Cycling. Ski touring. Storytelling. All in a day’s work.
The Project – Community, Mountains, and Muscle Power
This was a fun one!
I was asked to film part of a documentary in Wānaka at the end of winter. The concept? Two women on a mission to honour New Zealand’s club ski field heritage – by travelling between all of them entirely by bicycle and then ski-touring to the summit of each field before skiing down and pedalling on to the next.
Human-powered storytelling at its best.
My Role – Action Cinematography Meets Alpine Simplicity
This shoot captured the final leg of their journey at Treble Cone ski field in Wānaka.
The morning kicked off with some good old Kiwi ingenuity – rigging up a car-based gimbal system to film fast-moving cycling shots. From there, we switched to the mountains: filming the final climb up Treble Cone and the last triumphant ski descent to complete the mission.
I was camera operator on the day, working closely with director Nick, who was an absolute legend. We’ve talked for ages about doing a project together, so it was a real buzz to finally collaborate. And I already can’t wait for the next one – once Nick emerges from the edit suite!
A Note on Style
What I love about projects like this is the blend of story and adventure – nothing flashy or forced, just honest, muscle-powered filmmaking. As a camera operator used to filming in remote terrain, this kind of work is right in my zone: small crew, meaningful concept, and a couple of bikes carrying big ideas.
Credits
Role: Camera Operator
Director: Nick Kowalski
Location: Treble Cone, Wānaka, New Zealand
Project Type: Adventure Documentary