Barely Made It | Portfolio

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The Burton European Open is an annual institution in snowboarding. The US Open had a long history, and when Burton finally decided to bring this format to Europe, it quickly became a meeting place for all the riders. For the first few years, it was held in the isolated mountain village of Livigno in Italy. On the morning of the half-pipe event, an unscheduled stunt occurred when everybody was getting ready around the pipe. With little notice, the fences were taken down. There was this crazy guy Fredrik ‘Prippa’ Hedman, who brought his sled down from Sweden, roared down the mountain, and flew over the entire pipe. After three jumps, the spectacle was over, and everybody wondered what just happened.

The Burton European Open is an annual institution in snowboarding. The US Open had a long history, and when Burton finally decided to bring this format to Europe, it quickly became a meeting place for all the riders. For the first few years, it was held in the isolated mountain village of Livigno in Italy. On the morning of the half-pipe event, an unscheduled stunt occurred when everybody was getting ready around the pipe. With little notice, the fences were taken down. There was this crazy guy Fredrik ‘Prippa’ Hedman, who brought his sled down from Sweden, roared down the mountain, and flew over the entire pipe. After three jumps, the spectacle was over, and everybody wondered what just happened.

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Back in the day, the annual snowboard tour of the ISF (International Snowboard Federation) always kicked off in Laax in early December. In 1996, Ingemar Backman was featured on the cover of almost all snowboard magazines worldwide with his legendary backside air in Riksgränsen. In Laax, everybody wanted to see him ride live. This is one of my all-time favorite pipe shots…the style, the composition, the fact that it has some historical moments to it (old Laax Crap building), and, of course, Ingemar.

Back in the day, the annual snowboard tour of the ISF (International Snowboard Federation) always kicked off in Laax in early December. In 1996, Ingemar Backman was featured on the cover of almost all snowboard magazines worldwide with his legendary backside air in Riksgränsen. In Laax, everybody wanted to see him ride live. This is one of my all-time favorite pipe shots…the style, the composition, the fact that it has some historical moments to it (old Laax Crap building), and, of course, Ingemar.

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This is one of my favorite snowboard shots ever and the only day I ever shot with Tommy Brunner. He took me to some of his favorite tree runs at Seegrube, above Innsbruck, Austria. The conditions were all the time with so much snow that the avalanche barriers turned into launch ramps. This picture embodies snowboarding for me — a perfect riding day after a fresh dump. I caught Tommy flying by in that unique moment where everything fell into place: composition, background, and Tommy’s signature backside air. Sadly, Tommy died in an avalanche in Alaska in 2006.

This is one of my favorite snowboard shots ever and the only day I ever shot with Tommy Brunner. He took me to some of his favorite tree runs at Seegrube, above Innsbruck, Austria. The conditions were all the time with so much snow that the avalanche barriers turned into launch ramps. This picture embodies snowboarding for me — a perfect riding day after a fresh dump. I caught Tommy flying by in that unique moment where everything fell into place: composition, background, and Tommy’s signature backside air. Sadly, Tommy died in an avalanche in Alaska in 2006.

If the sixties saw the birth of snowboarding, the seventies represented its childhood and the eighties its formative teenage years. By the nineties, it was spotlit, Box Office action. At its core, in truth, it was hard-core rock and roll.

Into this maelstrom, quietly at first, stepped Patrick Armbruster. A young Swiss skate rat turned snowboard photographer. ‘Brusti,’ as he was known, soon grew into one of the premiere storytellers of the sport and adherents of its lifestyle — all business on the mountain but always down for the party that followed.

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In 1999, Trevor Andrew won the quarterpipe event at the Air & Style in Innsbruck, Austria. When I caught up with him afterward, he felt ripped off.
He compared his winning purse price to the prize money for first place in the big air, which was a more significant event at the time. Classical Trevor Andrew moment.

In 1999, Trevor Andrew won the quarterpipe event at the Air & Style in Innsbruck, Austria. When I caught up with him afterward, he felt ripped off.
He compared his winning purse price to the prize money for first place in the big air, which was a more significant event at the time. Classical Trevor Andrew moment.

