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From 2017–2019, the Squamish Exposed Photo Showdown captivated audiences at the Climb Academy.
Now it's back—and completely reimagined as a multimedia showdown. Six creatives have just five days to shoot, edit, and submit their final entries.
Join us on Saturday, August 22 at 7:00PM to catch the exclusive premiere of all the projects. Cast your vote to help decide who walks away with the grand $10k prize and Fujifilm prize pack.
Throughout the week, a select group of creators will be racing the clock to craft original multimedia projects inspired by Squamish's vibrant outdoor community.
From climbing and trail running to untold stories from the mountains, each project will offer a unique perspective shaped by the creative behind the camera.
Join us on Saturday evening as the films make their big-screen debut at Pavilion Park. Watch the stories unfold, cheer on your favorites, and cast your vote live as we crown this year's Squamish Exposed winners.
Tara Kerzhner is a photographer, climber, and creative known for her distinctly artistic approach to her work. The most exciting part about her work is what it could look like tomorrow, not today. In her opinion, creativity rarely happens anywhere else but on the fringe, so lean in. Having spent more than two decades climbing and over a decade behind the camera, Tara brings a deep and technical understanding to both the sport and the environments she shoots in.
On set, Tara takes the work seriously and understands that great work is rarely done alone. That said, it's not unusual to find her bringing a type 1 attitude to type 2 conditions, all with a suspiciously optimistic smile on her face. One might conclude that she loves this shit. When she's not on assignment, she's usually falling off her rig de jour, working on personal creative projects, or spending time with the people and dogs who matter most to her.
She is also our returning champ having won the original Squamish exposed in 2018 and 2019!
Squamish-based, born in East Van, my family has been moving West for generations.
I was often told that travel was a necessary part of understanding the world, and it is, though I wanted to challenge the notion that distance has anything to do with it.
Finding myself at the left edge of west, I chose to stay put, and my work reflects this decision: I look to photography as witness to place and the people who shape it.
Ben Stone Fenton is a Vancouver-based photographer and artist whose work channels a quiet, intuitive energy, framing the half-formed feelings and small moments that linger beyond the obvious.
He approaches the everyday with deliberate attention, creating images that mature in meaning as time unfolds:
“I’m often trailing my own thoughts, following these quiet impulses that surface without warning. I’m drawn to brief, unguarded moments that feel slight yet carry their own hidden weight. These images don’t announce what they are; they tend to unfold slowly, in their own time. I stay with the present, trusting that these moments will disclose themselves as life moves through me.”
If you spend even a little time with Ben’s work, you begin to realize the world is just one giant poem.
Based in Squamish, Taylen Louise is a photographer and visual storyteller whose work is rooted in mountain culture and human-powered adventure.
Drawing from a background in adventure guiding and tourism, her perspective is shaped by a deep connection to the landscapes and communities that surround adventure sports.
Working across photography and emerging film projects, she aims to balance authentic storytelling with a cinematic and accessible visual style, creating narratives that resonate both within and beyond the outdoor community.
Sofia Blu’s work stems from a desire to preserve memories and create an archive of meaningful moments. Over time, it has naturally evolved alongside her love for mountains and open landscapes - places where she feels most herself and that she believes are worth protecting.
Her photographs often take shape in locations discovered through personal exploration or recommended by local connections, leading her to places that are both meaningful and authentic. At the heart of her work are people with a deep connection to nature and movement, whose presence naturally reflects the spirit of the landscape and the story being told.
For Sofia, working outdoors is rooted in respect and attentiveness: moving through places with care and building a lasting relationship with the land. Her projects are guided by the natural qualities of each environment - its light, colours, and textures - in a tactile, multisensory approach where every image becomes a way of experiencing and conveying the living essence of a place. She is also the co-founder of Slipmode, a collective that promotes more inclusive and accessible creative spaces.
Born in Edmonton and now based out of his van in the mountains of Western Canada, Evan Wong is a commercial, editorial, and expedition photographer specializing in climb, trail, and snow environments.
His work focuses on blending environment and humanity, drawing viewers into stories and experiences with an intimate “lived in” creative style.
