Share your best outdoor video spots with the largest outdoor community in Canada. Earn bragging rights. Win sweet prizes.
We're looking for videos that feature self-propelled outdoor activities. They can be polished, edited masterpieces, or rough cuts shot from the belay ledge. They have to be your videos, not just something you "found" on the internet. Read the submission guidelines for details.
Read details on how to customize your broadcast options in YouTube. If you don't have a YouTube account, it's easy to set one up at http://ca.youtube.com/signup.
All we need is the URL to your video on YouTube, plus some info about you and your video. Give us a couple days to review your submission. If it meets our criteria, you'll receive an email confirming your video is available at mec.ca. Of course, you'll also need to read and accept the contest rules.
A total of 25 finalists (five (5) from each activity category) will be determined based on the total number of votes each video receives. Voting is open to anyone but each person is only allowed to vote once for a specific video. Users may vote for as many different videos as they choose. Videos submitted by MEC staff are not eligible to receive votes or win prizes.
When you click the "Vote for this video" link on a video detail page, you must enter a valid email address, in order to record your vote. You will be asked to verify your vote by following a unique link contained in an email. Email addresses are required only to verify the authenticity of the vote and to prevent repeat voting on individual videos. Only verified votes will be counted and MEC reserves the right to exclude videos from the group of finalists should we suspect vote tampering. Voting ends on September 21, 2011.
The first step to winning is getting as many people you can to watch and vote for your video. We'll count the votes each video receives and nominate 5 finalists from each activity category. All you have to do is direct people to your video page where they can vote using their email address. Each person can only vote once for any particular video. Voting closes September 21, 2011. Read the voting details.
Only bragging rights for the finalists (no prizes). But on November 2, 2011 our panel of judges will award prizes to the 3 best outdoor videos. Learn more about the panel of judges and the judging criteria.
Winning videos will be displayed online and in some MEC stores.
1st Place Winner: $2000 MEC Gift Card
2nd Place Winner: $1000 MEC Gift Card
3rd Place Winner: $500 MEC Gift Card
MEC will also select five (5) Honourable Mentions in its sole discretion across all activity categories (MEC's core outdoor self-propelled activities: cycling, hiking and camping, climbing, snowsports, and watersports). These 5 honourable mentions will be awarded to five entrants as follows:
If your video content meets these criteria, chances are it will be posted on mec.ca:
Our panel of judges from Canada's outdoor community will pick the winning videos, and will give equal consideration to these criteria.
MEC supports self propelled, wilderness-oriented recreation, activities like mountaineering, rock climbing, ski touring, hiking, camping, cycling, and paddling. Your video should feature one or more of these activities rather than scenes of people doing back flips on tricked-out snowmobiles.
Does your video show outdoor activities in a fresh, original and engaging way? We're looking for video spots that are inventive, and showcase authentic outdoor culture and unique outdoor experiences. Everyone has their own special rituals or approach, so let's see them.
We want to see videos that tempt us outside. After watching your video, people should feel inspired to try something new or maybe challenge themselves next time they're out in the wilderness.
Videos should show an awareness, appreciation, and respect for the environment and a safe and responsible approach to recreation. We want to see awesomeness and creativity, but we don't want to look at anything that shows irresponsible behavior, damage to wild spaces, or someone taking foolish risks.
MEC will select the five (5) honourable mentions in its sole discretion. The decisions will not be limited or restricted by category.
Contest Starts: April 6, 2011
Contest Closes: September 21, 2011 (voting ends, no more submissions)
Finalists Announced: October 5, 2011
Winners Announced: November 2, 2011
If you can't find the answer to your question, please email us at sweetspots@mec.ca.
We only use your personal information for contest administration and communication about your video spot. Your email address will not appear with your video. We won't sell your personal information to any third party. For more info, please read our Privacy Policy.
Click the "Show Items" drop-down menu located at the top of each listing page and choose the number of videos you'd like to display on each page. The default setting is 15 video spots per page.
There is only one way to filter video spots: by region. Use the drop-down menu to select the region.
Video spots can be sorted alphabetically by: Title or Date, and by Top-voted by clicking an underlined display header at the top of the page. By default, videos are sorted by Date in descending order so that the most recent videos appear first.
Yes, filter and sort can be combined to narrow your selection further.
There are lots of ways to find videos:
MEC screens all videos submitted. The warning "Naked truth" is added to videos that contain some brief or partial nudity. The warning "Naughty words" is added to videos that contain common swear words or mild cursing. MEC will not post videos that we think are obscene, sexually explicit, discriminatory, or offensive.
Please check your spam settings. Make sure MEC emails reach your in-box. Add sweetspots@mec.ca to your address book or contacts list.
Please check that you haven't already voted for that video. See how to vote section
We do not display email addresses within video spots.
Yes, you can vote for your own video once.
Yes, click the image or title for the detailed view of the video spot.
For the purposes of this video contest, enter a YouTube Video URL from the main YouTube site (DO NOT use the "embed code"). The URL for every YouTube video is located in the address bar of your web browser (eg. http://www.youtube.com/...).
