Robin Van Gyn and Leanne Pelosi (back) perfect the alpine photo bomb while filming for Full Moon. PHOTOS LEANNE PELOSI/RUNWAY FILMS
Autumn shred movie season is kicking off in style this week as Whistler hosts the world premiere of Full Moon, a home-grown snowboard movie premiering Friday September 16, 2016 at the Maury Young Arts Centre Theatre (previously named Millennium Place) in Whistler Village.
A full-length snowboard film starring snowboarding’s top women riders and the legends of the sport that inspired them, Full Moon was a two-year project masterminded by longtime Whistler local and snowboard legend Leanne Pelosi.
“This is a legacy project for Leanne,” says local rider, Full Moon co-star, and all-around badass Robin Van Gyn. “She always wanted to make this movie and really pushed to get these riders together. We’ve all been kind of doing our own things and filming separately over the years but as we became better friends and matured and got less competitive with each other it only seemed natural to bring everyone together. And Leanne did it and it worked out.”
PHOTOS LEANNE PELOSI/RUNWAY FILMS
The main cast includes Whistler talent like Pelosi, Van Gyn, Helen Schettini, Marie-France Roy, Annie Boulanger and more. Van Gyn says that while industry and public support for the film was, “overwhelmingly positive” (they raised over $43,000 on crowdfunding site Kickstarter and secured numerous top companies as sponsors) the initial hurdle they faced was weather.
“That first year BC had the worst winter,” she says. “I think Leanne and Marie [France Roy] got some stuff done in the interior but mostly we travelled to Italy and Alaska and really missed BC. We had faith for the second year– Whistler is our hometown and we knew it was gonna get good and it pulled through all the way. The moons aligned and we got to camp out in our backyard for an amazing snow year. We rode pillows that we hadn’t ridden in years. “
The story of Full Moon deals with looking both into the past and the future of women’s snowboarding, with segments from legends like Victoria Jealouse and Tara Dakides as well as segments where youngster Elena Hight and Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson get their first real taste of big mountain riding.
PHOTOS LEANNE PELOSI/RUNWAY FILMS
“The whole idea is that we took inspiration from Tara, Victoria, Tina Basich and women like that and we wanted to help create a new generation of backcountry riders and women who love the mountains because for a while we didn’t see a lot of young up and comer backcountry riders coming behind us. So we took Jamie and Elena to Alaska and they were excited and nervous but then of course outrode all of us and it was insane.”
Whistler has always been a hub for women’s snowboarding (shred OG’s will remember Lauren Graham’s 2003 all-girls flick Conformed and Pelosi’s Runway Films has been spotlighting women riders since 2008) Van Gyn says Full Moon stands apart because the pros made having fun their top priority.
“We were just so united,” she says. “We’re all in this together and why are we always competing with each other? Let’s just go have a good time and whatever becomes of it becomes of it. It was a casual program and that is something I think a lot of people, women and men, can relate to. So we had total creative freedom to ride how we want and do what we want, and at the same time pull in the legends and the future of snowboarding. At the end of the day, people do this sport because it is fun and that is what we cared about the most.”
PHOTOS LEANNE PELOSI/RUNWAY FILMS
The fun will be on-screen at Maury Young Arts Centre September 16, 2016 with an all-ages show at 7 PM and a 19+ show at 9. Tickets are a hot commodity so if you miss out look for the Full Moon film on iTunes this winter.
For the chromosomal opposite of Leanne and girls, Whistler’s favourite male snowboard crew, The Manboys, are also premiering their movie at Maury Young Arts Centre on September 23, 2016. Winter is coming, be stoked.
Labour Day has gone so we’re officially allowed to be excited for winter – but fall is a rad time of year too. Learn more about what’s on in the coming months at Whistler.com.
