Powder Turn Evolution

PNH, Chugach Mountains, Cordova, Alaska

Athlete: Kent Kreitler

Camera: Nikon F5

What makes it special: The ride. I was strapped into the helicopter with the doors off, firing away as we spiraled down the line. What can I say perspective is everything

The story:  "It was a day when the snow was deep and moving fast. Kent Kreitler had been teeing off all day, skiing down steep aggressive lines with incredible strength and speed. He then lined up a twisting high angled chute that beckoned for a heli angle to do it justice on film.

It had taken us almost an hour to gear up, removing doors, strapping us in from behind and tethering all the equipment to the helicopter. Tom Day was strapped in on the floor to my left with his big super 16 mm movie camera in his lap, finalizing the timing with the pilot and the skier via radio. I had three cameras strapped in and was ready with my Nikon F5 and 80-200 zoom in my nearly frozen hands. I practiced the move in my head, checked all settings one more time and gave the nod: "Cameras ready."

The actual shoot took less then a minute. I remember the count down and the launch into the line and then I lost any sense of space and time. I had the ultimate perspective over Kent's shoulder as we spiraled down the line in the helicopter. I got a close-up view of what it feels like to ski down a mountain with confidence, style and speed. The depth and consistency of Kent's face shots were awesome. The power of the moving snow and his immersion in it was stunning. With a continuously changing camera angle I worked through all three of the camera setups, firing as fast as I could. The rush of the line was shared by all of us."