Daniel & I have been talking about this event for a while. We know for a fact that bringing it together in an Olympic year, with riders spread thin and sponsor dollars hard to find, has been a battle and we're hyped to see Dan pull it off. “Classic core events are gone, the core scene is being neglected and everything became dominated by FIS,” says Hanka. “I want to fill the void and bring back the spirit of a good old filming session and invitatonal, with a modern twist to fit today’s standards.”

The Danihell Hanka is an invitational video contest where riders will get a week to film the most unique, most impressive edit possible on a set of custom built features at Destne in Czechia. They'll then have the summer to put their cuts together for release in the fall, as well as trick submissions for other awards in the meantime. It's the kind of event that you know a rider put together because it has all the hallmarks of what riders want to see. And the crew is gonna be stacked.

Full press release:

Destne, 25 February - Unpack your leather jacket and toss up your devil horns, because the inaugural Danihell Hanka Invitatonal is coming like a bat out of Hell to pay tribute to freeskiing’s raw and rowdy origins.

From 14-20 March 2022, Czech freeskier Dan Hanka will host a select crew of 13 invited riders at his home resort, Skicentrum Deštné v Orlickych Horách. Each invited skier will be accompanied a filmer of their choice. At Deštne, riders will have five days to ski and film their hearts out in a custom snowpark built just for this purpose.

Back to the roots: Video contest format

When the session is over, the rider-filmer teams will have all summer to create their best two- minute edit from the event, showcasing the spirit and vibe of skiing as they see fit. The edits will be released online in October, with public voting to determine the fan favorite before the winning videos are announced.

However, fans won’t need to wait all summer long to see the action. The Oakley Eyecatcher Challenge will keep online content coming hard and fast throughout the week by rewarding riders for their best daily clips posted to Instagram.

Stacked riders’ roster

A diverse field of top freeski talent is expected next month in Deštne. Riders who have already confirmed include Matěj Švancer (AUT), James “Woodsy” Woods (GBR), Lukas Müllauer (AUT), Simon Bartik (CZE) and of course, Dan Hanka himself. More invitees will be announced in the coming days.

Public session

On Saturday, 19 March Dan and the invited riders welcome all comers to Deštné for a public park session. No competition on, no stress—just a day for local skiers and fans to enjoy a unique chance to meet and ski alongside the pros. The public day will end with an evening party program featuring live concerts, a DJ and of course, plenty of Czech beer.

“I want to support the sport in Czechia and the local community,” says Hanka. “The public day gives people the opportunity to meet their heroes, ski a custom park setup and experience what it feels like to be part of a filming session.”

A ticket to Hell

Think you’ve got the game to join the crew as an invited rider? Dan Hanka is offering one invite to the skier who submits the most hellacious video entry. Find out how to enter the Ticket to Hell video contest at downdays.eu/tickettohell.

More information about the Danihell Hanka Invitational is available at danihellhanka.com. Event updates will be provided via Dan’s personal Instagram, @danihellhanka.

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What: The Danihell Hanka Invitational

When: 14-20 March, 2022

Where: Deštné v Orlickych Horách, Czechia

Who: Daniel Hanka + 13 invited riders & filmers

Partners: Oakley, Horsefeathers, Skicentrum Deštné, Downdays,

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