Free skier takes amazing 600-feet leap off mountain cliff face
7th July 2011
Daredevil Tomas Bergemalm, 35, decided to try the extreme drop as one of his last challenges before spending more time with his wife and family. And luckily for his beloved Fia and their young son Noah, he managed to pull it off and made it home without a scratch. The breathtaking stunt was a culmination of Mr Bergemalm and photographer Patrik Lindqvist's vision to push the sport of skiing to its limits.
Mr Bergemalm, from Sweden, who first took to the slopes aged 15, said: 'I've been around for a while and competed all over the world - in Norway, Slovenia, Canada - you name it, I've skied there. I knew I had to get involved with this jump, and spent five months training in Chamonix, France, to get to my best. I was also spending every winter in Canada training.'
After many talks about whether they could collaborate to make the shot, the snow-loving duo spent the day fighting treacherous conditions to create this breathtaking image on Valley Blanche in Chamonix.
Fellow Swede Mr Lindqvist, also 35, said: 'If I have to climb mountains and sleep overnight in a tent at minus 20 degrees then so be it. It's a beautiful world out there and I will forever strive to capture it. I thought to myself, if I can make a living out of something that I love then I have to pursue it. You never know how these kind of shots will work out, but I'm really pleased with this one. This is my dream job.'
Mr Lindqvist, from Kalmar, Sweden, has been a professional photographer for eight years, after trading in the heavy machinery of the steel manufacturer where he used to work for the satisfying click of the shutter. He got into the trade in 2000 after being approached by an Australian journalist at the Skiing World Championships in St. Anton, in Austria.
Fischerstechen
Johannes Widmann (R) sends his opponent Michael Krueger into the water as they take part in the Fischerstechen or fisherman jousting competition at the Staffelsee lake in Seehausen. The traditional Fischerstechen is celebrated annually on Assumption Day...
The Orkney Men's Ba'
This is a tradition every Christmas day in Orkney. The idea is that all the men from the north and south islands try to get a ball from the town centre to one of two goals. Looks like a good laugh...
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