He’s drawn to remote, unforgiving terrain, type 2 fun, and the honest, vulnerable moments that adventure sports bring out in people.
Supported By Fujifilm
After six teams, five days, and countless hours of creativity, it's your turn to decide who comes out on top. Watch every project premiere, cast your vote onsite, in person, and join us as we reveal the winners in front of friends and family.
1st Place: $10,000 CAD
2nd Place: $5,000 CAD
3rd Place: $2,500 CAD
In addition to the cash prizes, our top three finishers will walk away with a Fujifilm camera and lens prize pack.
All creatives will receive a base level of pay, and teams placing fourth through sixth will also receive prize packs from Arc'teryx, ensuring every finalist is recognized and rewarded for their creativity and work.
Join us at Pavilion Park on Saturday night at 7PM to view the showdown.
We recommend arriving early to secure a spot. Pavilion Park has a limited capacity—once reached, entry will be managed on a one-in, one-out basis. If you have accessibility needs, please let us know in advance so we can best support your experience.
Parking near Pavilion Park is very limited. We strongly encourage walking or cycling to evening events. OurSquamish will be onsite offering a complimentary bike valet. Six accessible parking spots are available on Main Street, just behind the Grand Wall Stage.
A selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase during evening programming, including offerings from Backcountry Brewing, Nonny, Strait & Narrow, Cinco, and more. Please enjoy responsibly.
We have the answers for all your Academy questions.
If you can't find what you're looking for below, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at climbacademy@arcteryx.com.
In order to facilitate the event downtown, we will be closing a portion of Cleveland Avenue between Main Street and Victoria Street from Wednesday, August 19th to Monday, August 24th. There will be signage indicating the closure and alternate routes to help with orienting.
Due to this closure and the downtown event, parking will also be reduced near Pavilion Park for clinic check-in and the duration of the event.
We understand that this impacts planning including access and timing. On the day, if possible, we recommend arriving early to help ensure you have time to navigate closures and protentional traffic congestion.
Parking is very limited near Pavilion Park, so we encourage you to consider alternate methods of transport, such as carpooling, biking or walking to evening events.
We will have six (6) accessible parking stalls located on Main Street just behind the main Pavilion at the park. Please contact us if you need further support related to accessible parking and or locating it.
Our Squamish, a community-based non-profit organization in Squamish, BC, will be onsite offering bike valet.
We recommend arriving early to better ensure seating because it is limited for evening programming at the park.
Seating near the front of the stage will be reserved for accessibility seating. There will be both paved and grass sections in the park to navigate. Please feel free to bring blankets and/or lawn chairs to sit on and use at your leisure. Let us know if you have access needs so that we can best support you in advance of the event.
Pavilion Park does have a limited capacity, so when the maximum capacity is reached we will operate on a one person in for one person out system.
Please note, some of our programming and music contains loud music, flashing lights and quick moving film content. We are aware some of these settings may cause some of our guests discomfort. We invite you to bring along items that may be helpful throughout this programming. Some of the items could be sunglasses for bright lights and ear plugs for loud music.
We will have a sign language interpreter (ASL) on-site for the spoken portions of our programming such as introductions and our keynote speaker presentations.
We will have English subtitles enabled on all films played throughout the night.
We are committed to ensuring our event actions environmental care and consciousness. We need your support to achieve this.
Pemberton Valley Environmental, a member-driven charity that works to protect the natural environment in Whistler and the Sea to Sky, will be onsite supporting with recycling and waste diversion.
Throughout your day, and when ending your evening, please be sure to find an Pemberton Valley Environmental waste station to dispose of or recycle your cans and garbage. They will be indicated by big tents and staff in uniform.
Your experience is important to us. We are committed to prioritizing full participation and access at our events because we believe inclusion is critical to great experiences and welcome environments. We are in the process of updating and modifying the way we approach our event and are committed to continuing to evolve ongoing.
If you have feedback on how we can best support your full participation and experience at the Academy, please connect with us at climbacademy@arcteryx.com.
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