The 2014 Powder Video Awards were bigger and better than ever! Thank you very much to Powder Magazine and its entire staff for featuring the High Fives Foundation for the fourth year in a row as the highlighted charitable organization at the awards.
With a welcomed return to Utah, the 14th Annual Powder Awards honored the top skiers, cinematographers, and photographers tonight with a sold-out crowd at The Depot in downtown Salt Lake City.
Sweetgrass Productions celebrated their first-ever Movie of the Year award by stripping down naked (their signature film style) and collecting the most-coveted award for Valhalla, after earlier winning the award for Best Editing for the same film.
“We’re a small team and we just pushed and pushed and pushed,” said the entire Sweetgrass crew, which included all filmmakers, athletes, and their mothers. “We’ve been up against the odds—small budgets, stray fireworks, and getting completely naked—but it really became a battle against ourselves to create the most unique and interesting segments. It pushed us beyond our comfort zones that made us our own personal competition to create something that has never been done. By asking ourselves how could we get weirder and wilder, we found we could expand creatively.”
“Holy smokes, what a show,” said POWDER Editor John Stifter. “From the amazing new venue in downtown Salt Lake, to the guest presenters like Scot Schmidt, Daron Rahlves, Greg Stump, and Wendy Fisher, to the wild Sweetgrass crew taking home Movie of the Year, the biggest night in skiing lived up to the hype and more.”
Tim Durtschi won early on in the evening with Best Natural Air for his rodeo 7 in Field Productions’ Superventiononly to later win the prestigious Best Male Performance for his segment in Way Of Life from Teton Gravity Research.
“I’m really excited about winning both of my awards tonight,” said Durtschi. “Cheers to another great season.”
Elyse Saugstad proved her prowess in TGR’s Co-Lab segment, earning her the top spot for Best Female Performance and as a fan favorite, capturing one of the top five spots in this year’s Powder Poll.
“I’m surrounded by a group of strong female skiers, and to know that I was able to contribute to women’s skiing is such an honor,” said Saugstad. “It’s so amazing to be a part of the Powder Awards, and to actually win an award this year is the pinnacle of my career outside of my personal achievements.”
The long awaited release of McConkey, from MSP Films and Red Bull Media, was honored with Best Documentary and a roaring round of cheers, applause, and emotion for industry hero Shane McConkey.
OFFICIAL 14TH ANNUAL POWDER AWARDS RESULTS
Photo of the Year
Caroline Gleich, Alta, Utah
Photographer: Liam Doran
Best Jib
Max Morello, Tracing Skylines, Poor Boyz Productions
Best Manmade Air
Sean Pettit, Tracing Skylines, Poor Boyz Productions
Best Natural Air
Tim Durtschi, Supervention, Field Productions
Breakthrough Performer
Dale Talkington
Full Throttle
Callum Pettit
Best Line
Callum Pettit, Into The Mind, Sherpas Cinema
Best Powder
Dylan Hood, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, and Colter Hinchcliffe, Way Of Life, Teton Gravity Research
Best Female Performance
Elyse Saugstad, Co-Lab, Teton Gravity Research
Best Male Performance
Tim Durtschi, Way Of Life, Teton Gravity Research
Best Short
Super Mom, Switchback Entertainment
Best Editing
Valhalla, Sweetgrass Productions
Best Cinematography
Into The Mind, Sherpas Cinema
Best Documentary
McConkey, MSP Films and Red Bull Media House
Movie of the Year
Valhalla, Sweetgrass Productions
Powder Poll Men
1. Seth Morrison
2. Sean Pettit
3. Candide Thovex
4. Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
5. Eric Hjorleifson
6. Drew Tabke
7. J.P. Auclair
8. Mark Abma
9. Pep Fujas
10. Tom Wallisch
Powder Poll Women
1. Ingrid Backstrom
2. Michelle Parker
3. Angel Collinson
4. Elyse Saugstad
5. Lindsey Vonn
