“There are a million action shots that I could publish here of Craig Kelly, but I feel that portraits tell the story better. Craig and I went to Portillo, Chile in September of 1999 and hired the local heli pilot in pursuit of powder. Before we arrived, a previous helicopter had crashed killing the pilot and American ski photographer T.R. Youngstrom. Seth Morrison was also onboard and survived the crash. It just so happens our guide took us to the exact same place that T.R.’s helicopter attempted to land.
I turned to Craig and said, “Nothing feels right about this.”
As our helicopter settled in for a landing, we got hit by a big gust of wind and our pilot had to circle around. Once we landed we rode down the run to the crash site several hundred meters below the ridge. We all stood there in silence as dark clouds rolled in from above. The avalanche hazard was high. A cold chill ran down my spine. I turned to Craig and said, “Nothing feels right about this.” Both Craig and our guide quickly agreed and the helicopter picked us up right there on a small flat spot. We didn’t even finish the run. Flying back to Portillo, I could see this incredible tension in Craig’s face. This rarely happened so when it did, you know something was wrong. It took all my strength to pull the camera out and take this photo in the helicopter.” — Mark Gallup
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Few can honor the title of a snowboard historian. Individuals like Pat Bridges, Michael Chantry, and Todd Kohlman certainly can, but Mark Gallup is in a league of his own. Not only was Mark present in the cradle of snowboarding’s infancy, but his camera was as well. Pioneers like Craig Kelly, Victoria Jealouse, Tina Basich and Jason Ford are just several of the names written on boxes of negatives in Mark’s archive, which he regularly shares on his Instagram account, bringing the past to life. It is more important than ever to reflect on these people that helped bring snowboarding to where it is today, and remind us of a time before the digital age, when patience and anticipation battled each other while people waited to see the next development in our lifestyle’s incredible story. Thank you for sharing Mark, these memories are cherished.
Those Days is a weekly series from Snowboard Mag that gives photographers a platform to share some of the most memorable moments from their careers. Each month, we give a different photographer the platform to share photos that spur feelings of nostalgia, triumph, pain, happiness; anything with a story they want to tell. Our culture’s history is vast and full of these special, fleeting instants in time. Those Days is here to bring them to you.
