Best Snow Day Ever

After shooting NEO’s Fall styles at Stinson Beach, California, the entire crew hopped on a plane from San Francisco to Reno, planning to shoot the new collection in snowy White Wolf Canyon in the Squaw Valley. But when we got there, it was sunny and clear with snow on the ground: a perfect day for scouting locations, but none of that magical white stuff falling from the sky.

By the next morning we got the winter weather we were expecting — actually, a lot more than we were expecting. A blizzard hit and didn’t quit all day. To get to the locations we scouted the day before, the crew hitched rides on snowcats and snowmobiles. Those of us who got to drive our own snowmobiles are still smiling about it.  

The non-stop snowfall and occasional avalanche warning made the shoot a challenge, but we were prepared for the worst. The models bundled up in NEO, cinching up the fur-lined hoods of their jackets and keeping their feet dry in brightly colored galoshes, while the crew attached plastic hoods to the cameras to keep them dry. From then on, it was the best snow day ever.

The gang piled on a sled for a group ride, pelted each other with snowballs, and even got a dance party going in the snow. One of the models wore a giant bird mascot head the whole time. We’re still not sure if he was trying to stay warm or just repping for Team NEO.

Check out all the chilly action in the video below:

Next time, we’ll introduce you to a pair of the pros behind these crazy-fun shoots. Stay tuned!