Photo/Jonathan Finch
Episode 3 of Willey Miller's webisode "ON SCENE," released by TGR (Teton Gravity Research), focuses on Shikaichi Ueki, who is based in Golden, Canada. The subtitle is "IN SEARCH OF SHIKA," and the kanji characters for "In Search of Shika" suggest he's being treated as the main character. It
's quite an exciting development to see him session with top-class riders overseas and create a video.
So, we asked Shikaichi Ueki himself to report on what happened during filming, something you can't see in the video. First, check out the video!!
Ueki Shikaichi poses in the same pose as Wiley (left) with a slightly shy expression
A lucky encounter with Wiley Miller
"Shika! We are gonna film this winter Bro?"
It was October 2022. While I was visiting sponsors in Tokyo, struggling with unfamiliar train travel and crowds, I suddenly received a direct message on Instagram. The sender was Willey Miller.
It was an invitation from a star I had been watching in the world of movies ever since I started freeskiing.
I first met Wiley in the spring of 2022. When I headed to the snowmobile parking lot in Golden, Canada, where I live, for a shoot, I found a crew already there, having started preparing.
Among the crew, who exuded a sparkling aura that was a little different from the typical ski-bum Golden locals, there was one skier who had a particularly striking aura.
Being a bit of a freestyle enthusiast, I immediately recognized him from the sponsored gear he was wearing. It's rare to find a rider like him in Golden. I mustered up the courage to talk to him, and he was very friendly
"See you on the mountain"
I parted ways with him at the parking lot, but when I arrived at the filming location, it seemed they had been aiming for the same spot, as they had already pointed their cameras down the slope. Wiley made a flowing turn down a side ridge where the light was beautifully hitting him, then executed a stylish nose butter as he came down. I
was thrilled to see his butter trick in person, something I had always only seen on screen, when he asked, "Do you want to try?" and let me ski down the same slope.
It was a lucky encounter, but it was the only time I met him. Although I was half-skeptical of his invitation, I immediately said "YES."
The first time I saw a movie star
March 2023. I received word that Wiley and his film crew had arrived in Golden, so I put on my ski jacket and headed to the lodge where they were staying. Golden had suffered from a lack of snow this season, with a local legend saying it was the worst it had been in the past 20 years, but the past few weeks had seen consistent, good snowfall, making for the best conditions of the season
I was excited to head to the lodge in the morning to photograph powder snow, but they were in the lobby glaring at each other in front of their computers and cell phones, and even after an hour or two, there was no sign of them leaving their computers
Apparently, the day before, he had managed to make a connection with a helicopter company, and he was busy raising funds and contacting essential guides to make the helicopter shoot a reality. Using a helicopter for filming significantly increases the hurdles, including the financial aspects. It feels like it increases by several tens of times.
Skiers, in general, seem to be bad at this kind of paperwork and sales, and it seemed that even global star Wilee was no exception.
In contrast to the lively expression seen in the video, we saw him frowning as he frantically typed emails. Even so, the fact that he was able to build trust with the helicopter company and guides, raise funds, and even get to filming in such a short amount of time was a feat made possible by his past achievements, relationships with sponsors, and determination to shoot good footage. In fact, the scale of the footage would have been completely different with or without helicopter filming
The kicker session took an unexpected turn
During the shoot, we had the opportunity to do a backcountry kicker session
The team of five spent time searching for terrain suitable for creating a jump and then building it. They practiced the approach on their skis, and then decided on the order in which to jump. In powder, each jump creates a hole upon landing, so those who jump after the first one have to adjust their angle and distance to avoid getting stuck in the hole.
Therefore, every rider wants to jump early. The order is often decided by rock-paper-scissors, but I thought it would be Wilee's chance to shine, so I let him go first.
"3, 2, 1 drop in!!" Wilee took off from his speedy approach and executed his signature wide-open tail grab 720.
So, thinking it was my turn next, I approached Wiley after he'd finished his run, only to find him
unsatisfied and asking me to jump again. Since Japanese people almost always jump in order, I was a little taken aback, but I let him get on the side of my snowmobile and took him back to the start.
In the end, he kept going, skipping ahead of me, and jumped the same jump four times in a row until he was satisfied.
I approached him after he had finished jumping and asked him, "Why did you jump four times in a row?" He replied, "Your success rate increases if you jump consecutively while the feeling is still fresh, and above all, if you don't land it properly, the footage won't turn out well."
This happened several times during filming. Even when the other crew members were satisfied, he would try again and again to get the footage he was happy with. Of course, he made plenty of mistakes and fell. But I felt that it was because he tried more than anyone else and was so persistent that he's been able to capture such great footage so far.
