“I don't think there's anything more beautiful for the eye and the soul than carving turns down to the sea.”
Fabio Keck, ORTOVOX Ambassador
A freeride film that fills chapters. Chapters about fresh lines, frustration, and friendship. From Georgia all the way to Lyngen, Norway.
Theory and practice can be tricky. Sometimes they fit together perfectly, like gin and tonic. Other times, they're as mismatched as slippers and stilettos. In theory, in Georgia should have been the setting for one of the most spectacular, entertaining, visually stunning freeride films ever – or at least a freeride film where everyone had the time of their lives in Svaneti's deep powder.
Svaneti lies on the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus, in northwestern Georgia. The mountains around the town of Mestia are wild, high, and steep. In theory, the perfect canvas for painting big lines in the new ORTOVOX freeride film. But sometimes plans and reality just don't align. Long story short: the snow was incredible, but the snowpack was sketchy as hell. It was simply too dangerous. After a week, the crew had to pull the plug.
“Especially in freeriding, so many things need to align. It’s a brutal struggle, but that’s also what makes it so special. And when everything finally comes together, it’s just magic.”
Max Draeger, Photographer
LYNGEN, NORWAY.
Thus, the team – photographer Max Draeger, filmers Dani Niederkofler and Fabian Spindler, plus riders Fabio Keck, Konsti Ottner, and Bine Schipflinger – headed north to try again in Norway. In the sparsely populated island world of the Lyngen Alps, 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, March had brought massive snowfall. The crew of six looked forward to deep powder, fresh fish, and that unique combination of fell and fjord, blue sea and white slopes. Theoretically, the perfect setting...
However, even in Northern Norway, reality paints its own picture – and the team had to do their homework: study the conditions, dig snow profiles, and gather as much information as possible.
“In the Alps, we’re spoiled because we have such an abundance of information. That’s certainly not the case in Lyngen; you’re lucky if you find a single weather station. You first have to adjust your Austrian Alpine mindset to that.”
Fabio Keck, ORTOVOX Ambassador
The weather gods were in a foul mood. It snowed continuously while also getting warmer, making the conditions even more unstable. Nevertheless, the six set out every "morning" at 1 am to catch the perfect light (sunrise is at 4 am...). They skinned up the slopes, watched, hoped – and dug snow caves to wait for a break in the weather. Welcome to Lyngen, Norway.
And then, they finally arrived. The moments on the summit with clear skies, steep flanks, and the chance for the crew to draw their lines in the snow – big lines and fine spines. And all of it shared with a crew they would never trade.
“For me, it's always incredible to be out with people who have that deep, deep passion for skiing. Sometimes you don't find massive lines, but you do find massive amounts of fun with the right people.”
Fabio Keck, ORTOVOX Ambassador
Enjoy How to Draw a Line!
Crew:
Sabine Schipflinger, Fabio Keck, Konstantin Ottner, Fabian Spindler, Daniel Niederkofler, and Max Draeger
