Avalanche Video and Film Footage
A work in progress, compiled by
Bruce Tremper

Avalanche Specialist
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center
801-231-4744
btremper@fs.fed.us

This list contains much of the good avalanche video and film footage of which I am aware. This is certainly not an exhaustive list. I will update this list as I hear of other sources. Please notify me of any good video you have seen on the news, in skiing, snowboarding or snowmobiling films, etc. This was last updated in February, 2000. High quality professional footage is marked with an asterix.

Alaska Department of Transportation
Contact: Terry Onslow
907-783-2772
Various footage of avalanches in motion both dry slides and wet slides, many of them crossing the Seward Highway. Shot from the road, mostly without a tripod. Source VHS

Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF)
Phone: 43 1 87878-12757
Fax: 43-1-87878-14517
Contact: Andrea Ubellacker
andrea.uebellacker@orf.at

Kirk Ashmore
Spectacular home video of a snowmobiler getting caught in an avalanche with subsequent rescue and live recovery, shot in Colorado in February of 2000. Aired on several Colorado television stations.
Contact: Kirk Ashmore 907-926-9677

Aspen Ski Company/Highland Ski Patrol
970-925-1222
Shot on VHS, hand held of large avalanche in Highland Bowl, Photographer Mac Smith.
Also see higher quality footage of the same avalanche from Greg Hensley Productions (see below)

BBC Worldwide
130 Spadina Avenue
Suite 401
Toronto, ON M5V 2L4
Phone: 416 362-3223
Fax: 416 362 3553
Contact: Renee Ruel

British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways
604-387-7516
mothsnow@pop.gov.bc.ca
Has 9 tapes on avalanches, some have to be licensed. Good source.

Canadian Avalanche Center
604-837-2435
Good clearinghouse for avalanches resources in Canada.

* Discovery Channel World of Wonder
Contact: Angela Aeillo
818-753-3400
Produced 15 minute documentary on avalanches which aired on Discovery Channel during the winter of 1996.

Phil Eastley
(last know address was Aspen, CO. Contact Dave Hamre from Anchorage, Alaska for a current address), has some very spectacular footage shot during a MAJOR avalanche cycle which occurred in southcentral Alaska in March of 1979. Footage includes 200 year old trees being thrown up out of the powderblast of a class 5 avalanche, miles of the Seward Hwy buried under tones of snow, and some nice slab failure sequences. The bad news is that he has never been known to let anyone use the footage. Good luck.

Guy Finlay
glisse@alpha.net.au
phone: 61 - 2 - 9974 4248
mobile: 61 - 419 612 661
or Family address : 99 Frenchs Forest Rd.
Seaforth, N.S.W.
2092 Australia
Spectacular home video (8mm) of three people triggering entire face of a mountain and escaping. Shot in France but Guy Finlay is from Australia. This sequence has played on several national TV documentaries.

Great Basin Productions
Box 281176
Lamoille NV 89828
(775) 753-5008
Contact: Joe Royer
Joe Royer runs Ruby Mountain Helicopter Skiing and has stock footage of avalanches in motion taken from a helicopter in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada.

* Greg Hensley Productions
Contact: Greg Hensley
970-927-9198
www.greghensley.com
Hensley@sopris.net
Spectacular avalanche in Highland Bowl at Aspen shot from tripod, also helicopter shots of avalanches. Some slow motion. 16mm film and transferred to video. Calving glaciers in Alaska. Time lapse of mountains, snow, clouds, wildlife, etc.
Price depends on usage.

* Kroschel Films

Steve Kroschel has been filming spectacular avalanches ( originating on 35mm motion picture film ) for over a decade ; HOURS of footage . World Class avalanches second to none :Fractures, avalanches to camera, cornices snapping off , avalanches through trees, hitting buildings, people, snowmobiles, aerials, etc. Constantly shooting new material . PLEASE inquire, customized rates.

Steve Kroschel
HC 60 BOX 2848
Haines, Alaska 99827
PHONE : 907-767-5464 FAX: 907-767-5463
kroschelfilms@aptalaska.net

* Last Frontier Footage
Contact: David Hoffmann
Last Frontier Footage has spectacular footage of avalanche control work along the Seward Highway and the Alaska Railroad, avalanches in motion and cannons. 35 mm, 16 mm and video. Prices depend upon usage.

Contact: David Hoffmann
Tel 907-644-8724
Fax 907-644-8724
E-mail: footage@alaska.com
Web site: www.lastfrontierfootage.com

* Warren Miller
Warren Miller is America's grandfather of ski films. He invented the medium. And they remain the largest ski film company. They have numerous spectacular film clips of skiers getting caught in avalanches in 16mm shot by the best shooters in the business. It's expensive though.
303-998-7281
Contact: Rob DeBarros
www.warrenmiller.com

KTVA Anchorage
907-562-3456
Avalanche rescue footage

KUTV Salt Lake City (Channel 2)
801-973-3219
Varrious Avalanche News Stories

KSL Salt Lake City (Channel 5)
801-575-5500
Varrious Avalanche News Stories

KTVX Salt Lake City (Channel 4)
801-975-4444
Varrious Avalanche News Stories

KUSA Channel 9 Denver
Good footage of actual avalanche rescue with rescue dogs, etc.

