Inspired by old Enterprise Bulletin articles that celebrated Collingwood as a destination to golf and ski in the same day, Forrest Groves and Jared Manchuk set out to share their version of the “Collingwood Dream.”
Founders of Blueshift Visuals, a local media production company that specializes in sport and lifestyle content generation, Groves and Manchuk wanted to use their skills to showcase what they love about living in Collingwood.
“We’ve had this idea for a while, to kind of combine the snow and watersports, so we threw in mountain biking too and thought, why not try and do it all in one day,” said Groves.
On Mar. 21 — the first full day of spring — Groves and Manchuk, with the help of a couple of friends, set out to accomplish the Collingwood Dream. They started early in the morning, breaking ice on Georgian Bay to wakeboard in the freezing cold water before heading to Blue Mountain for an afternoon of skiing. They finished off the day with a brisk mountain bike ride before the sun set over the escarpment.
“Executing on it was tough, we had to hustle. But it was a beautiful day and we captured some great shots which show the essence of Collingwood,” said Groves.
Groves grew up in Collingwood, dabbling in almost every activity the area has to offer. He met Manchuk, who is from Sudbury, one summer while they were both working as bike guides for Blue Mountain Resort, and the two have been friends ever since. Manchuk would come visit Collingwood often and eventually made the move full time.
“I mostly moved here for the activities,” laughed Manchuk. “Being able to mountain bike and then swim in the bay the same day… It was a big draw.”
The friends founded Blueshift Visuals in 2019.
Manchuk brings the creative edge, focusing on production and execution, while Groves tackles the sales and operations side of the business. Through advertising, aerial video and photo production, and social media strategy and execution, their goal is to grow into the go-to production company for action sports and lifestyle brands.
For them, Collingwood is the perfect place to do so.
Rooted in outdoor adventure, Collingwood is known for its endless list of activities that can be enjoyed all year long — and is filled with the kind of people to capitalize on them.
“There is no other community in Ontario you can do all of the activities you want to do and make a decent living. It’s home for me so that makes it even better,” said Groves. “Here, they cheer you on. Some communities maybe not so much but here, it’s awesome.”
The video has already received a positive response, so Groves and Manchuk are toying with the idea of turning it into somewhat of a series — showcasing more of the diverse activities that can be enjoyed in the area.
“We want to try to capture the Collingwood lifestyle,” said Manchuk.
Watch the video below:
