At the Nissan Outdoor Games, teams have a week to create a five-minute film showcasing five athletes doing what they do best. The sports are mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, paragliding or hang gliding, and base-jumping or wingsuit flying. From July 8 to 15 teams will be filming and editing their pieces using Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France as the backdrop for their stories. The final films will be shown on the big screen in the center of Chamonix July 15, and judges will choose the winner of the best film, best action sequence, and best photograph.
At the 2009 Nissan Winter Games, Seppi Dabringer, a 37-year-old Austrian filmmaker, and his “Team Argon” took first. This summer, they’re hoping to repeat their success. We asked him about his experience and what he wanted to get out of this summer’s games.
How did you get started competing in the Nissan Outdoor Games?
My good friend Flo Oerley from Innsbruck asked me if I’d like to participate with Team Argon in Chamonix during the winter 2009 edition. Since I had time available, I made the decision in a second: going to Chamonix to live my passion of skiing, filming, and enjoying time with my friends in the mountains was reason enough to say yes, but in addition the location had good memories for me from prior productions.
Why are the Outdoor Games a challenging competition?
The Outdoor Games are challenging due to the limited timeframe we have to create the film. Our task is to combine five sports with a story. On one hand you want to create a new way of how these sports can be connected, but on the other hand it’s hard to have a better idea than the other teams. The weather is the biggest issue of the competition; it’s an outdoor sports competition, it’s summer, and you could end up sitting in the clouds while it’s snowing, you have to be prepared for every situation.
Who’s your biggest inspiration for the films?
My biggest inspiration is mother earth because of its beauty and perfection. To be out in the mountains, woods, lakes and rivers and being able to take time to sit down in a remote location and ground myself to experience the world around me is inspiring.
You won the 2009 winter edition of the games, are you competing against any teams you have before?
This year we will meet again with the “Team Golgoth” from Finland, the defending team from Interlaken [where the Outdoor Games were held last year], and team “Gravity Workshop” from Russia will be back.
What’s the most fun part of the competition for you?
The most fun during this event is the common experience out in nature. It doesn’t matter if it’s a little image for the credits, or a never before seen sports action clip that we can create during the week, every moment is a true pleasure for me. Being able to create something together and experience the common energy makes my profession become fun.
The 2010 summer edition of the Nissan Outdoor Games will conclude with a street festival in downtown Chamonix on July 14 and 15, where there will be demonstrations, a climbing wall, and a slack line. Community members are invited to view the final films on July 15, when the awards will be given out, and “Team Argon” will learn their fate.
