The Assignment

For Zero Gravity Drone we were given the ultimate opportunity to capture the pure adrenaline and raw nature of Ekstremsportveko. Our mission was clear: capture breathtaking drone footage every day of the world’s best athletes risking everything. From ice-cold rivers to high mountain peaks, it was up to us to portray the fastest and most extreme action sports as dynamically as possible.

Day 1 Rafting

In the Strandaelvi river near Voss, our Mavic 3 Cine Pro drone flies with groups of rafters. We wanted a small and agile drone so close to the trees, so that we could fly past the smallest spaces to get beautiful perspectives and make spectacular slow-motion images of the wild water currents at 50 frames per second.

Day 2 Speedflying

For speed flying we traveled high into the mountains by helicopter. The athletes flew down the rock walls at dizzying speeds. To capture these lightning-fast descents, we used our DJI Inspire 3 drone. Boris flew the drone to keep track of the athletes and Dimar controlled the camera separately to keep the athletes in the frame.

Day 3 Mountainbiking

During the mountain bike competition, riders zipped over rugged, steep trails through the Norwegian forests. The sharp turns, huge jumps and treacherous surfaces required quick reflexes and different drones. The Avata 2 racing drone for action shots. The small Mavic 3 Cine Pro for shots between the trees and Inspire 3 for difficult angles to keep the mountain bikers in view. This way we managed to capture the rough speed of the descent perfectly.

Day 4 Kayaking

On day 4 we witnessed the World Championship Kayaking on the beautiful river Myrkdalselvi. The course was one of the most challenging, with a strong current and difficult to see cables above the water. An ideal situation for the Mavic 3 Cine Pro, a platform we could rely on when stability and maneuverability were essential.

Day 5 Gliding

On the last day of the event we moved to Voss Flyklubb (Bømoen Flyplass) for a spectacular aerobatics gliding session. Filming at an active airport presented a major challenge in terms of safety. Strict coordination was a requirement. Thanks to our radio operator, who was in constant contact with both the air control tower and the glider pilots, we were able to safely share the airspace while capturing the action flawlessly.

To capture the “aerial ballet” perfectly, we used a combination of two drones. The DJI Inspire 3 was used as a dual-operator setup for the wide, graceful overview images. The Zenmuse X9 camera captured the elegance of the gliders in razor-sharp and extremely stable condition. To really take the viewer into the cockpit and feel the dynamic maneuvers up close, we flew a 5-inch FPV drone equipped with a GoPro 12. This lightning-fast combination provided compelling close-ups and was the ultimate visual ending to an incredible week.