Atlas 2 just dropped, and it’s one of those rare sequels that actually lives up to the weight of the first. 686 brought back the original crew, added a few new heavy hitters, and handed the whole thing back to Colton Feldman — which pretty much guaranteed this was going to be worth watching. Below is a breakdown of the full video, part by part, and why this one deserves your lunch break today.
Featuring: Forest Bailey, Riley Nickerson, Tommy Gesme and the addition of Cooper Whittier, Robby Meehan and Savannah Shinske
Directed by Colton Feldman
Photography by: Erik Hoffman
It’s not easy to make an exceptional video, and even harder to task yourself with doing it again. Oftentimes we see sequels fall flat when the prior release was undeniably sound. Despite the 686 crew having one of the best teams in snowboarding, there’s always that lingering doubt about whether someone can pull it off again — and rest assured, Atlas 2 does not disappoint. Not only did the heavy hitters from Atlas return, including filmer/editor Colton Feldman, but 686 added a few more of snowboarding’s finest to ensure their new video was a sequel worth watching.
Cooper Whittier has recently been introduced to 686, in a move that makes all the sense in the world. There are few people in the current snowboard scene who would be a better addition to your roster. Claustrophobic handrail spots, massive kinks, spot and trick selection prowess, and exceptional board control are the foundations of Cooper’s footage. Words can hardly explain the feeling of seeing this all come together for someone as talented and pure as Cooper, so I’ll just shut the fuck up and move on.
After that epic section, it’s time for some motherfuckin’ Tommy G footy. You already know what’s good when Tom walks onto the screen; I’ve never seen a clip from him that I didn’t like. After watching him snowboard for the last 10-ish years (or however long it’s been), he continues to get better clips every year with the best style in the biz.
Cue another new 686 recruit, Savannah Shinske. Something I’ve always liked about Savannah’s footage is her spot selection. I know it’s redundant to keep bringing it up, but anyone reading who doesn’t understand that needs to. Spot selection is huge, and Savannah picks good fucking ones to film on. Her combination of creepers, quick one-two punch lines, and some burly-ass spots gives her part a sick feel. There’s also no shortage of clips — her section feels really complete.
We take a much-needed breather from the nonstop action and get some advice from a kid about jibbing. Before you know it, Riley Nickerson is hauling down a stairset, over a stairset, and onto a flat bar for a long-ass boardslide to fakie. Then, in another moment of “oh yeah, that makes complete sense,” Robby Meehan is in front of Colton’s extreme fisheye lens, signifying a shared section. Riley and Rob have that big bro/lil bro vibe going on, so you love to see their clips together. They go back and forth with some big-ass gap-to-rails and rails-to-gaps, with a short and sweet section that honestly left me wanting more. That isn’t always a bad thing — I’d rather see a minute of fire than three minutes of bullshit.
I’ve been watching Forest Bailey footage since I was in high school, and there’s everything in the world to say about his snowboarding. He was an elite street snowboarder 15 years ago, and he truly hasn’t missed once since then. Every year, another insane part, pushing the limits and making it correct. There are certain people in any skill-specific activity who are just those people, and Forest is one of them. Spot IQ through the roof, technical skills dialed, gnar-factor blatant, and none of the tricks are half-assed, “should I do it again?” types of clips. This part keeps that streak alive, straight to the credits.
Trust me, if there was something to talk shit on in this video, I would have. There simply wasn’t anything to critique. So I’d be remiss to end this multi-paragraph glaze-fest without mentioning the man behind it all — someone who also has never missed: Colton Feldman. Without Colton, these clips and edits wouldn’t hit the same way. Sure, someone else could make a sick video with this roster of talent, but Colton elevates the whole thing. The filming, the editing, the subtleties... Atlas 2 is another wild success proving that great snowboard videos still exist. Congrats to 686, and thank you for providing the resources to keep that alive.
