Whistler photographer Justa Jeskova has won the Banff Mountain Film Festival Photo Essay Competition for shots she took of the mountain biking scene in Guatemala.
The shots were taken last year during a tour of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
"It was the most memorable two days, for me. We met lots of locals, people who lived in villages. Because we were riding through farm trails we met lots of people and it was a little different," Jeskova says.
She submitted her photos in February and heard that she'd passed through to the finalist round via a jury selection. Jeskova was one of five finalists announced three weeks ago, then online voters selected the winner.
She also came third in the 2012 Deep Summer Photo Challenge.
She described the Banff competition as a "big deal."
"That was a big one for me, it was always my dream. Then I saw Chris Burkhard's, who is a big name in the industry, shooting adventure and surfing. He has a million followers, an amazing photographer — and he won Banff last year," Jeskova says.
"I thought, 'Oh my God, this is an amazing competition.' I submitted but I didn't think about winning. I thought it would be awesome to be a finalist but based on last year's winners I wondered about my chances."
The win is a big career opportunity for Jeskova.
She estimates that about 20 to 25 per cent of her photos are derived from mountain biking.
Her work can be seen at www.justajeskova.com.
Prior topsheet contest opens
Prior Snowboards and Skis has opened up its topsheet contest for another year.
The call for submissions of artwork to adorn the tops of the company's skis and snowboards is open to artists in the Sea to Sky corridor. It closes at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1.
There were about 90 entries last year, with 25 finalists chosen by Prior employees. The voting public will have its first look at the finalists at the opening party at Prior's Function Junction factory on Oct. 16 and can select the winners online.
For more information and to enter the contest visit www.priorsnow.com.
WB releases trailer for anniversary film
Whistler Blackcomb has released the trailer for its movie 50 Years of Going Beyond.
Whistler Mountain was originally opened for skiing in 1966 and was created with the aim of hosting the Olympic Winter Games.
The film tells the story of 50 years of Whistler as seen through the eyes of the trailblazers who built it, and those who followed and turned it into a world-class resort — and eventual Olympic venue.
The film, created by Switchback Entertainment, includes interviews with J.F. Pelchat, Eric Pehota, Marie-France Roy, Sean Petit and Mike Douglas.
The full movie premiers online on Oct. 13.
To view the trailer visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiqSB4TLWI4.
-With files by Dan Falloon.
