2. Editor
ROB EMBLING
Photography
Harry Foskett
PROOFING
LUKE DORKING
Contributors
JOSH FAWCETT
Published by
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AN EXTENDED PUBLICATION FROM UNITY CONCEPTS
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04 EDITORS DESK
DOCUMENTING CHANGE
06TALES FROM ABROAD
GEORGE WALTON AND ANDY COLLIN INTHE PROMISED LAND
08 THE BIGGER PICTURE
GEORGE WALTON IN KRAKOW
10 IN FOCUS
NATHAN CONNOLLY ZIN FRONT OFTHE LENS
12 RIDER INSIGHT
JOSH FAWCETTTAKES US BEHINDTHE SCENES
14 GALLERY
A FEW MORE OF OUR FAVOURITES
sequence CONTENTS
3.
4. doCUMENtiNG ChaNGE
WhEthEr it’s thE ProGrEssioN FroM triCk to triCk or thE
traNsitioN BEtWEEN styLEs, thE oNE thiNG that yoU CaN
aLWays CoUNt oN iN FrEEskiiNG is ChaNGE.
thE CaPtUriNG oFaN iMaGEaLLoWs Usto PrEsErvE iNdividUaL
MoMENts iN tiME aNd iN thE ENdLEss sEarCh For that oNE
PErFECt MoMENt, WE CoNtiNUE to drivE ChaNGE.
as WE sEt oUr siGhts hiGhEr aNd PUsh thE LiMits FUrthEr
WE LEt thEsE MoMENts Pass riGht By Us iN thE NEvEr ENdiNG
qUEstto CrEatE soMEthiNG NEW.
it is oNLy WhEN yoU Look BaCk oN it aNd thE iMaGEs havE
BECoME MEMoriEs that yoU rEaLisE that it Was NEvEr aBoUt
JUst oNE MoMENt BUt aBoUt thE JoUrNEyto GEt thErE.
this is oUr story.
this is oUr sEqUENCE.
thE Editor
roB EMBLiNG
CovEr shot
skiiNG By AnDY Collin
PhotoGraPhy By HARRY FoSKeTT
shot oN LoCatioN iN ZAKoPAne PolAnD
oN a doWN day FroM shootiNG UrBaN dUriNG oUr triP to PoLaNd, With
thE skiEs thiCk With sNoWFaLL WE dECidEd it Was tiME to hEad UP iNto thE
MoUNtaiNs to sEE What WE CoULd disCovEr.
UNdEr a hEavy BLaNkEt oF CLoUdthErE Was No ChaNCE oF sCoPiNG oUt aNy
oF thE BiGGEr LiNEs aNd With oUr PassEs oNLy vaLid oN oNE LiFt, WE WErE
ForCEdto JUst ski What Was ahEad oF Us.
iN FaCt What Was ahEad oF Us Was MELLoW PoWdEr aNd ENdLEsstrEEs.aFtEr
tWo WEEks oF hikiNG stairs aNdtakiNG a BEatiNG, No oNE sEEMEdto MiNd.
sequence EDITORS DESK
5.
6. Taking your tricks into the streets is the real test of any rail skier and it’s becoming a
must for anyone trying to prove themselves, but can it really be that different from
skiing in the park? Over the next ten days I was about to find out just how much
blood and sweat goes into an urban trip.
This was my fourth trip out to poland, but in the past either a lack of time or snow
had always prevented us from spending too much time in the cities.What we had
managed to hit in one or two spots and seen in endless others is what keeps us
coming back year after year.
After weeks of watching webcams and praying for snow the day finally came to
pack the car and hit the road. We were apprehensive to say least, as we set off
in the knowledge that while the Alps were having their biggest snowfalls in years,
there had not yet been so much as a single flake where we were headed. With our
accomodation already booked and our crew carefully crafted for an all out urban
assault, there was not much we could do but set off and hope for the best.
After 32 hours on the road with veteran Andy Collin in the driving seat and rookie
George Walton riding shotgun, we finally arrived in Krakow in the middle of a
snowstorm.With the blizzard rapidly turning the city skyline into an urban playground,
it seemed just too good to be true. Perhaps this year would be different after all.
The following morning we were up early and greeted by a blanket of white, and in
high spirits we headed out into the promised land in search of the holy grail.When
the snow starts to fall in town here, it can be difficult to choose from all the rails
that are on offer and nowhere is that more true than at our first spot. Known locally
as ‘The Master Spot’ it is a kingdom of downrails with any length or pitch you could
desire and the perfect place to get warmed up.