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I had the idea to shoot Michi Albin and Johan Olofsson over the Vancouver skyline as they resembled some kind of gods. First, I shot the skyline in long exposure (seven frames) and spooled back the film. When I met Michi a week later, I shot seven portraits with blue flash and spooled back the film, and when I met Johan Olofsson a few weeks later, I did the same with him. I had to guess how and where to place the heads for each picture without knowing where the skyline or portrait was. One of the seven pictures turned out perfect!

I had the idea to shoot Michi Albin and Johan Olofsson over the Vancouver skyline as they resembled some kind of gods. First, I shot the skyline in long exposure (seven frames) and spooled back the film. When I met Michi a week later, I shot seven portraits with blue flash and spooled back the film, and when I met Johan Olofsson a few weeks later, I did the same with him. I had to guess how and where to place the heads for each picture without knowing where the skyline or portrait was. One of the seven pictures turned out perfect!

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In 2002, Electric Eyewear sent me to the SPC camp at Hintertux, Austria, with their heavy-hitting team riders Peter Line (in this shot), Mike Ranquet, Nate Bozung, Keir Dillon, and Andreas Wiig. The brief was just three sentences: We need four usable natural portraits of our riders. Do whatever you want. We don’t require any snowboard action! So, we focused on the night activities, which came naturally with this crew, and we had a blast.

In 2002, Electric Eyewear sent me to the SPC camp at Hintertux, Austria, with their heavy-hitting team riders Peter Line (in this shot), Mike Ranquet, Nate Bozung, Keir Dillon, and Andreas Wiig. The brief was just three sentences: We need four usable natural portraits of our riders. Do whatever you want. We don’t require any snowboard action! So, we focused on the night activities, which came naturally with this crew, and we had a blast.

“Back then, snowboarding was more of a movement, or a subculture if you like, and from my perspective, it was looser and more punk.”

Patrick Armbruster

Brusti possesses a perfect balance of youthful stoke, creative talent, technical prowess, and a readiness to embrace opportunity whenever it comes hammering on his door. In the late 90s, Brusti’s small apartment in his hometown of Dietikon, near Switzerland’s biggest city, Zürich, became the unofficial meeting point for film crews, team managers and international snowboard royalty passing through on their way to the next powder stash or after-party. The European snowboard scene was a melting pot, and Brusti was a big part of it.

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I always loved the off-snow time with the riders just as much (as being in the mountains), and I liked capturing these moments with my camera. Especially when things got out of hand, which was usually given when Romain de Marchi was part of the plot. This shot is from a crazy night at the Arctic Challenge in Hemsedal 2001.

I always loved the off-snow time with the riders just as much (as being in the mountains), and I liked capturing these moments with my camera. Especially when things got out of hand, which was usually given when Romain de Marchi was part of the plot. This shot is from a crazy night at the Arctic Challenge in Hemsedal 2001.

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After spending seven weeks in Kauai editing our Absinthe Films movie – the core production crew, Justin Hostynek, Lesa Herrera, and I headed straight to the online studio in downtown San Fransisco. Nicolas Müller joined us during the entire process. This shot was taken just down from the studio, where we were decompressing for a minute and getting creative with one of snowboarding’s greatest – Nicolas Müller.

After spending seven weeks in Kauai editing our Absinthe Films movie – the core production crew, Justin Hostynek, Lesa Herrera, and I headed straight to the online studio in downtown San Fransisco. Nicolas Müller joined us during the entire process. This shot was taken just down from the studio, where we were decompressing for a minute and getting creative with one of snowboarding’s greatest – Nicolas Müller.

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Starting his photographic career literally by accident (a dislocated shoulder), he grew to be one of the most renowned snowboard photographers and filmers coming out of Europe – travelling, befriending, and partying with the era’s stars. Unsurprisingly, I first met Brusti at an event party, both of us a little worse for wear. It wasn’t long before I’d convinced him to come and work with me as a Senior Photographer at Onboard Magazine, a pan-European snowboard magazine that, over time, became one of the most influential snowboard media outlets globally.

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The last filming trip of Absinthe Films’ first movie, TRIBAL, in 2000 took us to Riksgränsen in Sweden. It was Nicolas Müller’s first trip with me, and he was only 17. For one week, we were sledding around in foggy and snowy conditions. Building jumps, hoping it would finally clear. When we opened the curtains early the last morning, the sky was blue, and within six hours, Dani Sappa, Nicolas, and I rallied from one spot to the next and had a very productive shooting day. When the clouds moved in, we returned to the hotel and found this pre-built road gap just sitting there, sort of as a birthday gift…. It turned out it was Nicolas’ 18th birthday. After getting a few shots with my film camera, I snapped a few stills before we called it a day, celebrating Nicolas’ birthday on the 25th of April 2000. Nicolas’ footage from that day turned into his entire first-ever movie part.

