Tahoe Side Mission
Hiking for hits around Donner with the boys? Sounds fun, let’s go.
This early-season outing to Tahoe came together very naturally – as it should for three old friends who have spent literally decades traveling the world together in pursuit of snowboard action and adventure. To be clear, these are not your average weekend warriors – far from it. This is a true power trio: Former pro rider and Finnish freestyle innovator, Jussi Oksanen, decorated halfpipe pro and Tahoe resident Danny Davis, and veteran lenseman Dean “Blotto” Gray, snowboarding’s most prolific and published photographer. For fans of snowboarding following the sport over the past 20-plus years, these names will surely be familiar. To the true snowboard nerd, these guys are nothing short of legendary. And they’re always up for a good time.
The Instigator
Blotto hatched the plan and assembled his crew. For him, the process of setting up a shoot is simply second nature. After more than two decades of dedicated documentation as a staff photographer for Burton Snowboards, Blotto knows who to call and when to go, to find the goods. Pick a snowy spot anywhere on the globe and it’s all but certain Blotto has been there and shot it from 3 different angles. No exaggeration. So, this casual local jaunt lined right up with just a couple calls. The aim: to get back on slope with the boys for a quick couple days exploring the rideable roadside attractions around Lake Tahoe California.
The Scenic Bypass
Considering the December date on the calendar and the state of the snowpack across North America, our destination in California practically chose itself. Because in addition to reliable early-season snow and world-class terrain, the Lake Tahoe region happens to be one of the most scenic areas in the entire country. Zoom in even closer and the allure of Donner Pass becomes clear. The pass road, known as old U.S. Route 40, snakes east to west between Truckee, a frontier town that grew up around America’s first transcontinental railroad and Soda Springs, an unincorporated community rated as the “snowiest place in California.” Twisting up and over Donner Summit at elevation 7240’, this 15-mile stretch of road ranks among the most scenic and photographed areas on the continent. Set against a stunning backdrop of high peaks and pristine alpine lakes, cleaved through with deep valleys, and strewn with glacial till and erratics the size of city buses, the landscape here is dynamic and alive—giant Sequoia trees, seasonal streams and rivers … For those seeking outdoor adventure, this area is the ultimate 4-season playground. And the icing on the cake here, is that this plethora of incredible terrain is all accessible right from the roadside with just short approach hikes.
The Crew
Jussi Oksanen
Danny Davis
Dean Blotto Gray
Jussi Oksanen
Veteran Finnish phenom Jussi Oksanen made his mark as a fierce competitor before shifting his focus to the freedom of filming. Bringing highly technical freestyle to the realms of the backcountry proved to be a winning move for “Juice,” whose pro career spanned two decades absolutely jam-packed with well-earned accolades, standout video parts, magazine covers and pro model gear. Today, Jussi is a professional photographer himself.
Danny Davis
Known for his aerial exploits and style-focused approach in the halfpipe as well as his progressive Peace Park event franchise, Michigan-born Danny Davis has blazed his own path through snowboarding, from competition podiums to the untracked alpine, eventually landing in Tahoe, his homebase for over a decade now. His technical ability is equally matched by easygoing, fun-first attitude, making him an enduring favorite and a true people’s champ for the sport.
Dean Blotto Gray
From his early days as an aspiring snowboarder on his own mission to shred, Dean “Blotto” Gray quickly found an outlet for his creative impulse through photography, and a lifelong love affair ensued. Over the decades and around the world, he built a storied and vibrant career to become one of snowboarding’s most prolific photographers as well as a cherished friend and wingman to the sport’s most capable and engaging riders.
The thing I have always loved about Blotto, is his energy. It’s like, you never knew exactly what you were gonna get but you knew it would be something cool and unique.
Jussi Oksanen
The Movie
The SL3-S is exactly what you expect from Leica. Its aesthetics, its feel and it performs. The new auto focus system kept up no matter what mode I had it set.
Dean Blotto Gray
Content Capture
Producing creative content these days is multi-layered affair and we’d be remiss not to highlight the crew behind this short film. Yes, the folks documenting the documentation, in motion. Director Bryan Knox of Knox MMG, is a seasoned snow media pro and along with his ace camera and production teams, was a natural choice. His relationships with all involved made him a trusted partner and the preferred get-shit-done guy for the project.
For more on what these guys do, click away.
Producer: @deanblottogray & @knox_mmg; Director: @bryanknox; Photography: @deanblottogray & @kevin_keller; Cinematography: @justineeles & @timanning; Post-production: @frameremoval; Color: @danolsen.tv