THE PROMISED LAND
Rob embling talks about histrip with
GEORGE WALTON AND ANDY COLLIN
PROWLINGTHE STREETS OF POLAND
IN SEARCH OFTHE HOLY GRAIL.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARRY FOSKETT
sequence TALES FROM ABROAD
10. After hours of riding
and hundreds of hits it was
starting to dawn on us just
how difficult this rail was.
After a long first session dusting off the cobwebs and with our first couple of shots
already in the bag, we finished the first day still knackered from our drive but excited
about the rest of our trip. Over the next couple of days we scouted out a couple of
new spots and it was George who showed just how much he deserved his place on
the trip by banking a couple more bangers. But by day four our luck seemed to be
running out: after some big falls, a few encounters with angry residents and a night
spent enjoying the Polish tradition of vodka, it had all finally caught up with us.
With the whole team feeling battered and bruised after just a few days, we could
do nothing but spend the day recovering and watch as the snow started to melt.
That night, with the snow supplies dwindling and our list of spots getting shorter,
we decided it was time for some local knowledge. So we relocated from Krakow to
Katowice and enlisted the services of Marcin Pospiech.
When we arrived at Marcin’s house we were all keen to take a look through his
catalogue of rails he had been telling us about and as we started to browse, snow
flakes started falling outside the window. Once again, the excitement started to build.
The feeling however was somewhat shortlived. We had decided on a spot that
Marcin had been eager to shoot for a few years but had never had the opportunity.
After a long and treacherous drive through what was now an all out snowstorm, we
found ourselves going over the Czech border only to find the snow turning to rain
and our chances of being able to shoot anything being rapidly washed away.
sequence
11. TALES FROM ABROAD
Turning our attentions back to Poland,we headed back into the eye of the storm and
to our second choice spot, a banger quad kink. This time the session was on, but by
the time we had set up we were already into the early hours and soaked through
from the heavy snow that was quickly turning to rain.
When the new day finally broke the snow had all but melted.After a long couple of
days,we were all about ready to sack it in. After visiting a couple of spots with no luck
we decided to try one more place before calling it a day. A small park surrounded by
trees provided just about enough shelter to have kept some of the snow and right
there in the middle, surrounding a small sledging hill was a long winding c-rail.
With no need for a bungee and very low consequences everyone was soon stoked
but after hours of riding and hundreds of hits it was starting to dawn on us just how
difficult this rail was.The frustration was beginning to set in and it eventually resulted
in the loss of a ski pole to a nearby tree, after some time we eventually manged
to free the pole and return it to its rightful owner but by this time we were all
exhausted and it was time for us to finish up.
With the snow now totally gone in town, we headed into the mountains to see what
we could find in the small resort of Zakopane. As we drove, the snow banks at the
side of the road got steadily bigger and we arrived to more snow than I had ever
seen here before.We all know this resort pretty well but have already shot on most
of the features (and wanting to keep things as legit as possible) we were looking for
something new.
In the end we stumbled accross a big gas pipe which we have shot before, but under
all this snow gave the spot a completly different feel to the last time and a very
different feel to everything else we had hit during this trip.The boys even strapped
on their powder skis to hit it and after another late night, and with our final shots
in the bag, we put our lens caps on the cameras and packed up the car for the final
time.
Our trip may have been strikes and gutters but it was not just our hangovers and
battle scars we were taking home with us, but the knowledge that we had scratched
below the surface of this forgotten land and just about lived to tell the tale.
12. I first met Nathan a couple of years ago, and over that time I have seen him gradually expand
his bag of tricks and really discover his own style.this constant progression is the reason i
enjoy working with Nathan and has started to bring him right to the forefront of British
freeskiing.after good results at both the London Freeze and the Brits this year it looks like his
time at the top may be just around the corner.
at the beginning of March, i met up with Nathan in his winter home of Livigno, and once
again found myself crammed in the back of a car, filled with ski bags and camera equipment
and unable to move forour entire 12 hour drive. When we finally made it to our Deštné,
at four in the morning, we were greeted by a massive 21 meter table, built specially for the
Freeski Soldiers it is without a doubt the biggest jump in the Czech Republic.
it was a couple of days later that we strapped up for the shoot and after some variable
weather conditions we finally had a bluebird day and perfect light. The backdrop was not
great and after a couple of missed opportunities trying to get the right angle, i found this spot.
Right in the middle of the gap I was able to just about capture the edge of the landing and the
huge seven metre wedge that shows the sheer scale of the jump. It was just then that Nathan
threw this smooth 5 blunt and the shot was just a little bit different to everything else and
one of the best shots of the session.
nATHAn ConnollY is oNE oFthE British
FrEEski sCENE’s risiNG stars.
