A LOOK AT SOME OF THE FACES IN ATTENDANCE AT THE 2019 WINTERCLASH

Introduction and Photographs by Ryan Loewy

If there’s one IT competition of the year, it has to be Winterclash. Back in December, the conversation began between myself, Josip and Michael about the idea of me attending to photograph it. I eventually booked my flight, and began writing out ideas and objectives to execute for it. But as I learned over my trip, if you spread yourself too thin in your goals in terms of coverage for an event like Winterclash, you are destined to fail. While I probably shot upwards of 3,000 photos, I found myself often at times overwhelmed and defeated; the sheer capacity of those in attendance overtook my better judgment in documentation, and while I accused myself of failure, in retrospect, it simultaneously also shows the magnitude and scale in which the sport is performing. A rough figure of 1,800 people spread across 65 countries were in attendance for this year’s event; whether or not that is a milestone is unbeknownst to me, but it is certainly a declaration of the sports continued resilience. With some of the best in the industry in attendance, the 3 days that commenced were filled with not only excellent skating, but also an excellent portrayal of the richness that the industry holds. Whether it be the countless seminars highlighting the many topics of and facets and faces involved within the community, or the packed trade show glistening with hungry buyers and new products on the horizon, Winterclash, now 15 years in rotation, is without a doubt the pinnacle event for the sport and will remain as such for years to come.