AK Launch

Chugach Mountains, Valdez, Alaska

Athlete: Jim Rippey

Camera: Nikon F5

What makes it special: Watching Rippey make it happen - so confident, so huge, so easy.

The story:  We had our own private A-star: Jim Rippey was quarterbacking, and the Chugach Mountains were calling. Comfortable in the bird, Jim seized the air, defined his line and I confirmed I liked the shot. We offloaded, geared up and skied into location. My camera angle was ideal and the light was hard and backlit - just the way I like it. By the time I had set up, Rippey was ready. A quick count and he was off, taking it big and bold into the cross-angled slope below. So simple. I underexposed the frames two and half stops, his body language did the rest.