The last filming trip of Absinthe Films’ first movie, TRIBAL, in 2000 took us to Riksgränsen in Sweden. It was Nicolas Müller’s first trip with me, and he was only 17. For one week, we were sledding around in foggy and snowy conditions. Building jumps, hoping it would finally clear. When we opened the curtains early the last morning, the sky was blue, and within six hours, Dani Sappa, Nicolas, and I rallied from one spot to the next and had a very productive shooting day. When the clouds moved in, we returned to the hotel and found this pre-built road gap just sitting there, sort of as a birthday gift…. It turned out it was Nicolas’ 18th birthday. After getting a few shots with my film camera, I snapped a few stills before we called it a day, celebrating Nicolas’ birthday on the 25th of April 2000. Nicolas’ footage from that day turned into his entire first-ever movie part.

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This was the very first official Arctic Challenge, which took place on Norway’s Lofoten Islands in 2000. Terje Håkonsen had a vision of progressing in snowboarding as he was fed up with the formats and conditions of traditional snowboard events. When we arrived, one of the biggest halfpipes and, indeed, the biggest quarterpipe anybody had ever seen awaited us. I’m still amazed at how they managed to get that done out of snow in this rugged place. The event had several days scheduled when we could go fishing and surfing while waiting for the ideal weather conditions for the event to take place. Terje once again proved he was the master of transitions and won the highest air in the quarterpipe. This event started the modern snowboard competitions as we know them today.

This was the very first official Arctic Challenge, which took place on Norway’s Lofoten Islands in 2000. Terje Håkonsen had a vision of progressing in snowboarding as he was fed up with the formats and conditions of traditional snowboard events. When we arrived, one of the biggest halfpipes and, indeed, the biggest quarterpipe anybody had ever seen awaited us. I’m still amazed at how they managed to get that done out of snow in this rugged place. The event had several days scheduled when we could go fishing and surfing while waiting for the ideal weather conditions for the event to take place. Terje once again proved he was the master of transitions and won the highest air in the quarterpipe. This event started the modern snowboard competitions as we know them today.

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For many years, Burton held a session in Hemsedal, Norway, where film crews and riders were invited. A unique set of jumps and hips was exclusively built for us, all to push the riding to the next level. It was the time when Romain de Marchi ignited and somehow managed to keep the steam of long party nights and turn them into never-seen-before powerful riding during the days. When the session for this hip was on, Romain was leading the charge. He did this fantastic Frontside 5 Mellon, which ended up being the cover of Absinthe Films’ legendary movie Vivid, which featured one of Romain’s best video parts of his career.

For many years, Burton held a session in Hemsedal, Norway, where film crews and riders were invited. A unique set of jumps and hips was exclusively built for us, all to push the riding to the next level. It was the time when Romain de Marchi ignited and somehow managed to keep the steam of long party nights and turn them into never-seen-before powerful riding during the days. When the session for this hip was on, Romain was leading the charge. He did this fantastic Frontside 5 Mellon, which ended up being the cover of Absinthe Films’ legendary movie Vivid, which featured one of Romain’s best video parts of his career.

After several successful years at the helm of Onboard, Brusti and I decided to take another significant step forward, founding Tribal, one of Europe’s first full-budget snowboard films. Unfortunately, I couldn’t complete this particular leg of our journey together. Still, he continued undeterred, transferring his extensive 35mm photographic knowledge and raw documentary style into shooting 16mm film – learning on location and flying by the seat of his pants to become one of the most acclaimed producers and filmmakers of the time.

Teaming up with established American/Swiss filmmaker Justin Hostynek, the award-winning Absinthe Films franchise was launched in 2000, releasing annual films regarded globally as one of the leading snowboard production companies for almost twenty years. The Absinthe Films premiere tour, which included a full-sized tour bus visiting 30 locations across Europe, was, unsurprisingly, the best party in town. Between Onboard Magazine and Absinthe Films, few shooters did more to bring European snowboard culture to the masses. Brusti presented stunning Alps locations and cutting-edge riding to a global audience and invited everyone to join the party.

