After watching the last of Adidas’s Nomad series, we had to know what it was like to do that mission across Russia. Pierre Minhondo, who was along to capture Keegan Valaika, Forest Bailey, Artem Smolin, Alex Tank and friend Jonas Michilot on the journey shot back a few details on what it was like and if it lived up to their expectations …
What cameras were you filming with over there?
We were filming with the FS700 and a Bolex 16mm Film Camera.
The clip makes Russia look like a pretty bleak place, is that the feeling you got when you were there?
The landscape along the train route was incredible and the architecture and culture in Moscow is beautiful. However, we also saw this desolate and harshness to the areas that we we’re in. It’s not an easy life that people are living in Russia. It’s a very tough life and you could just see it in their faces. There wasn’t a lot of hope in the air.
Some of the locations are amazing – what was your favourite?
My favourite location was definitely Perm. All of the guides and people that we met during the entire trip we’re so cool but in Perm there is an actual snowboard scene, and those guys we’re so stoked on snowboarding. They had such a positive outlook on life, snowboarding and skateboarding. They were just stoked and it all felt so new to them. Honestly, it felt like snowboarding and skateboarding did to me in the late 90’s and early 2000’s when I was just getting into it.
The opening of the clip talks about doing something you’ll remember for the rest of your lives. Did it live up to that expectation?
For sure it did. That was the craziest adventure I’ve ever been on. I think everyone on the trip felt the same way. It was super difficult at times, we all didn’t get along with each other the entire time, and it was a really long month, but the best adventures are usually the toughest ones.
How was the hover craft?!?
Haha. The hovercraft was amazing! We we’re in Irkutsk, Russia at this beautiful lake outside of the city that is actually the deepest lake in the world. We were driving along and saw that there were hovercraft tours around the lake so I talked everyone into jumping in one. We we’re actually taking so long on the tour cause we were taking pictures and video at each stop. The captain was super frustrated and I kept on having to give him more money to let us film and do all those spinouts on the lake. The shot at the end of that little secdtion with the fan of the hovercraft blowing all the snow on us…. that was actually the captain after being annoyed with us and dropping us off. He gas’d it super hard and dusted us with the big fan on the boat.
Any details on your next project you can share with us?
No, unfortunately we are still in the process of figuring that all out. I’ll keep you guys informed though!