HARRY FoSKeTTtELLs Us What it’s
LikE WorkiNG WiththEyoUNG Lad FroM
LaNCashirE.
iN FoCUs
sequence IN FOCUS
CAmeRA CaNoN Eos 7d
lenS CaNoN 15MM F2.8 FishEyE
SHUTTeR SPeeD 1/2500s
APeRTURe F/7.1
iSo 400
13. AFTER LOSING HIS SPONSORS AND GOING BACK
TO HIS ROOTS JOSH FAWCETT TALKSTO ROB
EMBLING ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARRY FOSKETT
We haven’t seen you around much over the last few years what
you been up to?
Yeah, I’ve been hiding away at my home in stoke for the last year but I’ve just recently
finished my college education after having a few set backs with injuries so now I’m
all freed up to ski.Apart from that I’ve been down at my local dry ski slope riding at
least once a week, which has been sweet.Also managed to get in the car a few times
this year and go to different locations around the UK to do some filming with the
Unity crew, which is always super fun.
Ski Stoke is relatively unknown as a dryslope, although it has
always had one of the biggest scenes with loads of riders coming
through, is there something in water?
Haha. I’m not sure; I don’t drink as much of it as I should. I think a large part of it is to
do with the very friendly scene.The atmosphere makes it an amazing place to ride
whether your training for comps or just coming down for a casual jam on a Friday
night. I can still remember the days of the‘Stoke Massive’ as we used to call ourselves,
always getting in a big convoy to travel to comps near and far in the UK.A big shout
out to all the parents who would ferry us around, it was almost a full time job.
Like you say, you have been in the scene for a long time and
have grown up as a sponsored skier from a very young age. What
exactly was it like? When you travelled to those competitions
did you feel under pressure to perform and did the glamour of it
always live up to expectations?
That’s a tough question. Don’t get me wrong, getting sponsored was the best thing
to ever happen to me and my skiing. I can still remember when I first got asked
and my jaw dropped to the floor. Back then, it was the one thing every young skier
wanted.Throughout the first few years it was amazing, seeing pictures of yourself in
magazines next to all of my idols was unbelievable and being invited to competitions
like the London Ride were lifetime experiences. At the age of 12 it can make you
a little bit cocky, which I guess anyone who knew me at the time would agree with.
After having several big injuries in a very small space of time, coming back to the
competition scene was very nerve wracking and I would defiantly feel the pressure
when the younger kids were throwing down. It’s at these times when you wonder if
the pressure is actually worth the amount of fun that you get from it. Some people
BEHINDTHE SCENES
sequence RIDERS INSIGHT
probably thrive off the challenge but I don’t find it very fun. It’s probably another
reason for one or two of my injuries, but who knows.
There is a whole generation of young riders coming through at
the moment and it seems like they are getting sponsored left,
right and centre. If there was one piece of advice you wish you
had been given when you were younger what might it be?
My one piece of advice is to enjoy it, even though I know that sounds corny. Ski
for yourself, take bad competition results with a pinch of salt and don’t rush into
anything. Oh, and race training is the bomb.
You no longer have any ties to all your old sponsors, can you tell
us how that came about?
Not really.I don’t even know myself.I guess far too much of a competition orientated
scene in the UK, but I really don’t know how to answer that.
Now that you are back skiing for yourself do you feel like your
attitude towards the sport has changed?
Incredibly, yeah.When I rock down for ski, whether it is at Stoke or anywhere else, I
don’t feel the push to be one of the best there, I can just ride to the standard where
I’m happy. I don’t find myself quizzing people after every ride with things like, “Did
you just see my run? What do you think of it?” It’s become much more of a self-
motivated sport.
Has this held you back from really pushing yourself to achieve
your goals or has it just meant that your overall goals have
changed?
I would say my goals have changed slightly.Since day one my number one goal was to
be able to ski on real snow, (not some crazy ass plastic) as much as I possibly could.
In the end I still love skiing, maybe more now than ever. Every time I go skiing I aim
to get that buzz that comes from having a really good ride, it is just a different path
that’s taking me there. I guess the biggest thing that has changed is what I want to do
with my skiing, I really want to spend a lot of time this coming season making a killer
movie segment that I can be proud of.That way I hope will always have something
to look back on to remind me of this period in my life.
14.
15. CLOCKWISE FROMTOP
LUKAS SCHAFER IN KRONPLATS
SZCZEPAN KARPIEL IN ZAKOPANE
ANDREW MATTHEW IN LONDON
JURGEN NIGG IN INNSBRUCK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARRY FOSKETT
sequence GALLERY
