Salt Lake City, Utah (December 6, 2013) – The home to the “Greatest Snow on Earth” welcomed the ski community for the 14th Annual POWDER Magazine Powder Awards at The Depot in downtown Salt Lake City.
“This awards show recognizes the progression of skiing and everything that we love about the sport,” said POWDER Editor John Stifter. “We look to the future as we celebrate the past. We had legends of the sport presenting the awards to the future of the sport. What a great night.”
The Powder Awards were simulcast live across the internet to fans all across the world and the fans choose the first two awards of the evening by selecting Ingrid Backstrom and Seth Morrison and the Powder Poll Female and Male winners.
“To be a part of this community and to be honored with the top vote from the fans makes this award so very special to me,” said Backstrom. “I love skiing and to be recognized for my passion and to have the fans share that with me, I cannot be more thankful.”
Guest presenters Scot Schmidt, Daron Rahlves, Greg Stump, and Wendy Fisher and others gave advice to the future of the ski community as they spoke before giving out their awards.
“Skiing has given me my life,” said Daron Rahlves. “It brings families and friends together while allowing you to be able to express yourself in so many different ways. Tonight we honor those skiers and the support team that allow the entire community to view the expression of skiing through film. The skier has the easiest job. It is the editor and the cameraman, that without them, you would not be able to see the progression and beauty of the sport.”
McConkey, from MSP Films and Red Bull Media, was honored with Best Documentary as cheers and tears were abundant.
“If Shane was here tonight, I know he would be smiling,” said Sherry McConkey wife of deceased skier Shane McConkey. “Tonight is everything Shane loved and lived for in skiing. His legacy lives on in all of the entire ski community.”
After winning an award earlier in the evening for Best Editing, Sweetgrass Productions were honored with Best Film for their production of Valhalla.
“We’re a small team and we just pushed and pushed and pushed,” said the Sweetgrass team. “We’ve been up against the odds with a small budget. It really became a battle against ourselves to create the most unique and interesting segments. It pushed us beyond our comfort zones that made us our own personal competition to create something that has never been done.”
Tim Durtschi took home two awards winning Best Natural Air for his rodeo 7 in Field Productions’ Supervention and the top award Best Male Performance for his segment in Way Of Life from Teton Gravity Research.
“I am really excited to win both of my awards tonight,” said Durtchi. “Cheers to another great season.”
Elyse Saugstad took home top honors for Best Female Performance for her work in Teton Gravity Research’s Co-Lab. Along with being a top five female in the Powder Poll, Elyse showed that she is a dominant female in the ski community, but it was the other women she recognized.
“I’m surrounded by a group of strong female skiers, and to know that I was able to contribute to women’s skiing is such an honor,” said Saugstad. “It’s so amazing to be a part of the Powder Awards, and to actually win an award this year is the pinnacle of my career outside of my personal achievements.”
For more coverage, photos, and video from the biggest night in skiing visit PowderAwards.com and the Multimedia section of T Squared Action Sports.
14th ANNUAL POWDER AWARDS RESULTS
Photo of the Year
Caroline Gleich, Alta, Utah
Photographer: Liam Doran
Best Jib
Max Morello, Tracing Skylines, Poor Boyz Productions
Best Manmade Air
Sean Pettit, Tracing Skylines, Poor Boyz Productions
Best Natural Air
Tim Durtschi, Supervention, Field Productions
Breakthrough Performer
Dale Talkington
Full Throttle
Callum Pettit
Best Line
Callum Pettit, Into The Mind, Sherpas Cinema
Best Powder
Dylan Hood, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, and Colter Hinchcliffe, Way Of Life, Teton Gravity Research
Best Female Performance
Elyse Saugstad, Co-Lab, Teton Gravity Research
Best Male Performance
Tim Durtschi, Way Of Life, Teton Gravity Research
Best Short
Super Mom, Switchback Entertainment
Best Editing
Valhalla, Sweetgrass Productions
Best Cinematography
Into The Mind, Sherpas Cinema
Best Documentary
McConkey, MSP Films and Red Bull Media House
Movie of the Year
Valhalla, Sweetgrass Productions
Powder Poll Men
1. Seth Morrison
2. Sean Pettit
3. Candide Thovex
4. Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
5. Eric Hjorleifson
6. Drew Tabke
7. J.P. Auclair
8. Mark Abma
9. Pep Fujas
10. Tom Wallisch
Powder Poll Women
1. Ingrid Backstrom
2. Michelle Parker
3. Angel Collinson
4. Elyse Saugstad
5. Lindsey Vonn