Why no prints?

Hey friends,

How’s it going? Still hanging in there? Cool. Me too.

I live in Whistler again. Changes. Had open heart surgery. That was big. And now my life has kinda ended up where it was at the beginning of this story. In the mountains, snowboarding a lot. Hell, I even shot photos of snowboarding last season if you can believe it!

Follow the Shmobb crew. They are awesome.

So anyhoo, you may have noticed a lack of prints. Sorry for that. I moved, I got a job, I got busy, I had that aforementioned medical procedure, and I didn’t set up a new lab to print. And now the Lab in Whistler is closing, so I’ve lost that option.

The good news is that I retired from the job so I could focus on my health, and now I’m just consulting with a couple brands and riding my bike a lot. So prints may be back before Christmas. I will likely strip it back to a lot fewer than we did before, and maybe focus on signed editions.

Oh ya, I’m reorganizing my website so if there is anything you want to see on there, let me know. I’m not trying to do any substack/patreon/ thirsty-assed shit. Just showing photos.

Ok, that’s all for now. I will be riding Whistler and Blackcomb a butt-tonne this winter, so if you see me, holler. Thanks for following along on this journey. I still post on instagram stories pretty regularly. Now that I’m set up with my full archive, I’m scanning again. So you will see stuff that’s never been published before.

Stay cool,

Dano

Style

This blog was originally posted on November 11th, 2007. Some links may be dead and this post may have been edited.

The "Style issue" of Future Snowboarding Magazine is on newsstands right now and I have a little quote and a couple shots in it. I actually wrote a much longer quote that was truncated because of space issues, so I thought I'd put it out here in full. Enjoy.

Dano Pendygrasse

"Snowboarding is one of those lucky sports where the scoreboard at the end of the game isn’t the thing that defines greatness. Very few of our sport’s iconic riders are remembered for their contest results. Even great contest riders tend to fade into the background if they are perceived to have “wack style”. Style is king in snowboarding. A long time ago I was asked “What is style?” for an article in Snowboarder magazine and I answered something about it being “the art of making whatever it is you’re doing, look like it’s worth doing.” I’d stand by that today because when you see someone with amazing style riding they just seem so comfortable in their skin, so fluid and in their element, that you can’t help but appreciate that you are watching them do what they were meant to do. Craig Kelly was always held out as an example of great style, and even though his style came to represent the old school eventually, he was so often imitated that it is impossible not to recognize his status.

I have a memory that will always define Craig’s style for me, even though it had nothing to do with giant airs or steep descents. We were riding at Mt. Baker one day and had to ride from the top of Chair Two down to the mid-station of Chair One. It’s not far and it’s relatively flat, I buckled in for the short ride and when I looked up watched Craig throw his board down and jump on without strapping in. He rode down the flat cattrack for a short distance and then dropped off the side and into a couple feet of fresh snow. He rode down the short pitch making his signature turns, and then when he reached the lower cattrack proceeded to hit the small wall hits, playing around, grabbing his board, kicking out a foot here and there, all the while with nothing but gravity and his balance holding him to the board. It was effortless for him and I rode behind him in awe.

Craig, strapped in.

Not long after, Jamie Lynn changed style forever in snowboarding but Craig had cemented his legendary status by then. I feel lucky to be a part of something that rewards people for looking like they are having fun. That’s why style is so important to us, it is always present no matter what kind of riding you’re doing, no matter what level you are at, and if you are a lucky, someday somebody will ride up to you and say; “nice style”."

Jamie Lynn Microdose ep. 2 +NFTs and stuff

How about a little Monday morning Jamie Lynn? I was lucky enough to get a call from Justin Hostynek at Absinthe films a while back and we filmed a little conversation about Jamie Lynn for the Microdose series they’re doing. 

That conversation is out today RIGHT HERE so go give it a look and support the Absinthe guys. 

 Reminder! Free North American shipping for the whole month. Use JUNE2021 at checkout if you’re in the US and you can use the “local pickup” option if you’re in Canada. 

NFTs really took off this weekend. I’m stoked that they have resonated with you. I’m dropping the above shot of Jamie right now on Opensea. There is only one available ( i’m keeping one and the other is reserved for Jamie) so snap it up if you’re a fan and and into crypto. Remember, the unlockable content includes a file to make a print on your own. If you don’t know what I’m talking about I wrote a blog about it here.