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Between 2001 and 2008, we would always pack up an entire postproduction studio with all our cinematographers, editors, and graphic designers and post up for about seven weeks in Kauai, Hawaii, to edit the upcoming Absinthe Films movie. During our stay, most riders who were part of the new movie would come and visit and help edit their parts. Towards the end of each day, we’d all go surfing together before we spent the rest of the night editing again.
Sometimes, we did find some time to party a bit, too…Travis Rice is on the way home from a fun night out during the editing of Saturation.

Between 2001 and 2008, we would always pack up an entire postproduction studio with all our cinematographers, editors, and graphic designers and post up for about seven weeks in Kauai, Hawaii, to edit the upcoming Absinthe Films movie. During our stay, most riders who were part of the new movie would come and visit and help edit their parts. Towards the end of each day, we’d all go surfing together before we spent the rest of the night editing again.
Sometimes, we did find some time to party a bit, too…Travis Rice is on the way home from a fun night out during the editing of Saturation.

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Wolle Nyvelt, captured in the Riksgränsen backcountry on a sled mission back in 2002. For me, natural portraits were always much more relevant than staged studio setting shots. Wolle is soon entering his 30th year as a pro snowboarder and is still on top of his game. Riding wise and having established himself as Salomon’s prototype engineer, he found his role in producing the new boards in his own factory for his long-time sponsor. That all started with him developing the Aesmo boards, some of the best pow surfers (bindingness boards) out there.

Wolle Nyvelt, captured in the Riksgränsen backcountry on a sled mission back in 2002. For me, natural portraits were always much more relevant than staged studio setting shots. Wolle is soon entering his 30th year as a pro snowboarder and is still on top of his game. Riding wise and having established himself as Salomon’s prototype engineer, he found his role in producing the new boards in his own factory for his long-time sponsor. That all started with him developing the Aesmo boards, some of the best pow surfers (bindingness boards) out there.

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The Absinthe Films film tours across Europe would end a long year of snowboard moviemaking. Travelling across Europe with all the riders and interacting with the local snowboard scenes across the continent was amazing. People loved us for making an effort to come and see them along with a screening of the new movie. This shot of a stoked and packed house was taken at the Saturation screening in Barcelona, Spain.

The Absinthe Films film tours across Europe would end a long year of snowboard moviemaking. Travelling across Europe with all the riders and interacting with the local snowboard scenes across the continent was amazing. People loved us for making an effort to come and see them along with a screening of the new movie. This shot of a stoked and packed house was taken at the Saturation screening in Barcelona, Spain.

Snowboard photography and filmmaking have always focused on two main content objectives. Shots that encapsulate the feeling of, ‘I want to be there,’ or ‘I want to be able to do that.’ Brusti always had the ability to capture all of that but engage one level deeper to embrace the characters’ personalities and freeze-frame the scene’s good, bad, and sometimes questionable core underbelly. Like all renowned cultural photographers, the close personal bond between him and the riders gave him exclusive access. He was in the competition winner’s room for the after-party, bailing them out of jail (or they were bailing him out), or sleeping on a random couch. Positioned as a central character of the scene, Bursti epitomizes the adage of ‘on the inside looking out rather than the outside looking in.’

“It was crucial to have the confidence and respect of the riders to be part of the pack, which led to a comfort zone that enabled me to document the scene from within.”

Patrick Armbruster

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JP Solberg captured in Champêry/Les Crosets in Portes du Soleil, Switzeland at La Zone, a legendary Absinthe Films location. Trick: bs 1080 mute Film: Neverland

JP Solberg captured in Champêry/Les Crosets in Portes du Soleil, Switzeland at La Zone, a legendary Absinthe Films location. Trick: bs 1080 mute Film: Neverland

Sadly, Brusti’s time in the mountains had a use-by date. While recovering from a foot operation shortly before he launched Absinthe Films, Brusti came up short, hitting a contest kicker and suffering a catastrophically shattered ankle. Despite treatment from the best surgeons in Switzerland, the pain became so great that the ankle had to be fused. True to form, he soldiered on humping a twenty-kilogram camera pack and tripod through waist-deep snow around the world – jumping from helicopters onto towering unridden peaks in Alaska, ducking ropes to access backcountry tree runs in Japan, to climbing summits in South America while parting the whole way. Although he never complained, eventually, the physical pain was too great to continue, or at least continue full-time as a front-line cinematographer. He stepped back into more administrative duties for Absinthe Films while investigating other creative and commercial projects.

