Clouds

"Clouds: States of Submersion” follows Nicholas Wolken through the lens of Matt Foley on a two-week powder-hunting mission across the snowy mountains of Hokkaido, Japan.

The project grew out of a shared love of surfing and surf films: long, drawn-out turns across an open face, the feeling of disappearing inside a barrel, and the patient way those moments are captured on camera. Nico & Matt set out to see if those feelings could carry over to snow, looking for the places where turning on a wave and turning on a mountain start to share the same foundation. Earning every turn on foot, Nicholas went in search of untouched snow, quiet mountains, and the kind of turns that make you forget about everything else.

Some days delivered bottomless powder, others required a little more of a journey, but the goal remained the same: finding new feelings in a familiar place while getting lost in turning on snow. This film is a collection of those moments, an exploration of continuous movement, surf-inspired rhythm, and the simple joy of riding powder.

We hope you enjoy the ride!

Featuring: Nicholas Wolken

Cameras: Matt Foley

Editor, Sound Design, Color: Matt Foley

Still Photography: Ryan Hill

Creative Direction: Matt Foley

Garphic Design & Still Photography: Aaron Schwartz

Media Support: Geoff Brinkhaus, Jack Stevens

Production Support: Aaron Schwartz, Nicholas Wolken, Geoff Brinkhaus

Music:

Song: The Clouds Will Drop Ladders

Written by Clay Ewing Parton and Canaan Amber

Performed by Valium Aggelein

Courtesy of The Numero Group

 

Song: Hope He’ll Never Die

Written by Violetta Shabash

Performed by Soft Blade

Courtsey of 3000 Years Limited

 

Music Supervisor: Florent Chronie-De Maria