Wake up and smell the Tea

But why and how? And has she got any energy left? We grilled her to find out what she’s learned from the Gnar Chicken and Tea project.

So why did you decide to make the film?
I wanted to inspire more girls to get into snowboarding, come down to the indoor slopes, meet each other and enjoy snowboarding for what it is - a lot of FUN! Also to shed more light on the new girls that are pushing it so hard but never get any coverage. In the UK there is a good strong breed of new chicks who need some attention!

Where did the name come from?
There are a limited few that have worked it out! It kind of spun off a friend’s crew in Whistler, the 'Gnar-Core' boys, but with a UK twist. 'Gnar', being gnarly, 'chicken' being us chicks, and 'tea' because that is the Brits drink of choice!

What did you hope to achieve with the film?
I wanted to raise the levels of female participation and interest from the media and get more eyes on the girls as it’s the only part of the industry which is growing right now. You could be fooled if you had a glance through the mags, although it is getting way way better, so let's keep up the good work!

Who were the first people you enlisted to help you?
My boyfriend Ben McHugh. It was all really his idea, he inspired me! I spoke to the guys in the industry, pitched them my ideas and was overwhelmed with the support I received. I then got the riders on board and constantly attacked them with emails to go out filming. It really is harder then it looks. You won't realise it till you try to film yourself.

I have so much respect for riders like Devun Walsh and Daviv Benedek who year in year out get such strong video parts. And of course there’s the Transfer ladies - they paved the way!

How soon into the planning did you start the business side of it?
I had to be really organised in dealing with the sponsors and the product that was arriving.

Doing a degree in events management here has really helped me here (I was only in my first year at the time!). The events required so much thought and planning. I have learned so much along the way. You always learn from your mistakes so future events promise to be so much better!

How did you go about finding partners to work with you?

Alexa and her wonder boys

I brought my friends some beer! It really was only myself and Euan Southcott with help from Ben Williams in graphics and Josh Nash with the moving image. They are all film students and this was a great opportunity for all of us to gain some experience.

Had you been involved in any similar kinds of projects before?
I made some small movies beforehand. Aurelie Garcin and Anna Massot and I made one about a cougar chasing us through the woods in bikinis! Westbeach played it in their Reel to Rail comp last year. The boys in the cinema went crazy! These were just small scale, nothing on the scale of the Gnar project.

Did you get a lot of people sending footage to you?
Tonnes. I couldn't believe how hungry the UK girls were, I was so stoked to see their excitement! Girls would send me shots where they could barely make a 50-50 on a

Becky Lees at the Tamworth Gnar contest

rail, at the end of the season they had frontsides down super styled. Check out Steph Caller's section for a prime example of Gnar motivation!

Have you counted how many riders are in the film in the end?
Urgh! Including the foreign friends, there must be over 25 or so!

Did anyone actually get hurt in the filming - there are some hellahuge
slams!
Anna broke her neck. She does a great switch boardslide on the Mammoth C box in the slam section, just after that she caught an edge riding down in the slush. It was nasty being with her in hospital afterwards. Never call last run. That’s her advice!

What are the main things you've learned from doing the film?
That my urgency in a matter is not always shared amongst the world! That you can do anything if you work hard at it and you can also do a degree at the same time! I also learnt that snowboarding is the best thing that has happened to a lot of people in the world, not just me. I have made some great friends along the way.

Will you be doing more?
I would like to. I will need help funding it though; this one was out of my own pocket and I'm a poor English student! I may concentrate on other trips and smaller productions for TV etc. I would like the girls to contact me if they feel motivated to produce another, I will if they are motivated. Rita Comi and I are throwing ideas back and forth at the moment for another production next year. We will keep you posted.

How involved were you in elements such as the filming, design and editing?
I did a lot of the filming. I learned that if you want something done properly, you’ve got to do it yourself. Filming is hard and not everyone has an eye for it.

As producer I oversaw everything, Euan and I edited everything together - when one's eyes went square, coffee was made and the other took over. Ben Williams came up with the majority of the design concepts; no one could have done a better job then those guys!

Guess where this was taken? Go on, I dare you...

How did you balance your role as director vs working with your friends? Did you very find yourself at odds with the people you were working with or filming?
It is hard to convey you ideas to people or especially your friends. I discovered that some riders pretended not to be bothered about filming but as soon as you gave up your day to film them, they were all over it. I am still waiting for a thank you from a couple of them.

I missed some great sessions this season although I am stoked either way though. That is the sacrifice I had to make, but with the finished product, it was all worth it.

What tips/advice would you give to people who want to film their friends in the park or on the mountain this winter? What makes a good sequence?
Get a good camera and know how to use it. Don't be too lazy not to take your board off to get the better shot. Think about the colours, the sound, the background; all of these are so important. Use the white balance feature if you have one and don't shout into the camera!!!

Get as many tricks as you can on film and a sequence will come from there. We tried to let the girls’ personalities come through in their sections so over all, go out and have fun doing it.

Alexa at Tamworth

What were the biggest challenges and difficulties?
Not getting the camera ready in time, missing the shot or even worse someone else missing your shot!!! Missing some great sessions because I wanted my friends to have well captured shots. Breaking my camera on a rail in Mammoth, getting footage sent in in very bizarre formats and having to convert it! Staying up for two weeks straight editing; that was a challenge!

How many copies have you had pressed up and how can people get their hands
on them?
There are 1500 copies available.
They are available from the stores listed below and you can pick up a copy for free while stocks last.

The Store in Bristol on Park Street
TSA, Liverpool
Subvert, Castleford
Subvert, Manchester
Bucks Board Centre, High Wycombe
Bucks Board Centre, Milton Keynes
Legends, Cheltenham
Boardwise, Edinburgh
Boardwise, Chiswick
TSA, Covent Garden
Big Dreams, Wareham Dorset
Slide Boardstore, Sheffield
720, Plymouth

You can also download it from the site www.gnarchickenandtea.co.uk for your iPod or watch it directly at this link http://www.608z.com/Gnar/movie.html

Some mags like Cooler and Whitelines will be giving some way too.

It may well also be played in the Extreme Channel sometime soon.

Keep shredding and have a great fun winter x