Turnagain Hard Core

The Early Years

Between 2004 and 2008, under the direction of Producer Sebastian Landry, I served as a core cinematographer and editor for the Turnagain Hard Core (THC) film series—specifically working on installments 4 through 8. These films documented the explosive rise of backcountry snowmobiling (sledding) and extreme winter sports in Alaska, capturing progression in some of the most unforgiving terrain on the continent.

Production Environment

Filming in the Alaskan backcountry presents immense technical and physical hurdles. Long before affordable drones and modern 4K digital cinema cameras existed, capturing action sports required a grueling commitment:

• Extreme Elements: Operating complex camera rigs, maintaining battery function, and ensuring lens clarity in sub-zero temperatures and white-out conditions.
• Physical Demand: Riding into remote avalanche terrain while hauling heavy tripods, production gear, and safety equipment to capture a fleeting 10-second action sequence.
• Pre-Digital Editing: Wrangling early HD tapes, dealing with heavy render times, and executing high-energy, tempo-matched editing to aggressive soundtracks.

The Community

These films were more than just action montages; they were the creative heartbeat of the Alaskan winter sports community. Completing the grueling winter production cycle culminated every fall with our annual film premieres at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at UAA, often selling out to raucous crowds of local riders. The THC years formed my foundation in high-pressure creative execution and the importance of media that authentically represents a subculture.