IT WAS NEVER ABOUT CARS
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FAT Ice Race in the Rocky Mountains
If you weren’t there… well, you’ll be jealous.
Written by: Fynn Maass
Big Sky, Big Slides
There are jobs where you sit at a desk, open your laptop and hope the coffee is strong enough to carry you through the day. Then there are jobs where you find yourself standing in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by snow, roaring engines and lovely people who look like they just stepped out of a very stylish motorsport magazine. This was one of those jobs. This was an Ice Race in the Rocky Mountains…..hello?
Big Sky, Big Slides
There are jobs where you sit at a desk, open your laptop and hope the coffee is strong enough to carry you through the day. Then there are jobs where you find yourself standing in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by snow, roaring engines and lovely people who look like they just stepped out of a very stylish motorsport magazine. This was one of those jobs. This was an Ice Race in the Rocky Mountains…..hello?
Business as unusual
FAT International is a brand that blends cars, culture, design, motorsport and pure driving joy into something that feels less like a company and more like a lifestyle movement.
This year the team brought their legendary Ice Race to Big Sky, deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, just outside Yellowstone National Park.
Our job description was simple: Fly to the event. Take high-resolution photos for the internet. Don’t fall on ice. Make sure people who are not there can feel what we get to experience.
Events like this rarely follow a strict script. Schedules exist, but reality tends to have other plans. Cars show up earlier or later, drivers appear out of nowhere and light conditions change within minutes. Working with a camera in this environment requires constant readiness and a simple mindset: stay flexible, stay alert and react quickly.
Each day brings a different set of moments worth capturing. In the end its all about having fun and oh boy did we have a great time.
Lights out
The FAT Ice Race takes place on a circuit built entirely from snow and ice. For two days, some of the most spectacular machines imaginable slide, drift, and race across this frozen playground. At the end comes a podium ceremony featuring some of the most aesthetically pleasing trophies seen in motorsport.
The first day allowed us to explore the track and identify the best photographic angles. Together with photographer and amazing human Malte Dressel we mapped out the available shooting positions.
Big Sky came with one logistical challenge. Direct access to the track is limited. In practice this meant roughly 2 spots where photographers could get close enough to capture the action.
Those locations quickly became strategic goldmines.
RUF & BAJA 1000 in the Rocky Mountains
Thursday served as Partner Day. Sponsors had time to showcase their vehicles both on the track and in the surrounding mountains. For us it meant a full day of shooting and moving between locations. Mathis and I spent most of that day with Optima, heading into the surrounding forests in a proper off-road monster driven by Christopher Polvoorde, a Baja 1000 racing driver signed by Red Bull. The result was a full day of blasting through forests and frozen landscapes while trying to capture every moment. It was a very good day to have a camera.
Race Days
By Friday morning, the calm, slightly jet-lagged reconnaissance phase was over. The FAT Ice Race had officially begun and the frozen track looked like a cross between a rally stage, a fashion shoot and a very well-funded winter festival.
Americans are a different breed. They stop you mid-shot to ask about your camera, tell you about their cars, or just share their excitement. Special guests like Don Toliver blended into the scenery perfectly, making the days even more exciting and memorable.
The lineup was ridiculous. Ferraris, Porsches, Audis, rally legends, Baja trucks: each more insane than the last.
Taking pictures in an environment like this feels nothing short of being a kid in a candy store with mom’s credit card.
Big Sky delivered something rare: cars, people and nature all perfectly colliding on ice. It’s the kind of weekend you don’t forget. And if you weren’t there… well, you’ll be jealous.
RUF & BAJA 1000 in the Rocky Mountains
Thursday served as Partner Day. Sponsors had time to showcase their vehicles both on the track and in the surrounding mountains. For us it meant a full day of shooting and moving between locations. Mathis and I spent most of that day with Optima, heading into the surrounding forests in a proper off-road monster driven by Christopher Polvoorde, a Baja 1000 racing driver signed by Red Bull. The result was a full day of blasting through forests and frozen landscapes while trying to capture every moment. It was a very good day to have a camera.
Race Days
By Friday morning, the calm, slightly jet-lagged reconnaissance phase was over. The FAT Ice Race had officially begun and the frozen track looked like a cross between a rally stage, a fashion shoot and a very well-funded winter festival.
Americans are a different breed. They stop you mid-shot to ask about your camera, tell you about their cars, or just share their excitement. Special guests like Don Toliver blended into the scenery perfectly, making the days even more exciting and memorable.
The lineup was ridiculous. Ferraris, Porsches, Audis, rally legends, Baja trucks: each more insane than the last.
Taking pictures in an environment like this feels nothing short of being a kid in a candy store with mom’s credit card.
Big Sky delivered something rare: cars, people and nature all perfectly colliding on ice. It’s the kind of weekend you don’t forget. And if you weren’t there… well, you’ll be jealous.
Business as unusual
FAT International is a brand that blends cars, culture, design, motorsport and pure driving joy into something that feels less like a company and more like a lifestyle movement.
This year the team brought their legendary Ice Race to Big Sky, deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, just outside Yellowstone National Park.
Our job description was simple: Fly to the event. Take high-resolution photos for the internet. Don’t fall on ice. Make sure people who are not there can feel what we get to experience.
Events like this rarely follow a strict script. Schedules exist, but reality tends to have other plans. Cars show up earlier or later, drivers appear out of nowhere and light conditions change within minutes. Working with a camera in this environment requires constant readiness and a simple mindset: stay flexible, stay alert and react quickly.
Each day brings a different set of moments worth capturing. In the end its all about having fun and oh boy did we have a great time.
Lights out
The FAT Ice Race takes place on a circuit built entirely from snow and ice. For two days, some of the most spectacular machines imaginable slide, drift, and race across this frozen playground. At the end comes a podium ceremony featuring some of the most aesthetically pleasing trophies seen in motorsport.
The first day allowed us to explore the track and identify the best photographic angles. Together with photographer and amazing human Malte Dressel we mapped out the available shooting positions.
Big Sky came with one logistical challenge. Direct access to the track is limited. In practice this meant roughly 2 spots where photographers could get close enough to capture the action.
Those locations quickly became strategic goldmines.