The limited Edition print of the Craig Kelly “the line” photo sold out last week. If you’re one of the ten who own it, you’re stoked. I’m not printing it in that size and format again. There’s only 3 of ten left of the Noah edition below. Don’t miss that one. 

That’s it. Thanks for all the print and NFT sales this week. We might just be able to make it through the pandemic after all!

Take care.

Dano

April updates

Welcome to April. Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the Brushie discount in March. It was such a success that I’m doing it again for April, but this time with the Lukas Huffman shot from the Koots! Use LUKAS20 for 20% off this edition of ten for the rest of the month. (or until the edition sells out.)

Recently the lab printed the wrong image on one of my orders and I ended up with a spare print of this Mike Page image. This was shot during the filming for Video Gangs in 2003. We found out later that we were in an area that we weren’t supposed to be in…

Since I have this extra photo, and it’s been printed on my highest quality paper stock, I’m going to give it away. It will be signed and designated AP (Artist’s Proof), making it an edition of one. 

I want this shot to end up with someone who is a fan of the work, so I’m giving it away to someone who is signed up for my newsletter. Winning is easy, just sign up for my newsletter. If you’re already signed up, you don’t have to do it again!

I’ve also posted it on Instagram so if you want to increase your chances, mention a friend in the comments and I’ll give you a second entry. Share this image into your stories, and I’ll give you another one. So it’s possible to get 3 entries to this contest, but newsletter signup is mandatory. Winner will be drawn randomly from all entries on May first, 2021. 

Here’s the legal boilerplate from Instagram: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated, with Instagram. Contest closes at 11:59:59 PST, April 30, 2021. Contestants must be 18 years of age or over. Contest open to residents of Canada and the USA. (I can’t afford the shipping outside North America!) Winner will be contacted by email to arrange shipping. Void where prohibited. 

Kevin Young photograph. The art of the turn. 1997.

At its core, snowboarding starts with a turn. So how is it that the most basic part of riding can also sometimes be the most impressive?

Times have changed and people love to make snappy little slashes these days. This ain’t that. This is speed and grace and totally knowing what to do with an open face. Kevin Young is one of the best snowboarders that ever came out of Canada. He filled magazine pages with tricks. But this is everything you need to know about KY.

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Follow along on Instagram.

When Jamie Lynn rides, the world watches.

Jamie Lynn on Blackcomb’s Hortsman Glacier in 1994

There are very few people I’ve ever met that command the kind of attention that Jamie Lynn does. He does it quietly, effortlessly, and without question.

If you were on Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier in the early 90s, either at the Camp of Champions or at Craig’s camp, this will likely take you right back. There were moments when the best snowboarders in the world would just THROW DOWN in these spontaneous sessions that would erupt on a piece of terrain or a newly built feature. At that point, the cameras would come out and people would stop what they were doing to watch.

Jamie was at his best in 1994, and all eyes were definitely on him when he started spinning these tail grab 5s. The style is imprinted on our brains, instantly identifiable. In the background are some faces that are familiar to members of the snowboard media.

For me, this is more than a photo, it’s a sense memory that transports me.

- Dano

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You might also like this shot of Jamie.

Jeff Brushie's powerful slob at Squaw Valley, 1993.

In 1993 Snowboarder Magazine sponsored a photo shoot at Squaw Valley that became Superpark. It was filmed by MDP and Standard Films, and shot by organizer Sean Sullivan and myself.

As usual Jeff Brushie put on a clinic in power and style with his now iconic DJ Pro model with graffiti base.

I shot several of Jeff’s frontside airs from this hit, another of which was published a couple times. Over the years this has become my favourite though. The style, facial expression, and board flex all add up to a classic moment in the history of snowboarding.

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Craig Kelly photo. Dusting trees in the Whistler Backcountry.

Of all the Craig photos I shot, this one speaks to his connection to surfing more than any other. A big frontside slash on a snowy shoulder evokes Tom Curren’s long, powerful gouge at Sunset. But what about those poor trees?! They never knew what hit em…

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more Craig here

Romain de Marchi photo. Absinthe films shoot in the Pemberton Backcountry.

Clean

2008 was my last season of shooting snowboarding full time and in the beginning of March I connected with a crew from Absinthe films for a couple days in the backcountry around Pemberton, BC. This was a relatively new zone for me so we got to do some exploring, which is always fun.

On the second day Romain and JP Solberg found this natural gap that didn’t take much work to prepare and soon they were hitting it. Jp had a good day, but sometimes a jump just clicks for a rider, and Romain absolutely clicked with this gap. For me, the clean natural lines were too good to ignore and i actually shot way too much from this angle. It was worth it though. This shot is a long time favourite.

