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Afterglow: A Mind Blowing LED Ski Video

By: Liv Combe + Save to a List


You know when you come across a video that just keeps on blowing your mind no matter how many times you watch it? That’s how we feel about Afterglow.The 12-minute ski film from Sweetgrass Productions was released last month and its LED lightsuit segment teaser almost instantly went viral—how could it not, when it captured some of the best skiers in the world draped in 7,000-LED bulb lightsuits barreling down rainbow-lit Alaskan mountains? The entire video is insane, but skip ahead to the 6:17 mark for the LED lightsuit goodness.

Co-director Nick Waggoner spoke to Wired about the incredibly difficult production side of the film—at times, when equipment couldn’t be transported by helicopter onto the extreme backcountry locations, the crew had to load it onto sleds and carry it themselves. Despite the near impossibility of the shoot, Waggoner was determined to pull it off.

“This is our way of saying, ‘Hey, skiing has been filmed for like 60 years but there are still ways to reinvent the medium and still ways to look at it with fresh eyes,” Waggoner said. “We wanted to do whatever we could to push the visual envelope.”

Understatement of the century, right? Watch the LED lightsuit segment teaser (for the twentieth time or so) here.

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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