Minneapolis-based Ben Brewer visits the north woods of Wisconsin to document the annual American Birkebeiner International ski race for a self-assigned project. Ben hit the slopes to follow one of the original founders of the event, Ernie St. Germaine, as he competed in his 47th race since the Birkebeiner started in 1973. Ben captured the youthful spirit of the 73-year-old cross-country skier before, during, and after his 40+ kilometer route.
This project meshed so well with my photographic style as a photojournalist and cinematographer.
Initially, the project came to mind for Ben as he wanted to document how a professional event, such as the American Birkebeiner ski race, would adapt and change during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the project became more singularly focused as Ben decided to take a more personal angle on the race after he researched and connected with XC skier Ernie St. Germaine. Ernie fell in love with the sport at the early age of 25 and is the only person to have participated in all 47 races since its inception.
The shoot was a mix of action shots, portraits before and after Ernie’s competition, and a few context-setting images of the open competition the following day. Ben documented the feat from start to finish, highlighting Ernie’s fortitude and commitment during this annual tradition he’s maintained for nearly 50 years.
The Birkie is the largest and one of the longest cross-country ski races in North America and has a reputation for attracting skiers of varying ability levels. Recognized as one of the more difficult cross country ski marathon courses in the world, the Birkie draws upwards of 10,000 ski enthusiasts for a 50-plus kilometer trek from Cable to Hayward every year.
Logistically, the project required a great deal of planning to document Ernie’s 40+ kilometer route-finding optimal (and vehicle-accessible) locations for photos – as well as the general challenge of keeping safe and warm during brisk single-digit weather.
The day of the race became much more creative and free as a result of the proper mapping and routing of where Ernie would be along his route, as well as the time of day and accompanying lighting at each stage of the race. By choosing to shoot the majority of the race with only three lenses (35mm, 85mm, and 70-200) while shooting in all natural light, Ben was not held back by gear and didn’t need to hire an assistant. This allowed him to remain focused without breaking the photojournalistic rapport with Ernie.
Post-production was relatively simple as the shoot was intended as a photojournalistic/editorial story so no retouching was done aside from basic culling, cropping, and dodging/burning for toning.
A favorite part of the project for Ben was seeing Ernie’s heartfelt response to the final processed images, as well as being afforded the opportunity to license the photos for a feature story on his Birkie history in the Winter 2022 edition of Cross Country Skier Magazine.
Credits
Photographer: Ben Brewer