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Marc Morisset Photo. Turns above the clouds in 1997.

Marc Morisset in 1997 in the Whistler Backcountry with Whistler Heli Skiing.

1997 was a really transitional year. We had discovered and purchased sleds to explore the backcountry in the previous couple years, but companies were still willing to splash out to shoot photos from a heli now and again. Morry had been killing it for 5 years at least and although we were shooting together less often, we still go out a few times a year.

The circumstances of how this day came together elude me, it might have been a Type A shoot, or maybe some other sponsor, but somehow Morry, Roan, KY, and Sluggo ended up in a helicopter together on a day when the valley clouds made a perfect ocean. The first turn was a bit wind scrubbed, but then Marc found the good snow and buried a toeside slasher in front of a one-of-a-kind landscape.

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Lunch Break

Sean Kearns photo. The Whistler backcountry in 1995.

Sean Kearns finds the perfect spot.

Kearns was banned from Whistler. The local Police and Fire Department had gotten a message to him to let him know that if he showed his face around town, he would be in deep, deep trouble. This followed an alleged incident of him escaping from police custody while in handcuffs. Alleged…

Meanwhile, we had shot a day in the backcountry with Mountain Heli Sports and since I was doing some work for Whistler/Blackcomb, this photo managed to sneak into a submission of images that they had requested. 

Imagine my surprise when the photo showed up on the trail map, at the very time that Kearns couldn’t even show his face in town. Thousands and thousands of pictures of Kearns in the pocket of every tourist who rode around Whistler, for an entire season…

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Another shot from the same day.

Mike Ranquet photo. A method in the storm. 1996.

Today I made a new scan of a classic photo.

It’s pretty rare that I took a camera up the mountain on a stormy powder day in the 90s. First of all, it was pretty much impossible to get anyone to stop long enough to set up a photo and second of all it was pretty unlikely that I would either get a decent photo or that the photo would ever run. So this shot of Mike has become one of my favourites.

This was taken on Whistler, on Seppos I think, and I also think we were riding with Bas that day. I would have taken a really small kit, probably one lens and a body, and worn it inside my jacket. Honestly, it’s not fun to ride like that and the risk to the camera is pretty high, but I guess a visit from out Washington friends made it worth it.

This is just 100% classic northwest snowboarding, with Ranquet’s super skate style popping a perfect method between some trees. Some photos just take you right into a moment.

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This is Bas from the same day.

Brian Savard Photo. Method on arm Cliff, Whistler Mountain.

Brian Savard is a badass who truly embodies what it means to be a snowboarder from British Columbia. He came out of the freestyle scene of the early 90s but always charged on all parts of the mountain. By 1999, when this photo was taken, he was a big mountain powerhouse who gained the respect of everyone he rode with.

This cliff is on Whistler mountain and it’s got a super challenging take-off and a tree in the landing. On this day Brian got the line perfect, nailed his method, and made a bit of history. This photo appeared on the cover of Snowboarder Magazine. It’s available in the print store now.

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Craig Kelly "The Line".

I first met Craig on the glacier. I had seen him and Kelly Jo riding Blackcomb once before but we never met, and then later he was up filming some stuff and because the snowboard scene was so small in the late 80s we all connected. Then he started a camp and would live in Whistler all summer long so we’d see each other regularly. I wouldn’t say it ever developed into a friendship. Kelly Jo on the other hand, we became friends.

Then there was a trip to Mike Weigele’s heli in 1990 or so where I got to ride with him and a bunch of friends for a couple days. That’s when I saw how good he was on all the natural terrain, when no cameras were rolling, when he was just having fun.

I didn’t start taking pictures until 1991 and although I took a couple pictures of him that summer, there was nothing memorable. I always wanted to have a day shooting with him.

It almost happened at Mt. Baker.  Garry was shooting film at this point and me and him and Warburton went down to shoot as a storm was clearing up. When we got there though, the weather never cleared. We made the decision to leave the cameras in the car and the four of us rode all day. It was one of the best memories I have of snowboarding.

By 1995 I thought the window had closed with Craig as Burton had their staff photogs and I was a senior photographer with Snowboarder Mag and had a bunch of riders I worked with regularly. But one day I got a call from Beat Steiner to spend a day shooting with Craig and Omar Lundie in a heli.

This is probably my best-known photo of Craig and I can look at it endlessly.

-Dano

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