Totally Iced Out

Majszak/Gregson bring home the bank at 2012 Simms Ice Out Shoot Out

BOZEMAN, MT—Photographer Bryan Gregson and hometown filmmaker Ian Majszak of Detonation Studios captured first-place and $2,000 with their banger film edit “Untitled” at this weekend’s 2012 Simms Ice Out Shoot Out.

"It’s like a big mix of what comes together," Majszak said, after stepping off the stage with the winning loot. "I went 36.6 hours with no sleep and you put yourself to the test just from a normal filming standpoint."

Majszak and Gregson submitted their film with just two minutes left to cut-off and impending elimination.

"Basically, it’s like a minor miracle to get it done. That’s what the Shoot Out is," he added. "That to us alone was winning—just doing what you set out to do."

The four six-minute shorts showcased a range of talent considering time and logistical constraints, as well as some mix-bag weather saddling the region. Majszak gambled on enticing Helena-based guide Mike Agee into an overnight mission, which made for killer campfire footage in addition to a dizzyingly slick daytime edit of big skies and Montana river swagger.

Majszak said he plans to spend the cash on camera equipment (and disappointingly not on tits and tequila in Mexico). Gregson, on the other hand, will line his pathetic wallet with some much-needed gas money to get home to Island Park.

The Drake/Costa co-sponsored event featured four film crews, Simms ambassador guides, secret props, two filming days, major insomnia, and more than $3,000 in cash and prizes. Second and third place respectively went to Ryan Thompson of Swift Current Productions for “Lights Out”, and Adam Kryder and Lucas Carroll of the Raw Water squad for their “Brant Oswald” piece. Last year’s champ RA Beattie, of Beattie Outdoor Productions, was unable to make the event.

Watch the submissions and vote for the People's Choice award in the online poll set to go live on Monday, April 23.

Geoff Mueller is senior editor at The Drake. A North Vancouver native, he squandered many a work day wandering the Interior rivers and stillwaters of British Columbia. When not handcuffed to the computer, he enjoys deep powder, skinny jeans, and the Poudre River's infamous summer inner-tube hatches. He lives in Fort Collins, CO.