GoPro helps viewers follow skiers on iconic descent
Thanks to GoPro, two professional skiers have been able to take viewers along with them on the downhill thrill of one of the world’s steepest runs.
The Super C Couloir in South America has long been considered the skiing world’s most iconic descent. Helped by a tiny camera on their kit, skiers Chris Davenport and Sierra Quitiquit have been the first to produce film footage of their ride down the 5,000-foot run in Portillo, Chile. The first ever film of the descent was released earlier this month.
“As GoPro technology got better, I started to think this would be the perfect place to capture with little cameras,” said Davenport in an interview with Outside Online.
“Mother Nature gives us this canvas,” he said. “And it’s up to us to decide how to ride it.”
Have a look:
Getting the Super C descent onto film has been a near impossibility in recent years. For practical and logistical reasons, getting a film crew and their gear to the peak has been difficult. There is currently a ban on helicopters dropping off skiers or climbers. Henry Purcell, a local owner of Ski Portillo, has personally forbade heli-assists to the Super C.
According to On the Snow, the run is considered a Top 10 challenge for expert skiers.
A skilled mountaineer, Davenport has climbed all over the world. Prior to the filming, he has climbed and skied the Super C more than 30 times. Davenport and Quitiquit documented their Super C climb and descent using the GoPro Hero4 Black. They turned the footage from the descent over to film-makers Caleb Farrow and Matt Cooke. That pair went on to produce the first pro-quality Super C ski video.
GoPro cameras are becoming popular accessories on ski holidays. For those looking forward to staying at a ski chalet in Meribel, there are some great local shops that hire the wearable cameras to help you film your own skiing adventure.
Here is a great video from Meribel filmed during the last ski season:
Image Credit: Jose Luis Hildalgo R. (flickr.com)