ROC Laissagais - Marathon XC MTBike World Cup 2013

ROC LAISSAGAIS 22ème édition - 6 et 7 Avril 2013 from Val Grollemund on Vimeo.

This year, I got called by the organizors of the ROC Laissagais to make the video of their event on the weekend of April 6th and 7th.
More than the major MTBike Cross Country race in my region, it was this year an UCI XC Marathon World Cup!!!
Just to let you know when they asked you to film a World Cup it puts a liltle sweet weight on your shoulders!!

Saturday 6th, there I was to shoot the Rando d'Or (free organized ride) and the Juniors races.
Almost 0°C with rain-snow and muddy tracks!!
Not that easy for all riders...

The next day took place the famous XC Marathon World Cup.
My brother Gautier came there to give a hand and followed the race with his motorbike to shoot the most beautiful places.

Well, everything is on the video!!

Many thanks to all the organizors, volonteers, to Gautier Grollemund, to Adrien Seguret and for sure to Pierre Boyer!!

OCF2013

Open Canoe Festival 2013 from Open Canoe Festival on Vimeo.

For the 4th year in a row took place the Open Canoe Festival gethering together 500 canoe and outdoor lovers on the river banks of the Drôme Valley in Mirabel-et-Blacons.

Paul Villecourt the organizor had bad luck with flood water level of the Drôme River but organized a pretty sweet schedule with tons of amazing and useful workshops!!
Paddlers had the chance to enjoy a great outdoor weekend and began their kayak season as they had to: with friends in a great atmosphere!!

Paul asked me once again to realized the video of the Open Canoe Festival.
Enjoy.

Eric Deguil

High water level on the Drôme for whitewater canoe lovers!!

Bivouac workshop.

Myself talking rescue and safety with Evan.

White water rescue and saftety workshop.

White water rescue and saftety workshop.

White water rescue and saftety workshop. The throw bag under the butt, the base!! ;-)

 

Evan our official swimmer!!

Throw bag contest, beers to win!!

Beautiful and of the day on the Open Canoe Festival 2013.

 

Gifts to win, get lucky!!

Live concert.

And the camp fire of course!!

Canoeing the Drôme

Water level was too high to run the river with canoe, so we did some rafting descents.
Yeah I'm the stupid man putting his paddle up in the air.

Another great Open Canoe Festival, unfornuately the weather wasn't good but we all had a great weekend outdoor canoeing with friends!!
Thanks to all volunters, and a massive thank you to Paul Villecourt and Philippe Bouvat!!

Freeride World Tour - End of the winter

Another great winter is now over on the Freeride World Tour!!
After 2 fantastic stages on Courmayeur ITA and Chamonix FRA, we went to Fieberbrunn in Austria and Verbier in Switzerland for the final stage!!

Fieberbrunn Austria, here a sweet location far from home!!
When we arrived there, it was too warm, too sunny, too everything but not good snow for sure. So we had to postponed the contest a week later to have a fresh deep snow in the face.

1st day in Austria!!

Adam with local rider Mathias Haunholder.

Hard way back after a day at the office!!

Our lovely hotel room!!

Autrian style.

Six days later, in the cold then, the contest took place.
Snow conditions were'nt that good but enough to compete and make sick runs for skiers and snowboarders.

Morning contest face check.

David Carlier at work with his little toy!!

Adam Brown my work mate in the finish line!!

Packing and flying the Start Gates to the village.

Verbier here we were!!
The world famous Bec-des-Rosses was waiting once again for the also famous Xtreme Verbier on his north face!!
This legendary face scarred every single rider, as every year!!

On the work side, it puts a little bit more pressure on the Xtreme Verbier!!
You work harder, you don't sleep enough, everything to propose a super quality Live show in internet.
Here is the Best Of of this sick event!!

A special mention to Seb Michaud who is retiring from competition, but we'll see him for sure on some video projects pretty soon!!

Good bye Seb Michaud et merci!!

3 generation on stage with Seb Michaud, Aurélien Ducroz and Kévin Guri.

My office in Verbier.

Many thanks to all the Freeride World Tour staff for this incredible winter and for sure a massive mention for the TV/media crew and David Arnaud!!

Trail des Ruthènes, trail running race - Rodez, France

Trail des Ruthenes, 16-17 Février 2013 - Trailer from Val Grollemund on Vimeo.

Between 2 stages of the Freeride World Tour, I want back home for 2 resting weeks, but of course my friend Adrien Seguret, trail running killer and event organizor, asked me to come and make the video of the Trail Des Ruthènes which is the biggest trail running race in my home country place.

And yeah... It was hard to woke up at 4.45am to shoot runners ready to start with -10°C during my holydays... Too early, too early...
But once the sun came up, it was so beautiful and started to get warmer.

A beautiful course, switching plateau, cliffs, valleys and single tracks under a big blue sky, really sick!!

Well a good video speaks better than 1000 words!!

Thanks again to Adrien Seguret, Absolu Raid and all volunters of the Trail des Ruthènes!!

 Waiting for runners...

 Vallon de Marcillac view from Saint Jean Le Froid.

Photos: Céline Dumas