March 07, 2018
"Now that it's [the Winter Olympics] all over, if that opportunity was out there, I would take that call," Rippon told Stephen Colbert during Wednesday's 'Late Show.'
Adam Rippon Says He Would Talk to Mike Pence Post-Olympics
After initially declining to meet with Mike Pence during the 2018 Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang and criticizing his views on gay rights, figure skater Adam Rippon now says that he would be open to talking to the vice president of the United States.
"Now that it's [the Winter Olympics] all over, if that opportunity was out there, I would take that call," the Pyeongchang bronze medalist told Stephen Colbert during Wednesday's Late Show.
On The Late Show, Rippon said that the meeting that he declined with Pence, a gathering of Team U.S.A. with the official U.S. delegation, would have been distracting while he was training for his skating events. ""You know while I'm training I usually turn down going to the movies with my friends," Rippon said. "So I was thinking that a phone call with the vice president might be more distracting than going to Olive Garden."
Colbert joked that there would be fewer breadsticks in meeting Pence during the informal gathering at Pyeongchang as well. "Or soup and salad for $5," Rippon said, pausing while the audience laughed.
Rippon's initial comments about Pence came during a USA Today interview that published Jan. 17, in which Rippon criticized the choice of Pence to lead the U.S. delegation to Pyeongchang. “You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy?” Rippon, the first openly gay U.S. Winter Olympian, said. “I’m not buying it.”
When asked if he would like to meet Pence at the usual gathering of Team USA and U.S. delegation members before the opening ceremony, Rippon added, "“If it were before my event, I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they aren’t a friend of a gay person but that they think that they’re sick,” Rippon said. “I wouldn’t go out of my way to meet somebody like that."
He also criticized Pence's support of Trump's remarks on foreigners and the president's alleged "shithole" comments, saying that he thought the support was antithetical to the vice president's Christian beliefs.
Two weeks later, USA Today reported that Pence's office had asked the U.S. Olympic Committee to arrange a meeting between Rippon and the vice president, but that Rippon would not meet with Pence. Pence appeared to deny the validity of the report in a series of tweets saying, "One reporter trying to distort 18 yr old nonstory to sow seeds of division. We won’t let that happen! #FAKENEWS," referring to claims since his 2000 run for Congress that he has supported gay conversion therapy.
Pence then added in a separate tweet that addressed Rippon, "I want you to know we are FOR YOU. Don’t let fake news distract you."
For the rest of his appearance on The Late Show, Rippon also talked about what motivated him to perform at his top abilities during the games. "I remember going into one of my triple axles, I went into one of them and I thought, 'If I fall on this, Leslie Jones will be screaming on television,' and I used that as my motivation. That is 100 percent factual."
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SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest Winners Announced
Mar 19, 2024
Competition Receives a Record Number of Submissions that Highlight the Power of Innovation SHENZHEN, China, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyPixel, one of the world's most popular online communities for aerial photography and videography, today announces the winners of the SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest. Co-organized with DJI, this year's competition attracted over 130,000 submissions – a 100% increase from the previous year. The contest welcomed submissions from across the creator community, which includes professionals, aerial enthusiasts, and creative newcomers, showcasing their personal histories through the art of visual innovation. A Contest Shaped by You The SkyPixel Annual Photo & Video Contest is a testament to the power of innovation led imagery, honoring stories that shape the art of image capture both on solid ground and amidst the clouds. SkyPixel has cultivated a community-driven platform that reflects the dreams and aspirations of creators worldwide, and the annual competition has been a conduit for people who love image creation to express themselves as it authentically reflects the desires and aspirations of creators worldwide. Industry-Leading Judges The 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest was assessed by a Judging Panel of incredible professionals in the industry. In photography, seasoned experts include Wen Huang, a World Press Photo judge and Senior Editor, and Anne Farrar, Assistant Photography Chief Editor at National Geographic, Nan Li, the Photo Director of Southern Weekly, and Daniel Kordan, a renowned landscape photographer. In the video category, the judges include Michael Fitzmaurice, the Aerial Director of Photography of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," and Xiaoshi Zhao, known for his award-winning work on "Forever Enthralled." Bing Xi, a prominent figure in the Chinese TVC industry, and celebrated filmmaker Brandon Li round out the panel. After careful deliberation, the panel proudly presents the final winners for the year. 9th Annual Best Work Prize – Video: "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar" by Luke Bredar This year's video judging panel, which includes award-winning Cinematographers and Directors of Photography, chose Luke Bredar's video, "Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar." This short film mixes heart-pounding action shots of a skier racing down a snowy mountaintop landscapes with breathtaking shots of Alaska's mountainous, winter terrain. Luke Bredar details the thought process behind the short film, "The motivation behind creating this video was to evoke themes of otherworldliness, objective risk, the interplay between risk and the essence of human spirit, solitude, impermanence, self-sufficiency, and the journey of incomplete wandering intertwined with heartbreak." This short film is an epic story made in collaboration with Matchstick Productions. Bredar explains how he pursues a better visual presentation through his creative process "I think to myself. How would my child self want to see this filmed? And I almost always get a clear vision in response. There are a myriad of challenges shooting aerial cinematography in mountain environments, but they are all ...Full story available on Benzinga.com
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