01/28/2014
Ski Classics, RF in the snow!
The cross country ski championship Swix Ski Classics kicked off in January for a winter season that would travel the mountains of Europe. We were there to provide RF footages from helicopter... and snowmobiles.
Ski Classics is a ski championship spread over six cross country ski races, each covering 30-55 miles. As well as the sporting challenge, the championship also poses a technical challenge when it comes to broadcasting footage of the race. The expertise of our RF team was called upon yet again to film the European championship.
And yes, you need to love a challenge in order to provide live footage of races that run for miles through snowy peaks and last over four hours! Fortunately, our RF team is always up for a challenge, and we sent out an RF Truck equipped especially for the competition to cover the Ski Classics. With temperatures last year falling as low as -25°C, the truck was equipped with a heating system (instead of the usual air conditioning), snow tyres, and snow shovels. The four RF signals were relayed by our Beechcraft 200 plane, which is fully equipped for television broadcasts.
For optimal coverage of the races, we equipped a helicopter with a gyrostabilized Cinéflex camera for an overall view of the competitors. We also provided shots from the thick of the action with three snowmobiles with RF cameras. These provided high impact images for use in the programme.
Find out more about the Swix Ski Classics: http://www.swixskiclassics.com/
Image credits: Swix Ski Classics