In the summer of 2008, I was trying to gather photographs for a special black and white article and travelled to Montreal, Canada. I had the idea to make a photo article based on style and aesthetics, rather than action and performance.
I hooked up with a guy I'd previously met, Alex Gavin. We went to the stadium that was built for the 1976 Olympics, and I was blown away. It was imposing, amazing, and it's design offered original skate spots all over it. Alex showed me another spot that was next to the stadium. It was on a huge pillar supporting a bridge. It looked great, but the problem was getting to it.
Alex used a shoelace to tie his skateboard around his back and used his socks as gloves to get extra grip. I shot photos of the whole process. I was scared for Alex as the climb up was sketchy, but he made his way up there in true high mountain climbing style. Sometimes things come super easy, but the part of chance remains tiny. All the ingredients were there, they just had to be gathered and mixed up correctly.
Fred Mortagne

About the shot

Biography
I’m a self-taught french director and photographer, with the focus of my work being mostly around skateboarding. My graphical and geometrical photography is almost exclusively shot in black and white, and focuses more on the aesthetics and style of the sport, rather than the performance, while also playing around a lot with architecture.
Spending so much time out in the streets, I keep a curious eye for other interesting things of life happening, and am always ready to capture those unique moments. My pictures are a feast of lines and angles, and my specific compositions – blending the skateboarders into their environment – make this skateboarding photography accessible to non-skateboarders.
This is the third time my work has been recognized by Red Bull Illume. In total I’ve had seven finalist images in the 2007 and 2010 contests. My first retrospective book was published in the fall of 2016.