JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

After devoting much of the fall to multimedia projects, travel and other assignments, photographer David Stubbs has restarted his blog, A Vivid Eye.

Rousing the site from slumber, Stubbs has compiled a selection of his favorite landscapes, sports action, portraits and newsy images from 2012, including a dramatic shot of the Little Horsethief Fire cresting the ridge atop Cache Creek.

The News&Guide, too, put together a reel of its best photographs of the year.

When not shooting the likes of Dick Cheney (for a documentary film) or hanging from a rope in the Apocalypse Couloir, Stubbs often focuses his lens on his own backyard and produces stunning beauty from scenes of everyday life. Glimpses of those moments should give readers plenty to look forward to in 2013.

Posted under Art, Media

Tags: david stubbs, photography, snake river

Quentin Tarantino’s latest film has been getting plenty of hype locally, owing to some scenes being shot here last winter when a snowy backdrop was needed.

In the wake of the Newtown massacre, a British interviewer had the nerve to ask Tarantino yesterday about the abundance of graphic violence in his films. Skip to 2:40 in the video for Tarantino’s petulant reaction.

I’ve always had a problem with the director’s glamorization of violence, and skipped most of his work since Reservoir Dogs. In the interview he says he already has addressed the question, but in fact he has said very little. I know because after recently watching Inglorious Basterds on video, I did Google “Tarantino use of violence” to try to understand where he is coming from.

Last winter, during the Django shoot, he had an assistant call ahead to a Jackson restaurant to request a particular cut of steak. Watching him freak out in this clip, it’s easy to see why. If a news interview is a “commercial” for his movie, we’re all here to serve his whims, while he has no responsibility to anyone.

Posted under Art, Entertainment, Media

Tags: films

Although the news has been shared widely since last week’s announcement, let me add my congratulations to photographer Jonathan Selkowitz for being named the International Ski Federation’s Journalist of the Year.

The award recognizes journalists for their career contributions to the sport. For 20 years, Selkowitz has poured an astounding amount of passion into covering ski racing, which is far from lucrative and, aside from Olympic years, receives little attention.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jonathan at two Olympics and other skiing events. No one works harder on and off the slopes, as the story below attests. He also is one of the more thoughtful humans on the planet.

In winning the award, presented jointly by the FIS and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, Selko joins a select group that includes longtime TV announcers Bob Beattie and Tim Ryan and the late USSA correspondent Paul Robbins.

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Posted under Art, Media, Sports

Tags: photography, powder, ski racing, skiing

Kicking off a busy weekend, the National Museum of Wildlife Art celebrates today the opening of the exhibit Greatest Photographs of the American West.

Viewers got a peek at the collection of National Geographic images during the Photography at the Summit workshop earlier this month. From cowboys to canyons, the exhibit covers the people, landscapes and wildlife of the West in exquisite color and composition. There are several images from Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, along with one of Jimmy Chin’s climbing photos.

The museum is hosting a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today and interactive tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Longtime Geographic lensman Bill Allard will discuss his work at 6:30 p.m. today. The exhibit hangs through April 28.

Before sunrise Saturday, sportsters will be lining up outside the Heritage Arena on Snow King Avenue for the Jackson Hole Ski Club’s annual Ski Swap. Early birds will be allowed in at 7:30 a.m., followed by the general public at 8:15. Elevated Grounds will be selling coffee and the Pica’s truck will serve breakfast burritos. Bring your reusable mug. Proceeds will benefit the ski club’s youth programs.

KMTN opens the Halloween festivities with its always-scary Halloween Bash on Saturday. The party starts at 10 p.m. in the Snow King ballroom with music by ’80s cover band 86. Rock and roll all night for $15, with proceeds benefiting Children’s Learning Center. More freak fests will follow on Oct. 31.

Posted under Art, Entertainment, Music, Sports

Tags: Media, parties, photography, skiing, snowboarding

Last Saturday, 1 Percent for the Tetons staged perhaps its most successful Schechter Fest yet: screenings of eight short films about the latest round of projects funded by 1 Percent donations.

Nearly 400 people — many of them friends of the young filmmakers — poured into Center for the Arts to watch the clips and vote for their favorite. The above video, by KGB Productions, was the funniest — no surprise, given that KGB are the professional makers of Wyoming Triumph. Because it was voted best by the audience and a panel of judges, the video won an additional $1,000 for the filmmakers and $1,000 for the Candyland Trail built by Teton Freedom Riders.

1 Percent is continuing the Blitz with online voting that will award an additional $1,000, to be split between maker and nonprofit. All of the videos are posted on the 1 Percent website, and the deadline to vote is 5 p.m. Nov. 2.

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Posted under Art, Economy, Environment, Humor

Tags: conservation, films, Media, mountain biking, nonprofits