For almost two years Jérôme Tanon took a sharp turn in his career and embarked on a journey around the world to fill the leak of missing action shots of female snowboarders. He went from France to Austria, Switzerland, Canada, the USA and finally Finland where he visited snowboard legends such as Annie Boulanger, Marie-France Roy, Robin Van Gyn, Desiree Melancon, Ivika Jürgenson and Anna Gasser. Jérôme followed these big talents to their private sessions in the park, on the streets or in the backcountry and to big events like the Audi Nines and Ms. Superpark. The most essential item on his whole journey: the Pentax 6x7 analogue camera. A medium format camera with a fixed lens, manual focus and only ten photos per film – definitely a challenge itself.
When Jérôme explained his big project to the female snowboarders more than two years ago, all of them were more than enthusiastic. Some of the street and park riders never had a pro photographer come to their sessions to document their passion. Seems unbelievable, considering how much talent the passionate female riders bring. Not everyone is aware of these absolute heroines, bad-ass women and rippers who love snowboarding more than anything else. Just as much as their male companions do. Snowboarders are Snowboarders! But what distinguishes them from the male boarders is their family and community vibe. They always have each-others backs and share their emotions, no matter what! They cry of joy, of pain, they burst into laughter, give hugs and are best friends in the moment.
Not only the legends, but also the underdogs and hidden talents were documented by Jérôme. Even though they are not in the spotlight of the media and get way less attention, they seem to be twice as motivated. They ride solely for their deep-rooted passion. They grind, sweat, fall and love it more than anything.
Ylfa Runarsdottir will impress everyone who has never heard of her. She rides with an incredible energy and speed that reflects her willingness and eagerness to land the next trick. Next to her bad-ass attitude on the board, she is a sweet and shy character that is liked by everyone.
The most bad-ass and toughest snowboarder is probably Desiree Melancon. Mainly, the streets are her slopes. She battles with crazy street spots and hits railings in a very personal and dedicated way. If she falls she gets up straightaway and goes again and again. Her dedication and fight against her fears can be seen in mind-blowing video parts.
Robin Van Gyn landed one of the craziest tricks Jérôme got to see on his two years journey. She jumped from a massive cliff in Whistler which reminded Jérôme of a huge kicker. She jumped – snow was falling, she was covered in a cloud of powder, nowhere to be seen, the landing was hidden. But she landed! And not only once!
After Jérôme returned back home from his journey, probably the toughest step of producing HEROES was ahead of him. All the photos had to be developed in the darkroom – many hours of hard work, which in the end definitely paid off. Afterwards the photographs were all put together in one book. Each photo deserved its own page, some are even showed on a double page and two have to be unfold. To make HEROES as personal as possible, Jérôme added the girl’s designed artworks, illustrations, letterings and words next to the photos. Last but not least, he chose the perfect paper and an incredible cover. It did not matter to him how much it would cost. “I did it for the love of it”, he told us during an interview. The only thing that mattered to him was the message, giving these girls a chance to share their passion and a voice to tell their stories.
HEROES. A book full of inspiration, passion and love!
“Heroes will become a historical piece for snowboarding, an important look at those who don’t always get the spotlight they deserve. This is a project about being human in action sports and appreciating every style that we choose in snowboarding.” Robin Van Gyn
Snowboarders:
Ivika Jürgenson, Estelle Pensiero, Robin Van Gyn, Mary Walsh, Crystal Legoffe, Marie-France Roy, Leanne Pelosi, Nirvana Ortanez, Desiree Melancon, Marion Haerty, Kaisa Lemley, Morgan Anderson, Sarah King, Elena Graglia, Melissa Riitano, Ylfa Runarsdottir, Elena Könz, Naima Antolin, Ylfa Rúnarsdóttir, Christy Prior, Jessa Gilbert, Tina Jeler, Natasza Zurek, Anna Gasser, Hana Beaman, Jamie Anderson, Laurie Blouin, Leila Iwabuchi, Annie Boulanger, Alexis Roland, Zoë Vernon, Mia Brookes, Sina Candrian, Klaudia Medlova, Natacha Rottier, Christina "Pika" Burtner, Alicia Gilmour, Margot Rozies, Hannah Eddy, Zoi Sadowski-Synnnott
