Website:www.delaneyzayac.com

Age: 29

Spiritual Inspiration: what?






Camera Setup:
I use a Nikon set-up, I just went digital this winter, but I still shoot slide and black and white sometimes. So bodies are F100, D200, FM2, lenses are 12-24mm f4, 50mm f1.8, 70-200mm f2.8 vr, 1.4 converter, 105mm macro, 540 switch rodeo and 2 cohibas.

Would you rather have a hemorrhoid or a Polaroid?
I would love to shoot your hemorrhoids with a Polaroid.






Name the last time you shaved a swear word in your head:
1986, right before the much music school dance, the F word with lightning bolts.

Heli, sled, tour, or chair, and why?
Heli of course. That’s like apple to oranges to peanuts, isn’t it?

Would you rather claim to have shot Scot Schmidt or JFK?
Schmidt, he is way cooler.






Do you think Schmidt does his own taxes?
His wife does them for sure, she seems like business type.

How does someone who hates reggae manage to supervise a tree planting camp?
Well, the reggae has kinda fizzled out, so its not so bad anymore, but for a while there I had to self medicate a lot and wear headphones to keep my sanity, and when they gave me my own truck I just wouldn’t allow it in the truck.






Being a ski bum at heart, do you find it difficult to stop, load film, wait for light, and shoot one turn over and over, when you could be shredding over and over?
It’s not so bad when it’s something I’ve skied before, and the lights all rad and someone is really pumped to ski it, but when it’s something I’ve been wanting to ski for a long time it’s difficult, actually half the time I just go and ski it…but I think I have to continue doing that, to stay content and feel fulfilled.

Aren't you worried about going pro and just ending up spending all you time and money at a patio bar in Whistler and never going in the mountains cause, "Dude, it's greybird?"
No,I hate patio bars in Whistler, and I usually ski when it’s grey.






Tell everyone about the Sac Du Merde Tour.
Hmmm, well, a couple years ago me and you went to Europe to cover some IFS comps for Biglines, and we were both kinda hurting for cash. And Europe isn’t a cheap place to hang out in, unless your good, real good (at being a dirtbag that is). So many times during our escapades, we would be trying to explain to some Swiss ski bunny why we were both asking if we could sleep on her couch/floor, we would be like “ We are traveling around ‘dirtbag’ styles” and she would be all like “quoi?? Qu’est-ce cait ‘dirtbag’?” And we would try to explain, but it was futile, but usually they would let us crash anyways…So after this kept happening we just started calling ourselves ‘sac du merde’ for lack of a better translation. I don’t know if it really helped us get free places to stay. I usually got really weird looks from people, like I was asking them if they wanted a bag of feces on their couch or something, anyways, that trip became “Le Sac Du Merde Tour”, and by the end we were legends in Europe. I think the whole time we were there Mansbridge only spent 2 euros on a big bag of carrots; that’s 3 weeks in Switzerland and France for 2 euros!! I still can’t go over there because I get harassed so much for autographs and stories about the famous Sac Du Merde…we really started a new trend over there.

What do you tell the kids who want to grow up and become a professional dirtbag just like you?
I tell them to get a job.






Tell us about the proposed Bearing Straight mission.
It still might happen, me and a couple friends, mainly Rhianna Rasmussen, want to sled from Alaska into Siberia and Kamchatka, via the Bering Straight, to slay a bunch of peaks. We just need the right season, with lots of snow on either side, and some sponsors to fund all the gas money. Maybe we can do it on donut deep frier oil or something? And get funding from Tim Hurtins.

Do you want to see the hardest head butt in the world?
No






As a professional photographer who loves skiing and being in the mountains, how will you handle shooting weddings and graduation ceremonies?
I will pump gas at the husky before I shoot weddings and grads. Well, I guess I would consider it if they paid me enough…but not during winter.

How low will you go? Will you shoot kids at birthday parties? Will you contract yourself out to stalk cheating husbands? Sears catalogues? You might get a free sweat-suit out of it. Mamograms?
No birthday parties, stalk cheating husbands–for sure! And the sears catalogue bra section exclusively. Mamograms?

Who are the best unknown athletes that you are currently taking photos of?
Skier: Sam Casavant, he kills it, amazing big mountain skier. He has tremendous poise and control in scary situations.
Snowboarder: Joe Lax, he is always charging, hitting big cliffs and steep lines, plus he throws raddest Mexican Eagle.






You were one of the core shredding telemarkers in Kamloops, BC. Was there any competitive tension between you and Steve "Crazy" Leader?:
No, it was more Fernie than Kamloops, and really I never even knew who Steve “Crazy” was until I moved to the coast, but still, never any tension, we play different games altogether, and I haven’t dropped the knee in about half a decade.

Are there any social statements you would like to make with your photography?
Well, I hate a few things, and I love a bunch of things, so really it’s just about communicating that, but I don’t really have it all planned out.

Who would you like to thank for getting where you are today?
You






Who would you like to blame for losing you amateur status?
Again, you.

Thanks D-Lain. Close it with a Haiku.
I don’t want to write
This stupid Hai Ku for you
But I guess I did