Much like Jeb Corliss took BASE jumping to new heights, a group of adrenaline-thirsty snowboarders have taken their obsession to the next level. Who would’ve guessed that ditching snowy slopes for icy glaciers would make for such amazing pictures.

The quintet of snow boarders responsible for the awesome imagery are Jussi Oksanen, Mark Sollors, Mikkel Bang, Danny Davis and Frederik Kalbermatten. They took to the glaciers of Methven, New Zealand, to shoot images for next year’s Burton Snowboards Catalogue.

“Our main focus was to get some great action photos,” said Jussi.

The treacherous terrain is very difficult to reach and the team had to be dropped in by helicopter, however the extra effort was definitely worth it. Climate changes had turned the glacier into an “extreme playground” that was the exclusive territory of the boarders for 10 days.

As nonchalant as the riders look, the entire ordeal is the result of extensive, intense planning, all following strict safety measures. Jeff Curtes, the man behind the lens, elaborated,

Behind the scenes of shooting is all about the preparation – the riders find an in-run through the glacier to get the speed then hit the naturally formed quarter pipe.

We pick terrain that we end up riding because it generally looks ‘right’ and ‘doable’. When Jussi and the team saw the ice their eyes lit up with possibilities.

Glacial travel is always dangerous but we trust our guides who definitely know the area well and travel and monitor the ice and crevasses in the summertime.

Then the guys who are all pro-riders pick terrain that they want to ride so it’s all a calculated and somewhat safer risk.

It looks pretty cold but actually it’s too warm so the powder snow was gone and we were forced to play and shoot in the ice which is more dangerous.’

[Source: Daily Mail]