KCNC Channel 4 Denver
Video of avalanche dust cloud coming past trees and engulfing a snowplow crew and the video camera.

Eivind Kopperdal
Slow moving wet avalanche destroys several houses in Odda Norway. Hand held home video.

telephone :53 64 42 99
-----fax : 53 64 42 98
cellelar : 90 55 78 82
e-mail : kopperdal@c2i.net

* Matchstick Productions
Matchstick Productions produces extreme skiing and snowboarding films for the public. They have a good collection of people getting caught in avalanches with perhaps 15 “epic” shots.
Contact: Steve Winter
970-349-0860
Mspfilms.com
hedonist@crestedbutte.net

NRK-International Archives Sales-Norway
Contact: Lynn Granaas, Archives Sales Manager
011-47-23-04-96-78 ph
011-47-23-04-73-10 fax
News footage of Norwegian avalanches

National Archives in D.C
Great historical footage
A search can be performed on their website:
www.nara.gov

* National Geographic Television
Contact: film librarian
818-506-8300
Two different documentaries on avalanches. Airs occasionally on TBS.

* Pioneer Productions (England)
01753-653-939
Produced an hour long avalanche film documentary for Channel 2 in England. Aired in the winter of 1996 on Discovery Channel in the U.S. under Raging Planet - Avalanche. Features many spectacular shots of avalanches in motion and some people getting caught in avalanches.

* Real Action Pictures (RAP) Entertainment Co.
Extensive footage of avalanches and people getting caught in avalanches. Spectacular sequence of a telemark skier with old Norwegian-type pole triggering and being swept away in a slab avalanche. Filmed at close range.
403-244-7000
www.rapfilms.com

Riding Safely in Avalanche Country
30 minute avalanche awareness video especially for snowmobilers written and directed by Doug Abromeit of the Forest Service National Avalanche Center. Contains several sequences of snowmobilers getting caught in avalanches but most of this footage came from other sources.
Contact Doug Abromeit for sources (208) 622-0088.
Available from:
Friends of the Sun Valley Avalanche Center
PO Box 819
Ketcham, ID 83340
svavctr@sunvalley.net

Scotland
Spectacular footage of skiers getting caught in an avalanche filmed from a helicopter with Beta SP. Filmed by a Scottish television company. Contact Steve Blagbrough in Scotland for source
44-479-811-0254

Slice of Life Video Productions
Box 629
Golden CO 80402
303-277-9327
Video of an actual avalanche accident with snowmobiles and the resulting rescue. They got everyone out ok.

* Standard Films
Standard films produces extreme skiing and snowboarding films for the general public. They have a large collection of people getting caught in avalanches.
Contact:
Mike Hatchett
916-546-4808
standardfilms.com
email@standardfilms.com

* Telluride Helitrax
Contact: Mike Friedman
970-728-9660
970-728-6990 home
35mm, 16 mm, super 16 mm footage. Extensive collection of avalanches in motion shot from numerous angles, from helicopters and crash box shots (getting run over by an avalanche).
Shot mostly on Red Mountain Pass and around Telluride Colorado during avalanche control operations.

* Teton Gravity Reserch
Contact Steve or Todd Jones
(307) 734-8192
www.tetongravity.com
Huge collection of avalanche-related video from people getting caught in avalanches, avalanche rescue, rescue dogs, sluffs, slabs, etc. They have an hour-long "avalanche roll" for media samples. Price varies with use.

University of Washington Press
Contact: Permissions
206-543-4050 ph
206-543-3932 fax
10 minute film "Avalanche Dynamics". Collection of various 16 mm film clips of avalanches in motion filmed mostly in the early 1970's. Ranges from very small avalanches to very large ones.

Winning the Avalanche Game
Written, directed and shot by Bruce Tremper of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Forecast Center (801-524-5304), an avalanche expert who has been featured in a number of national film documentaries.
”Winning the Avalanche Game” is an hour-long avalanche education video in published in 1994.
Video contains many spectacular avalanches in motion and people getting caught in avalanches but most of these come from other sources listed above. Other footage is public domain which involves people traveling in avalanche terrain, digging snowpits, etc. Most good avalanche footage comes from other sources and you must contact them to negotiate. Sources include primarily RAP Entertainment, Mike Friedman and Warren Miller.
"Winning the Avalanche Game" available directly from:
Friends of the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center
Mail check to:
Box 521353
Salt Lake City, UT 84152-1353
Contact: Ed Arriola 801-955-8353
$25.00, includes shipping
Also: credit card orders from:
Backcountry Access 303-417-1345

Working Title Productions
A varied collection of 16mm-originated avalanche footage acquired from producing the documentary, "The Greatest Snow on Earth: Utah's Skiing Story." Recent, indepth interviews with Edward and Dolores LaChapelle; ski patrols preparing/tossing hand charges and ski cutting variety of slopes; detailed coverage of avalanche gun operation in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah; 1960s U.S Forest Service instructional film. Price based on usage.
Contact: Shawn Emery
1221 South 1000 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
801-463-0741
semery@xmission.com

* = High quality professional footage