Tommie Rekstad has completed a major project for Sweden's state broadcaster, Sveriges Television. As part of an SVT team covering the International Skiing Federation's World Cup Alpine Finals, he and his Polecam jibs were assigned to the starting ramp and warmup area at the head of the ski-slope.

"The event took place over six days, March 10 through 15, in the Swedish ski-resort of Åre," Tommie explains. "SVT provided the world feed under the supervision of director Johan Bernhagen. It included Downhill, Super Giant Slalom, Giant Slalom, Slalom and National Team Events. We operated two Polecam rigs, both with Iconix HD RH1 cameras. These provided the highest viewing angles of 22 cameras connected via optical fibre to an SVT OB vehicle located near the base of the valley. The fibre itself was laid for the 2007 skiing championship."

"We covered two races each day from various starting positions. Some of the location changes gave us only 15 minutes to resite and set up which was why we took two complete rigs. We were working entirely in HD though the transmission itself was broadcast in SD. Each Polecams was controlled from its own RCP via a Telecast fibre interface, sending HD-SDI plus audio and importing programme picture, external sync, intercom and tally."

"The Polecam jib's portability is particularly useful when working at the top of a ski-slope. We were operating in temperatures down to minus 18 Celsius with a large amount of humid air blowing in from the Atlantic. This combination caused overnight build-up of ice on some of the kit. We have experienced the same kind of ice build-up in New Zealand. It could have caused very serious problems on heavier equipment so we were doubly pleased to be using highly-mobile rigs."

Tommie has nine years of experience as a Polecam operator. His company, Pink Elephant, is based near Gothenburg.