The weather couldn’t have been better for a park shooting, when the motivated snowboarders and freeskiers met at the chairlift Ciampai on this Wednesday. When they gathered at the top of the park with the shape-crew and all parties, moods were running high, the sky was blue and below them, the red jib obstacles of the Snowpark Alta Badia were sparkling in the sunshine. Helmets were fastened, gloves were tightened and in the blink of an eye the first rider was dropping in – the session was on!
Some hours later, after the last rails were properly smashed, the group sat down for a couple of drinks at the Ciampai lodge. The QParks media crew was happy to have the opportunity for a chat with the “shaper girl” of the Snowpark Alta Badia, Miss Francine Boer, who was also photographing the session. The Dutch girl used to snowboard indoors in her motherlands, and decided to enroll as a shaper to get some outside-air: “It’s a good life on the mountains and the best way to improve your riding skills because you have a lot of time to go snowboard”. Well, this is a good basis for some more questions:
Francine, this is your first time in Alta Badia, isn’t it?
“Yes, it is and I love it here. As a snowboarder, I enjoy a lot of park action and as a photographer, I can find lots of inspiration from this beautiful valley.”
When did you start with photography?
“I first got interested in photography when I received my first camera, but back then I just fooled around with it. Then, some two years ago, I started getting serious with my hobby. And more or less the same happened to my passion for snowboard and my career as a shaper!”
Does being a shaper help with this kind of shooting?
“It does. You know a lot about your own park, as you shape it every morning to present it in its best light. When I search for the right angle for my pictures, I always try to be creative. Moreover, it also helps that I am a passionate snowboarder myself; I can empathize with the riders, as I know how it feels to ride a park.”
How important is teamwork during shootings?
“Of course, it’s very important. Adam Szabo, the filmer, already had a plan for the shooting and before starting he gave the riders some instructions about what he wanted to show in his edits. Actually, we had a lot of fun at the shooting. The riders were really helpful and kind, they repeated the same tricks for me until I got the right angle.”
Thanks to Francine, now let’s hand over the floor to Daniel Hruby, who is at his first season as park designer in Alta Badia. What can people expect for the coming days?
“Well, apart from La Freestyla, the QParks Tour stop which will take place on the 25th January at the park, if the weather helps us, we will open the first medium jumps as of next week! This season has started slowly, but we were much faster at building up the park as we had thought we would be at the beginning of January.”
Big thanks to Daniel, Francine and the rest of the shape crew Alta Badia for the great job they do there. If you still haven’t yet, then you better don’t waste more time and pay them a visit at the Snowpark Alta Badia. In the meantime, check out Francine’s pictures of the snowboard and twin-tips gathering!
Photos: © Francine Boer
Source: http://www.snowpark-altabadia.org
