for the little walking man to appear, giving us the countdown to traverse across the street... there he was, blinking away. Time starts... 20 seconds, 19 seconds, 18 seconds and so on, I took one step off the curb and Maverick followed suit, the blaring of a car horn broke the rythym of the singing birds and we both stopped dead. A second later, inches from me and my oblivious compatriot a car sped by... going the wrong way on a one way street.

One second later, one inch further, one more step and it would've been the end of my time.

How fickle can time be, that fickle. It was the difference between life and death that day. Yes, it could have been the person who honked their horn, but think of this... if they didn't honk at that exact moment, that exact point in time it may have been too late.

Realizing what had just transpired it took a few seconds for me to continue crossing the street, as I resumed I looked up at the people meandering towards me, their mouths agape, eyes open so wide you'd think they just saw a ghost, and said "How close was I (from being hit)?"

One person looked right at me and held up two fingers about an inch apart and said "Inches."

That moment in time could have been my last, my last step, my last breath, my last dog walk. For one reason or another it turns out that it wasn't my time, someone honked and for some reason we stopped dead in our tracks. Maverick enjoys his walking time and usually leads the way, it's not like the sound of a blaring horn is a rarity in a city. If I stopped every time I heard one I wouldn't get very far. At that specific moment in time, subconsciously those involved (well except for the driver who apparently had no clue) took action and prevented me from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Speaking of which, my father is an emergency room doctor, he once told me that he treated a man who had been hit in the testicles with a stray bullet. Talk about wrong place at the wrong time...

Anyway on a much less dramatic note the time has come for me to submit my photos from this past winter. A variety of publications have or will receive the best photos I have taken in the last five months in the hope that a select few will be presented at the right time to the right place for the ultimate payoff... my images gracing the pages of snowboard magazines throughout North America and beyond.

Wish me luck people... because the time is now.

Photo of the Week

2009-05-03T12:09:00.002-04:00

Brian McClatchy gets a little loopy for logs.

Published in the contents section of Slash Snowboard Magazine Volume 2, Issue 2.

(Nostalgic) Photo of the Week

2009-04-19T10:44:00.006-04:00

Firsts are seldom forgotten, whether it's the first time you stomped a 360, the first time you kissed a girl or the first time you have a chimpanzee come to your birthday, chances are you'll remember for a long time.

Similarly to the above I'll never forget my first published full page photo.

Dave Rouleau with a pretty insane 50-50 over the chain, through the kink... to grandma's house we go.

Published in the Gallery of Playboard (Germany) June 2006 - Pg. 82

Photo of the Week

2009-03-30T10:48:00.002-04:00

Jesmond Dubeau with a rock to fakie.

Published in the Gallery of the Snowboard Canada Buyers Guide 2009 Pg. 230

Photo of the Week

2009-03-20T00:51:00.002-04:00

Kevin Griffin gets creative in Nelson, B.C.

Published in the Snowboard Canada Buyers Guide 2009 Pg. 200-201

Photo of the Week

2009-03-10T20:23:00.001-04:00

Beau Bishop threads the needle in Whistler, B.C.

Published in the Gallery of Snowboard Canada's Winter 2009 issue. Pg 204-205

The Few, The Proud

2009-03-10T17:48:00.000-04:00

As a photographer of any kind will attest, when you "get the shot" it's an amazing yet fleeting sensation, similar to making a half court shot before the buzzer as the first quarter ends. It's really cool, but it's over now so get back to work.

When the chance came to get these images off of my memory card and onto my computer I was a pretty happy person, thinking proudly that these photos will definitely get published. That doesn't happen a whole lot, but when it does it's a satisfying feeling, a job well done.

When it comes time for me to submit my images to magazines (usually April of each year) the photo editors select the photos that they may be able to use, and will then (hopefully) use them in the following seasons (starting in August) magazines. Each of the photos you see above had originally been selected by magazines like Transworld Snowboarding, Snowboard Magazine and Snowboard Canada, none of the photos you see above got printed in a magazine.

That's the way it is in the snowboard industry, sometimes it's best photo wins, sometimes its the best photo of a certain snowboarder that wins and sometimes none of that applies.

In retrospect as much as it disappointed me when it happened, I'm a better photographer now, because of it.

I figure if these photos weren't good enough I better get out there and make it good enough, to take a photo that a photo editor sees and has no choice but to put it into a magazine.

Evolution

2009-03-09T12:18:00.011-04:00

Every now and then we the public are treated to a sight rarely seen in the action sports world, whether it's Travis Pastrana doing a double backflip on a dirtbike or Bob Burnquist getting inverted (on a skateboard) inside the loop-de-loop, to witness the progression of a sport is like seeing a Ferrari in Uzbekistan... rare.

About two weeks ago I went to the Olympic Stadium here in Montreal to meet Rome snowboarder, Greg Desjardins.

Greg was going to attempt a wall ride to creeper rail (called a creeper because it's up against a wall). What you see above is a failed attempt (as I must save the landed sequence for possible publication), but you get the idea of what's happening.

When the session ended we all parted ways, Greg was on his way to the police station because his car got broken into while he was setting up this feature the day before. Everything of worth was taken, computer, iPod's etc.

Although snowboarding history took place that day, no celebrations were held and no parties were thrown. Some may point to the theft as the reason for this, but I like to think its because every person present (2 filmers, myself and Greg's girlfriend) knew that the bar had yet again been raised in street snowboarding... by a shred who doesn't even get a regular paycheck from the sport.

The time has come in our industry where progression is a necessity, more so now than ever. A snowboarder can no longer sit back and relish what he or she did last season because guys like Greg (with fewer sponsorship dollars) are out there landing tricks that have never been done before. Getting recognized, doing it for the love of snowboarding, while he or she gets forgotten, doing it for the money.

I'm not suggesting that the big name pro's aren't aiding in the progression of snowboarding, for the most part they do in very important ways. But there are snowboarders who make money from the sport based on the location of their residence or who they know and not the skill-set or desire it takes to make it as a professional snowboarder, you know who you are. For those few and to anyone that desires a career as a snowboarder it's important to realize that the game is changing daily and the stakes get higher and higher, if you don't progress, you can't progress.

Greg attempted and completed by far one of the most technical tricks I've been privy to photograph, it reminds me of the reason that I moved here to Montreal and begs the question, what's next?