Today in Vancouver Arc’teryx, Destination BC and Northern BC Tourism are giving a sneak peak at their new Hut Magic virtual reality backcountry ski experience.
Picture mulled wine on a quiet evening. Fondue surrounded by friends. A desolate ski hut draped in snow. Together Arc’teryx, Destination BC, and the Northern BC Tourism Association are sharing the magic of remote ski hut living and telling the story of what enables and inspires people to explore wild spaces. Hut Magic, a virtual reality storytelling experience from the Coast Mountains near Smithers B.C, is being aired today at a sneak peak event being held in the Vancouver Arc’teryx store. it will be launched across 17 Arc’teryx stores in North America on November 15.
According to Jo Salamon, the company’s Communications Manager, Hut Magic is a VR experience in which you become a character in the story. It’s a full 360-degree experience that takes you out in the backcountry skiing with Christina Lustenberger and Greg Hill and experiencing what hut life is like, the camaraderie and friendships formed when you’re together in these situations.
“What’s incredible about Hut Magic is that you’re not just watching the action, you’re actually a character in the story,” says George Weetman, Director of Global Consumer Experience and Digital Commerce at Arc’teryx. “It completely embodies the essence of a ski hut experience.”
Hut Magic tells the personal tale of remote backcountry ski huts through premier alpine footage, and inspires you to get outside this winter and celebrate wild. It’s designed to instantly transport users to the Howson Range to experience glacier travel, epic powdered slopes, and soak in the ‘après ski’ surrounded by friends. With the help of partnerships including Google, Hut Magic evolved into a unique story-driven VR experience. “Using Google’s Jump technology, we were able to work closely with Switchback Entertainment to capture the very essence and beauty of a hut experience and share it with Arc’teryx customers through virtual reality,” says Sarah Steele, VR Program Manager at Google.
Call that feeling what you may — gemütlichkeit in German, hygge by the Danes, or yinta from the Wet’suwet’en people of Northern B.C. — but Arc’teryx has bottled it up, thanks to tranquility, connectedness, and a little hint of magic.
“Destination BC and the Northern BC Tourism Association want to share the transformative power of British Columbia’s wilderness with the world,” says Marsha Walden, Chief Executive Officer of Destination BC. “We hope this little bit of immersive mountain magic will captivate adventure seekers who live an Arc’teryx life.”
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