FISE UP MAY 2021

FACE B / ZOOLOO NATION
Maxime Ramoul itw & pics

 

FISE UP is changing its formula and is now monthly displayed here on the site as well as on social networks where we have fun in particular in rich and romanticized Instagram stories. We continue to put the spotlight on those who are passionate about our disciplines. We are happy to host the FACE B project of the “Zooloo Nation” crew. Video, photos, a book and an interview of Maxime Ramoul who drove the release of it all. Oh yeah, by the way, their thing is freeskiing, it means freedom and it means doing a lot of things completely...

 

Tell me, about the street skiing , wouldn't it be a bit dangerous hahaha ?

Facts ! In skiing when it hits, it hits hard. Skiing is always bigger, faster, further. In fact, street is still a relatively unknown world, a little bit apart, and there is always a time when you tell yourself that you have given enough and then you fall back on fresh snow.

 

Did you have little butterflies in your stomach during the shooting of this clip with César Fabre on the rail?

Haha yeah a little bit, after all I have enough confidence in him. We would all prefer him to land this crazy 27in but after the hit on the head we understand that he did not want to go back right away.

 

César Fabre

 

Tell us about the big kicker shaping process?

The secret is to have a crew of locals who know perfectly the area. But despite everything you prepare it still depends on the conditions. Ideally, it has just snowed, the weather is fine, there is no wind and the spot you shape works for sure. But in real life it only happens once a season haha. Because even if you have the best idea in the world and you have shaped everything well; if it gets cloudy or if it starts to blow, well you go home.

And it happens, as in our case, that the month of January disguises itself as April with spring temperatures and no clouds so no snow for 3 weeks. And there you quickly find yourself just exploring the area in search of the smallest pocket of fresh snow forgotten by the sun and the wind; because no one wants to fly 30 meters and land on ice and / or stones.

 

Where does your passion for film photography come from?

I am part of that generation who learned with digital technology and who chooses to return to film, first for aesthetic research and then for the sake of authenticity. The photographers I identified with when I was a kid were Fred Mortagne and Jérôme Tanon, their film rendering was unique and it was surely because of them that I started to use film. There's that timeless thing on top of that and that unique process that gets you to print on paper and make books, beautiful things that people can touch. In this approach, Face B is intended to be a global project, and with the book a mark left in the service of a spirit in which we believe.

 

Face B is meant to be a global project and the book a mark left in the service of a spirit in which we believe.
 

 

Jules Bonnaire

 

Tell us about les Arcs, the playground must be crazy?

Clearly, Les Arcs has everything you need. It is a huge and varied area which already by gravity gives access to far too many spots. There is always snow and the evenings are full on (Chez Boubou forever).

 

How do the people at the resort perceive the Zooloos, when they grind chairlift cables for example?

Oh like everywhere the kick-out is part of the game and you always try to be a little discreet especially since the Zooloos are anything but anonymous here. They don't want to be taken for the village vandals. For the TS cable it was at the end of the season the station was closed and there was no one up there, the police nevertheless came to disperse everyone on the first day, fortunately at the end of the shaping. We went back the next day, just in case, the picture was worth it I think.

Paul Roques

 

How does the mountain look like during a pandemic?

That's another thing for sure, especially in Les Arcs where the roar of the ski lifts and the “boom boom” of clubs are usually heard all the way to the top. You have to imagine an entire mountain covered by the most beautiful winter of the decade, without lifts, without the machines, leaving the place entirely virgin and silent. So yes, it was the year to go up by yourself, which brought us back to the roots of our disciplines. After all, it makes the images more deserving.

 

The notion of freedom is key in your project, has being limited made it even more essential to your way of life?

For everyone this is a special time, the crisis has hit hard over there. But if you wanted to ski, you could. Lots of people went up looking for fresh snow turns by all means. It’s probably a crossing point for us too, but the passion I think felt even stronger once up there thinking about the reality down in the valley.

 

 

The passion I think felt even stronger once up there thinking about the reality down in the valley.

 

What sacrifices or what life choices imply this need for freedom, because I cannot imagine the Zooloos as wealthy heirs.

Making ski videos is a passionate choice that indeed requires commitment and sacrifices. In France the paid freestylers can be counted on the fingers of the hand, and most of them are competitors. Basically, those we call pro riders are people who have material sponsorship with a quota of posts for the networks. You have to work on the side and find the time to ski. In the crew Jules is a coach at the “Freeski Academy” in Les Arcs and takes on his free time to film, Pierre and Paul work on sites out of season to finance their winter, Joff and César are instructors during school holidays and are temporary workers and bartenders on the summer.
 

Tell me about the delicate relationship between freedom and the danger of the mountain, I imagine that sad stories have inevitably helped to forge a relationship of strong respect for the mountain...

The moutain will always be stronger than you. It’s lucky to be able to spend so much time up there, but humility is the rule. A crew like this has years of experience and training in the mountains; despite everything, no one is above the risks. The arva / shovel / probe combo is the norm when going off the slopes, the ABS (airbag) bags are an additional insurance also in the event of avalanches. But it's not just avalanches, the risk is undeniable and the danger is the same for everyone. Julo frightened us a lot during the shoot. Sad stories, obviously there are too many, and we may be a happy bunch of daredevils, no one wants to see his friend disappear in the mountains.

 

 

Thank you Maxime for letting us host your baby, say hi to the Zooloos from us.

 

FACE B

Proudly supported by K2, Les Arcs, Chez Boubou 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BOOK IS HERE Full support !