However... I was a little annoyed when he used the approach I had dug out to broaden the range of jumps, and then jumped ahead of me (laughs).
A meticulous shooting style that doesn't waste time or effort
For this shoot, he flew from his home in Montana to Golden, Canada in his private Cessna. He got his license about 10 years ago and apparently uses the Cessna for work in the summer and to fly to Mexico for vacations. With his
sunglasses and headphones on, and gripping the controls, he looks as cool in profile as he does when he's skiing. During this shoot, I also got to ride in the Cessna a few times. The purpose was scoping down slopes.
When skiing and filming a single slope, the most important task is scoping to find a good slope and good snow. Doing this in a Cessna is extremely efficient. Walking 15km a day is exhausting, and even a mobile can't cover 100km easily. Helicopters are versatile but too expensive. However, with a private Cessna like the one we used this time, we can scope out most of Golden in just a few hours
"BE PRODUCTIVE" is a phrase often used in North American filmmaking. In Japanese, it would probably translate to "Be productive." To make a ski movie, you need to get the required number of good runs within a set timeframe.
Movie projects, in particular, are influenced by things you can't control, such as the weather and snow conditions, yet they operate on a build-to-order system where money is collected from sponsors upfront. You have to somehow make it happen within those constraints. Having fought and achieved results under that pressure for many years, he has internalized the importance of filming efficiently.
Not only was he scoping the Cessna, but he was also quicker than anyone else in the parking lot and preparing on the mountain, and the time it took to inspect the slope and then get up there was also quicker than anyone I've ever filmed with. Not a single second is wasted in the mountains. You can feel his determination to get great footage from every movement he makes
"I'll keep skiing until the sun goes down" - always hungry until the end of filming
Helicopter Day was made possible through a variety of efforts
With good snow and sunny weather continuing, we had already been filming using snowmobiles for three consecutive days, and we were definitely feeling the buildup of lactic acid as we approached this day. Incidentally, filming with snowmobiles is several times tougher than you might imagine. Anyone who isn't used to it is guaranteed to have their upper body muscles aching after just one day.
On this day, the helicopter flew overhead from early in the morning, and we continued to ski at a high pace without stopping. After noon, the guide asked us, who were being picked up by the helicopter, "Shall we take a short lunch break?" We skied down several big lines, and neither Wiley nor I crashed. We were feeling pretty good about our progress. Just as the camera crew and I were exchanging glances, wondering, "Is it time to take a breather?",
"NO!! Keep skiing till the sun goes down!!"
Wiley declared, demanding that the guide call a helicopter immediately
We quickly munched on snacks in the few minutes before the helicopter arrived. All the while, Wiley was talking to the guide about the next slope, power bar in hand.
In the end, Wiley and I continued skiing with almost no food or drink. Wiley captured footage of each run with a wide variety of riding styles, from big mountains to trick shots on pillows.
His concentration and determination were unlike any rider I had ever filmed before.
Three days of snowmobiling and a full day of helicopter skiing. I was sure the next day would be a day off... but my expectations were proven wrong, as the highlight was the following day.
In the morning, we did heliskiing again, and in the afternoon, we used the snowmobile for filming until sunset. We finally returned to the parking lot when it was getting dark.
Everyone was exhausted, both physically and mentally, but everyone had a look of fulfillment on their face, having completed the job as a team. I learned so much from skiing with him: the preparation for filming, the techniques for smoothly conducting shoots, the dedication to getting each shot right, and the passion to capture great footage. He's one year older than me and still going strong, and at 37, he made me want to improve and work harder.
Thank you so much, Wiley!
PROFILE
Shikaichi Ueki
, born in Chiba Prefecture in 1985. He travels the world, including North America, Japan, New Zealand, and Europe, in search of exciting slopes. In recent years, he has been particularly devoted to climb and ride, venturing deep into the mountains. He is passionate about challenging himself on bigger slopes. In parallel with his riding activities, he works as an organizer for the JAPAN FREERIDE OPEN (JFO) held at Hakuba Cortina, handling everything from planning to operation.
Sponsors:@rmu.mtn.co,@sweetprotection_japan,@arcteryx_jp
https://www.instagram.com/shikaichiueki/
WILLEY MILLER ● Born in 1984, Wiley Miller
is a professional skier based in Bozeman, Montana. Since being featured in Level1 Production's movie "Realtime" (2007), he has become a movie star, primarily active in film and television rather than competitions. He has released signature skis with 4FRNT and RMU, and has many fans worldwide.
Sponsors:@rmu.mtn.co,@stio,@sweetprotection,@backcountryaccess
https://youtu.be/JGNNBg3_lBs