Eye of the Condor 2 Recap

Words by Heather Hendricks

What happens when you invite four ski teams, a panel of industry elite and unleash them in the Andes for a week of unprecedented skiing and apres-ing? Mayhem, or what's better known as the Sony Eye of the Condor.

 
The second annual photography and film event culminated with the inaugural iF3 La Parva in Santiago, Chile, where the teams (Discrete, Icelantic, Widsix and Chile) showcased their adventures from their time at Ski La Parva to a sprawling crowd of Chileans and industry endemics.


Team Discrete, who was notorious for going hard all day and going harder every single night, earned the coveted golden condor for their aesthetically pleasing and diverse photo portfolio. Chris Bezamat’s entries exhibit his keen creativity, artistic eye, and photographic finesse. Among his winning photos is a shot taken high atop an Andean peak during Discrete's snow camping mission. Julian Carr said, "Bezamat's photo was just incredible how he captured our zone, the elevation, the grandeur, Santiago lit up way down below, it was an amazing photo. All of his photos were off the charts."




The winner of the film discipline, however, was not as clear cut. All of the teams created unique and artful interpretations of their Chilean adventure, which made judging extremely difficult. In the end though, the all-women's Icelantic team edged out Discrete by just one point with their film, which includes skiing from Annelise Loevlie, Alex Taran, Rebecca Selig and Kaylin Richardson. The piece embraces the “Icey Ladies” adoration for the mountains, big mountain talent, and the eccentric Chilean ski culture.


Icelantic's cinematographer, Katy-Robin Garton commented on the contested win, "Thank goodness there was controversy! It means there were well-produced films and that the judges were engaged and had strong emotions about the work they saw. Controversy gets people talking, and my hope is that the controversy about Best Video for EOTC2 is a reflection of how the ski film industry is alive and dynamic, following new paths and embracing different styles for sharing the world of snow sports. I think in any genre of filmmaking there should be evolution, it keeps things fresh and inspires people to get involved. And if we aren’t questioning the style, story, and meaning that the photos, films, and written articles capturing the ski world present, we aren’t evolving are we?"


Stay tuned for your chance to vote for your favorite video in the People's Choice Award, which will be given next week.


For more information on Sony Eye of the Condor and to check out all the photos from the inspiring week, visit www.laparva.cl/eyeofthecondor.