Every year, The American celebrates the American West with the richest weekend event in all of Western Sports. Lightswitch provided lighting design and execution for the event, both in the stadium and for major broadcast audiences.
Every year, The American celebrates the American West with the richest weekend event in all of Western Sports. Lightswitch provided lighting design and execution for the event, both in the stadium and for major broadcast audiences.
For a decade, Teton Ridge have been disrupting the world of western sports. But Teton Ridge is more than a brand; it’s a way of life that celebrates the spirit of the American West and all that it represents. Through delivering legendary Western experiences, entertainment, and lifestyle products, Teton Ridge preserves the legacy of the West while elevating its stories for a new generation of global audiences. As founder Thomas Tull says, “There’s an integrity, honesty, and purity to America’s Western culture and way of life that represents the unique heritage of our Nation.”
This is celebrated every year at The American, which represents the richest weekend event in all of Western Sports. Over the course of qualifier events across the country, competitors battle for what could be the biggest two-day paycheck of their careers. The American is a true open competition in format: the iconic event brings together top professional rodeo athletes and hardworking cowboys and cowgirls in a winner-take-all showdown, meant to crown the finest talent the world has to offer.
Teton Ridge enlisted fellow disrupters EVI to provide creative and technical execution while working with Creative Directors Sooner Routhier and Curtis Adams. The EVI team took the vision of Teton Ridge and brought it to life, with Lightswitch providing lighting design and execution both in the stadium and for major broadcast audiences.
Unlike traditional rodeos that simply finish with an afterthought-like concert, Teton Ridge’s vision for The American and its sibling event The American Performance Horseman was to weave World Class entertainment and spectacle into the fabric of the events — featuring performances from Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Ghost Hounds, Darius Rucker, and Cody Johnson. This created a truly new and unique Western Sports experience for today’s audiences. This is not your papa’s rodeo!
Lightswitch worked with experts in the field of Western Sports to incorporate a never before seen level of entertainment lighting into the events. We also collaborated with the creative teams from the performing artists to create a seamless entertainment experience.
Our work for EVI and Teton Ridge covered several distinct disciplines, including sports lighting and entertainment lighting for in-room and broadcast media. We were also careful to always be mindful of animal and athlete safety. An extremely aggressive schedule meant we leaned heavily on previsualization for the events, opening and closing ceremonies, and celebrity performances. A nimble team of Lightswitch designers and programmers flawlessly executed the event, managing every aspect of the lighting design and process.
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