Dean blotto gray biography of donald
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Why in the Sky?: A Conversation with Blotto—As seen in Issue 1.2
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but some of the best images in the history of snowboarding are actually worth 1003, when you include the photo credit Dean “Blotto” Gray.
Interview by Pat Bridges
Photos by Blotto
Blotto began snowboarding in the Winter of 1992 at the Arizona Snowbowl outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. His talent while strapped in was such that he became “sponsed” in 1994, repping brands like Pill Snowboards, 90 Clothing, 686 Outerwear, and Technine Bindings as a Summit County, Colorado local. Blotto’s ties to Technine led him to becoming their team manager which subsequently provided his introduction to photography, a skill he honed while spending four years as the Team Travel Manager for Burton Snowboards. Blotto’s uncanny ability to conjure not just an image, but a cover- worthy shot, out of the most meager circumstances, led some of his peers to turn his name into a verb, as
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On-hill with Dean Blotto Gray
There is something to be said about people who are skilled multi-taskers. Snowboarding and photography are challenging crafts alone, but combining his two passions, Dean Blotto Gray drops in, camera in hand, ready to capture athletes on their down-slope runs. Seemed to match up pretty well with the whole Photo Issue and Snow Issue we have going on this year. (Perhaps you saw a sneak peek of his work in The Photo Issue.) With the help of our friends at MPB, we shipped Blotto some gear, sent him up the mountain, and caught up over a hot toddy back at the lodge to get a glimpse at a day in his life as a snowboarding/photography enthusiast.
You photograph people snowboarding—to do this do you also have to be skilled on skis or a board? Is taking pictures while you are riding something you enjoy?
Dean Blotto Gray: Yes, snowboarding skills are very important for my photography work. I need to safely make my way up and down the mountains, keep u
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Blotto vs. The Beast | Illustration: Mark Kowalchuk
A true life story of Dean Blotto Gray, as told to Nate Deschenes
The sun is starting to set and we’re 40 kilometers deep.
“Huh?” inom think, “Is this how we’re doin’ it?”
I’m anxious, but there’s no real fear of being left out here because they will do whatever has to be done for everyone to get out safely.
I have to get myself ready for this. I did alright on the ride in, but keep in mind we still have to go up and down these huge mountains we came in on. In other words, it’s not mellow — not for me at least.
I should note that I’m on this beast of a sled, an Arctic Cat 1000, and it takes a lot of effort to maneuver. That, plus my limited snowmobile experience means I am doing a lot of extra work. I’ve also been shoveling all day, so inom have dead arms.
It starts off with an eight or nine kilometer sidehill, which I’m not really pulling. [Mikey] Rencz and [Mark] Sollors agree it’s not all my fel — that my sled is just way