The sound of helicopters was heard again around Nakusp, but during the last week the whirlybirds were carrying a crew of filmmakers and pro skiers out to capture some hot ski action on the local mountains. A huge dump of snow followed by cold, clear skies made for ideal conditions to film what CMH marketing manager John Entwhistle called “ski porn.”
Like any filming, there was a lot of time preparing for action, with little actual skiing being done. The non-stop action seen on the screen is a trick of editing, like any movie, x-rated or otherwise.
“We spent lots of time setting up,” said Entwhistle, “the terrain we’re working with here is phenomenal, lots of short steep drops with trees. It’s one of the better places in the world.”
Poor Boyz, a ski film company from Redondo Beach, California, was hired to create movies that show off the skills of the K2 athletes and the terrain around CMH ski lodges.
Three movies will come out of the process, with each partner getting a film for what they need. CMH will get a film to take on promo tour in the fall, K2 will have their athletes captured in some great footage to take to events, and Poor Boyz will also have a film they can make part of film festivals.
Five days spent out on the mountains around Nakusp after a massive snow fall followed by cold, clear conditions made for ideal conditions, said Entwhistle, who served as project manager for the filming and generally focuses on the CMH partnership with K2.
Wanting to focus on the K2 CMH Rotor Lodge as part of K2 culture, the film also highlights the skiing available around the lodge which is unique within CMH terrain.
“The skiing that’s here is one of the best hidden secrets of CMH,” Entwhistle explained. The steep tree skiing on the slopes around the lodge is special and different, something Entwhistle believes the films will help promote.
A small crew of athletes, videographers, photographers and guides were up and at ‘em from sunrise to an hour before sunset. A lot of the time on the mountains was spent finding natural features to ski.
“We were playing on a lot of natural stuff,” said Entwhistle, who added that the team didn’t build anything, the focus was on highlighting what is already there. “What is there is so great.”
The legend of the great powder skiing around here is still on the downlow, something the CMH marketing pro is hoping to change.
“The Kootenays have been a mythical thing,” said Entwhistle. “Access is an issue, but people are discovering how great it is.”
Pro skier Andy Mahre popped into the lounge at the K2 CMH Rotor Lodge with coffee in hand for a fireside chat.
He agreed that the slopes around the lodge were different from the usual CMH offerings.
“Every place is different. CMH generally has bigger terrain with fewer trees,” said Mahre, who was more philosophical about the skiing. “The best skiing is wherever you are at the time.”
Filming is a mixed bag for Mahre. “It’s fun, and kind of sucks, actually,” he told the Arrow Lakes News. A skier through and through, Mahre found the hurry-up-and-wait pace of filming days a bit challenging.
“It’s not like you’re just helisking,” said the pro, “It can be stressful. You know, you’ve got this blue bird day and you’re ready to go, but you have to wait five, ten minutes; you can get a case of nerves. You’re not free just to go ski.”
Mahre smiled and demurred that it wasn’t all that bad, having been able to turn skiing into a job, and that it was very different than a 9-to-5 job.
Over the course of conversation, the pro skier settled deeper into the comfy wing back chair, relaxing maybe a little too much before his drive up to the CMH Gothics lodge north of Revelstoke.
“I am a bit tired,” agreed Mahre when asked. He and the other skiers had spent the previous night socializing over drinks and had ended up carrying the party over to the Leland. “I love the Leland,” the skier said, flashing a grin.
Although he used to watch ski movies, Mahre doesn’t really watch them much any more, including his own.
“Eventually I’ll see ‘em,” he said about his ski movies and ski movies in general: “They’re fun to watch, but they’re becoming repetitive. It’s not the same as ten years ago when I first watched them.” Sounds like even ski porn can get a little tired.