Role: Director of Photography
Client: Purple Nomad Films
Sponsors: Eddie Bauer, Jones Snowboards, Delorme, Never Summer Snowboards, Play Hard Give Back, Spark R&D
Publication: Rolling Stone Online , Eddie Bauer LYA Blog,
In the remote village of Arslanbob, Kyrgyzstan, where some of the world’s best backcountry skiing can be found, the local people don’t have access to skis … they’re either impossible to find or incredibly expensive. For the past six years, Hayat Tarikov, an expert in community-based tourism, has been working with the people of Arslanbob to establish a sustainable, locally-run winter tourism industry. His efforts are dramatically changing the lives of Kyrgyz children by offering them the skills and opportunity to become backcountry ski guides.
In February of 2016, Jon accompanied film maker, adventurer, and project creator Nayla Tawa to make a film about the project and Nayla’s personal story and involvement. Joined by professional free skier Lexi DuPont and an expedition team which included Donny Roth, Jerod Anklam, and Charles Tawa, the team sucessfully delivered over 600 kilos of donated winter sports equipment and medical supplies, and helped the local efforts to develop a sustainable winter tourism economy. The full length, feature film is scheduled for release in 2017.