VIST AND OLIVIERO TOSCANI IN VAL GARDENA

for the new 2012-2013 catalogue “Vist. Ski instructors”

Oliviero Toscani has been entrusted with the task of portraying about ten great champions of the past and about thirty ski instructors for the new 2012-2013 Vist catalogue, which already seems to become a cult monograph.

Val Gardena, December 17, 2011

Sunday, the 18^th of December, in Val Gardena, the starting signal of the Vist shooting for the 2012-2013 catalogue through which the South Tyrol company, emblematic brand of winter sports, flings into an ambitious as well as innovative project: “Vist. Ski instructors”.

“We want to tell the ski History through the stories of those people who made of this sport the cause of their life” said Elmar Stimpfl, founder and owner of Vist brand.

To make these stories - of men magnificently forged by the cold – a great communication moment, Vist has chosen the signature of Oliviero Toscani, a world famous photographer who has written and keeps writing the history of image,

“I’m very pleased to be able to work and spend a few days in such a reliable and quality place as Val Gardena is. The Dolomites area is a work of art of nature, that makes this part of Italy unbeatable, prestigious and unique in the world”. Vist couldn't be born anywhere but here, among this quality and beauty - declared Toscani.

About ten big names of the past decided to concede their face to Toscani’s lens, and to participate in the project “Vist. Ski instructors” among whom Gustav Thoeni, the ensign of the “Blue Avalanche”, and Isolde Kostner from Val Gardena.

Also the instructors have given broad consent to the initiative. A few very special people have already confirmed with enthusiasm their participation in the set, such as Lino Zani, the ski instructor of Pope John Paul II, and Fabio Vettori, the famous ants illustrator from the Trentino region.   

“Vist. Ski instructors” is aimed at praising one of the ever most beloved sports through the portraits of great Champions of the past – those who made this sport really extraordinary – as well as of ski instructors who do this job on a daily basis, or who have another job despite having a ski instructor qualification. The result is a varied world, made of people and unusual and overwhelming stories, all of them sharing a strong passion for this sport. “Ski instructors” hence acquires a more extensive connotation and aura. It’s a life philosophy, an intrinsic feature of those who live the skiing, for passion or for work.

The idea – generated by Plus Communications, the agency of Trento which for years has been supporting Vist with always creative and never trivial communication projects – in the four days of shooting, gathers a list trophies that would make any enthusiast grow pale:  about 15 Olympic medals, 30 world medals and discipline cups, over 15 overall cups and about 500 podia overall.