Film director and producer Jorli Ricker sees sledding as more than an action sport. For him, it’s about self-discovery and finding unique ways to conquer natural terrain. Lucky for us, he rides with and films some of the best backcountry sledders in one of Western Canada’s greatest riding areas: Whistler, B.C.
Ricker, 35, originally made a name for himself in the world of snowboarding, riding for worldwide snowboard manufacturer Burton. Like many of his buddies, Ricker bought a sled to gain access to untouched slopes but as time rolled on, he found himself leaving the snowboard at home to spend more hours on the throttle. Eventually, he abandoned snowboarding completely and took up sledding as his main hobby.
Ricker produced his first sledding feature, which was titled Fourcast, in 2009, and he released the sequel to it last August. Both films have been well received and I’m sure everyone who owns a copy of Fourcast 2 has watched it a few times already.
In addition to filming, last season Ricker started SnowRide Adventures—a unique snowmobile touring outfit based out of the big coastal mountains of Whistler.
Ricker’s definitely been a busy man but I was lucky enough to catch up with this entrepreneur to get his take on filmmaking, sledding and the remarkable terrain around his hometown.
When did you start making films? I got into filmmaking from snowboarding. I had just started filmmaking around the time I started snowmobiling as well so I was struggling with the snowboard thing and producing films. I did a couple of snowboard films and then some mountain bike films. I worked for other companies for years. The first film I did on my own was Fourcast.
How do you find your riders? What qualities catch your eye? Attitude is the most important. There’s a lot of people who have tremendous potential but won’t take the time or make the commitment to do things. I also look for people that are more interested in the sport than self-aggrandizement. They are typically people who genuinely love the sport and don’t really have any ego. And obviously riding ability and different techniques. Showing maturity in riding is really important . . . When you go out and you’re in the middle of nowhere, you want to be with people who are making good decisions, not bad decisions.
Who caught your eye last season—any breakthrough riders? Well, Keith Curtis, definitely. I think he kind of found his own way last year. It definitely seems like his experience here in Whistler was really helpful to him as a rider—you know, developing understanding in different areas. It was just a really good experience all around. I had a great time working with him.
What was the best day of filming last season? Last season was tough. There’s no question about it. We had a rough year, filmwise . . . We had an unstable snowpack, which is very uncharacteristic for Whistler. We also had a number of weird weather events where we got incredible amounts of snow and then the freezing level would spike and all that new snow would consolidate really quickly so the moment the sun came out, we didn’t have the snow quality that allows you to push it . . . There was a couple days in March that were really good. Because of the influence on our style, we are definitely looking for conditions where you can get just above treeline and have the snow quality that allows you to get away with things that you just can’t do when it’s rock hard.
Where was Fourcast 2 filmed? It was mainly around Whistler and Pemberton. We also went and did a couple of days in Valemount, Blue River and there is some stuff from Revelstoke as well.
What is your favourite riding area? It’s Whistler by a long shot.
How does Whistler differ from other areas? Whistler has very dynamic terrain. We don’t have the mountain ridges you see in the interior. There’s a lot of benching on the mountains (and) typically there is great stability in the snowpack. It really is a snowmobile paradise in so many different ways. You can make it as challenging as you want but there is also the ability for safe travel throughout a lot of it. It’s got that perfect combination between high snowfall and typically low wind effect. Because we have such a variance of elevation out here, you get to develop your riding skills in so many different environments.
Tell me about SnowRide Adventures: It’s like a heli-skiing operation but for snowmobiling so it’s positioned for people who have riding experience and want to come and see what the whole big mountain situation is like out here. We also provide some instructional components too and there is a bit of a celebrity element to it, so it’s a pretty neat experience as far as snowmobiling goes.
What are your plans for this season? I don’t know yet. I need to focus on developing SnowRide. I would like to continue to pursue film-based media because I think there is a lot of value to it. I do see the market is inspired by what we produce and that in itself is really rewarding. At the same time, it’s very difficult to do it year after year.
