Words, photos & video by Corey Stanton

Mike Hornbeck had been coaching on the Mount Hood glacier for almost five years and was anticipating a change in atmosphere and environment when heading down to meet up with Evolve in Chile, to travel alongside Brady Perron and Ben Moxham. One of the main objectives of the trip was to document it from start to finish, all of us equipped with dSLRs.

Brady capturing Hornbeck on a small backyard rail built on a down day at Roca Negra.

The plan was to make the second installment of the "Meltdown", a project started by Brady, Moxham and Hornbeck ar Mt. Hood the previous Summer, with a similar approach to the storytelling and creation of the film. No bells and whistles, just a stripped down, candid look at the people and places we came across during our visit in South America. It was a crew of 4 Canon cameras capturing every single moment out in the field, whether it be while skating on the streets of Santiago, exploring the small mountain towns of Las Trancas and Chilan, or skiing out in the Andes at Valle Nevado or in Nevados de Chilan.   

Barrio Bellavista, Santiago

Along the way, we met some of the most interesting and wildly entertaining people, charged with a passion for skiing and the pursuit of a good time surrounded by friends and family. Many of these characters are highlighted throughout the video. We were all blown away by the rich culture and arts movement throughout Chile and everyone's general enthusiasm towards skiing and us tourists visiting their land.

Playing with light trails outside of Roca Negra Lodge, Chilan.

Ben Moxham with the Roca Negra animal family: Titan, Co, and Patricio the duck.

With good snow conditions in Termas de Chilan, a solid park in Valle Nevado, and an Evolve Chile program that had Chile so dialed and hooked up, it made the filming process all that much more smooth. By the end of our time in Chile, Hornbeck was taken aback by Chile and the Evolve program. "Never have I been to a camp that feels more like a film trip and cultural experience. I am definitely going to make this my regular Summer spot in the coming years".

Brady sessioning a cornice kicker at Nevados de Chilan.

Without further ado, here is "The Meltdown South: Chile". Enjoy, and be sure to check out http://www.evolvechile.com to be a part of the scene next summer!

The Meltdown South: Chile