From the day he started shooting, Brusti always dreamt of producing a photo book of his original work. For the thousands of photos he published in publications globally, he kept a secret filing cabinet – squirrelling away little dustings of photographic gold in case the opportunity arose. In 2021, he launched a crowdfunding campaign to achieve this dream. After two years of focused work sifting through his collection of fifteen thousand plus images spanning 25 years, he finally released a 340-page coffee table book titled Barely Made It.

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In September 1999, we embarked on a trip to Chile, where we would start shooting our first rolls of 16 mm film for our movie project, Tribal. This would become one of the first European snowboard movies, meaning the line-up of riders was 100 percent European, riding the best terrain worldwide. Here, Swiss rider David Pitschi is tweaking a picture-perfect backside air into the Andes skyline.

In September 1999, we embarked on a trip to Chile, where we would start shooting our first rolls of 16 mm film for our movie project, Tribal. This would become one of the first European snowboard movies, meaning the line-up of riders was 100 percent European, riding the best terrain worldwide. Here, Swiss rider David Pitschi is tweaking a picture-perfect backside air into the Andes skyline.

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Before we wrapped up filming the second Absinthe movie, Transcendence, Justin Hostynek set up a session at Mount Hood, Oregon, where we would film JP Solberg’s legendary bunny part. Simultaneously, we invited a bunch of the other riders to come and session with us to get a few more shots on film. Fredi Kalbermatten has always had a unique ability to effortlessly tweak his grabs to perfection. When I saw the lines of the faraway valley during sunset, I posted up to get one of his massive backside 5 crails in harmony with the background. The tabletop was so big I couldn’t fit it in my frame!

Before we wrapped up filming the second Absinthe movie, Transcendence, Justin Hostynek set up a session at Mount Hood, Oregon, where we would film JP Solberg’s legendary bunny part. Simultaneously, we invited a bunch of the other riders to come and session with us to get a few more shots on film. Fredi Kalbermatten has always had a unique ability to effortlessly tweak his grabs to perfection. When I saw the lines of the faraway valley during sunset, I posted up to get one of his massive backside 5 crails in harmony with the background. The tabletop was so big I couldn’t fit it in my frame!

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Somehow, I was stranded in Whistler without knowing anybody. I’d bumped into Shandy Campus and a few other guys who brought me out for a shoot. It was my first time sledding in the backcountry, and it was brutal. But sure enough, the motivation did not suffer from it. Shandy sent this one full throttle, with parts of Whistler Blackcomb in the background. This shot was my first and only poster in Transworld Snowboarding Magazine 1999.

Somehow, I was stranded in Whistler without knowing anybody. I’d bumped into Shandy Campus and a few other guys who brought me out for a shoot. It was my first time sledding in the backcountry, and it was brutal. But sure enough, the motivation did not suffer from it. Shandy sent this one full throttle, with parts of Whistler Blackcomb in the background. This shot was my first and only poster in Transworld Snowboarding Magazine 1999.

“I felt I owed this to snowboarding. I knew it would take all out of me, but I knew I had to do it for myself, for the riders and this time in snowboarding. The scanning process started eleven years ago, shortly after my ankle surgery. It took me about three months to digitize all my slides. I let it rest for some years but constantly thought about it.”

Patrick Armbruster

Barely Made It is a swashbuckling, full frontal, behind-the-scenes, front-row seat to snowboarding’s 1990 to 2010 rock‘n’roll years. The title is all-encompassing: Barely made the plane. Barely made it to the mountain. Barely made it out of the party. Barley made it through customs. Barely made the landing. Barely made it out alive. It represents all that and so much more.

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Alongside Barely Made It is a range of his best photos from the book as limited-edition fine art prints. With only three of each print produced in each size and signed, it demonstrates the exclusive quality and style he’s maintained throughout his work. Today, he operates a photography, film, and creative studio in Zürich, where he takes on personal and commercial projects. Happily married with two kids, Brusti continues to push creative barriers in every area he chooses to embark. We’ll see if he makes it out of fatherhood.

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