Lone Skier On Glacier
La Grave, France
Athlete: Eric Mostedt
Camera: Nikon F4
What makes it special: The cushiest camera angle.
The story: "La Grave is a 500-year-old small French village with one gondola, offering almost 8000 vertical feet of free skiing. As I walked out of the tram onto the railed terrace my eyes locked onto the glacier. A number of other guests enjoyed the grand view while dining and imbibing on the Alp's finest.
The space was vast and had an unmistakable monolithic pulse. A perfect ramp descended through the rolling glacier - the light was perfect. All the team discussion and plans faded. The line called to me. I set up the tripod and pulled out my big lens to be sure. The frame was true and after confirming that it was skiable I stepped back and shared the angle with the crew.
To be able to show the shot before it had been captured is a treat. They all saw the concept; there was little need to go into detail on where to ski. They geared up and started out on the solid hike up the ridge. It would take them an hour plus to get into position, but what a beautiful line. I, on the other hand, was ready to go. I sat down, put my feet up, and picked up the menu. When I got the thirty-second count over the radio I put down my cafe au lait and picked up the handset: "Camera ready."
It felt like they were skiing on the moon. An amazing grey-scale sparked by a graceful, mystical form. Two tracks coming down, only one rider charging out. The sense of scale and minimalistic form so often defines why we go through so much trouble to explore mountain environments."