This could be caused if you try to manually type the entire link of a video and enter a typo. Please copy and paste the link instead.
Use the drop-down list to choose either a Canadian province or "Outside Canada".
You must choose one activity-specific category for your video. You may not enter the same video in different categories. (You can however, submit more than one video.) If your video is about portaging canoes in Algonquin Park, you can enter it in either Hiking / Camping OR Watersports category. MEC reserves the right to remove any duplicate video spots at our discretion.
We do our best to approve all new video submissions within two business days.
Once your video is approved, we will send you an email notification to inform you that your video has been added to MEC Sweet Spots.
All video spots remain on MEC Sweet Spots for the duration of the contest. After that, videos will be archived.
If you notice an error on your video detail view, or if you would like to delete your video, simply send us an email atsweetspots@mec.cawith your unique video number and the correct info, and we will make the changes, or delete your video for you.
Please contact us by email atsweetspots@mec.cato share your feedback and questions about MEC Sweet Spots Outdoor Video Contest.
Mountain Equipment Co-operative ("MEC") is pleased to present the MEC Sweet Spots Outdoor Video Contest.
The contest is governed by the rules set out below. By entering the contest, you agree to abide by those rules and the decisions of MEC and the contest judges. You also agree to comply with all applicable laws. The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.
The contest runs from 12:01 AM Pacific Time on April 6, 2011 to 08:00 AM Pacific Time on September 21, 2011. Entries must be received by MEC within that period to be eligible.
You may enter the contest by submitting your video to MEC as follows:
It is solely your responsibility to ensure that your video is properly registered as described above. MEC will not be responsible for any lost, delayed, misdirected, illegible, incomplete, damaged or undeliverable entries, or any delay or failure to transmit, process, receive or consider entries.
Please do not submit your video multiple times in different categories. If you do so, you will dilute the number of votes your video receives. Also, MEC may remove your video from one or more categories at MEC's sole discretion, without any notice to you.
Please note that MEC is not associated with YouTube. You must comply with YouTube's terms of use, and MEC will not be liable to you regarding your use of (or inability to use) YouTube.
You are not required to make any purchase or pay any fee to enter or win the contest.
You may only enter the contest if you are an individual and, at the time of entry: (1) you are a legal resident of Canada and (2) you are of the age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence, or you are at least 13 and you have consent from your parent to enter the contest. If you do not meet the Canadian residency requirement, you may still submit your video to MEC but your video cannot be selected as one of the winning videos, and you will not be eligible for any prizes.
MEC employees and their immediate families (i.e., their spouses, siblings, children, spouses' parents, and the spouses of any of those individuals) and their household members (related or not), and anyone otherwise connected with the contest, are not eligible to enter the contest.
MEC may at any time in its sole discretion disqualify any entrant who: does not meet the contest's eligibility criteria, fails to comply with these rules, attempts to enter the contest in any manner our through any means other than as described in these rules, attempts to disrupt the contest or attempts to circumvent any of these rules.
Your video must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the contest:
MEC may disqualify any video entry if MEC determines (in its sole discretion) that the video does not comply with these eligibility requirements or otherwise with these rules.
Your video may be in colour or black and white, and may be enhanced with graphics, special effects or animation.
The video must meet the technical specifications required for it to be uploaded to, and received by, the contest web site at www.mec.ca/sweetspots by the end of the contest period.
By submitting a video to MEC you represent and warrant that:
If MEC suspects or believes that any of the above is untrue, MEC may disqualify your entry in its sole discretion.
If a video shows any individual in such a way that the individual can be recognized, you must obtain written consent from that individual to permit MEC to copy, display, transmit and otherwise use the video, and you must give MEC the original copy of that consent upon MEC's request. Videos that are submitted with inadequate documentation, as determined solely by MEC, will not be eligible for the contest.
During the contest period, the public may vote for their favourite video entry by following the instructions on the contest website. Voting will open to everyone, but there is a limit of one vote per video per person. If MEC discovers that an individual has voted more than once for the same video, MEC may disqualify some or all of that individual's votes in MEC's sole discretion.
Voting will end on or around September 21, 2011 at 11:59 AM Pacific time. The 5 videos from each activity category with the most votes at the end of the voting period will each be selected as one of the 25 contest finalists. If a finalist video in a particular activity category is disqualified or deemed ineligible by MEC, that video will not be considered for a prize, and the finalists from that activity category will be the remaining videos in that category, plus the video in that category with the next-highest number of votes (eg, if one of the top 5 videos from a category is disqualified, then the sixth-highest video from that category will become a finalist). Once all 25 finalists have been identified, MEC will notify the finalists of their finalist status, and will post the 25 finalist videos on the contest website (MEC expects to do so on or around October 5, 2011).
MEC will select the judges in its sole discretion. The contest's judges will select the first, second and third place winners from the 25 finalist videos. The judges' decisions will be based on the following criteria (weighted equally), and will not limited or restricted by category:
The judging will be completed by November 2, 2011. Decisions of the contest judges will be final and binding.
MEC will select the five (5) honourable mentions in its sole discretion. The decisions will not be limited or restricted by category.
The entrants of the five (5) honourable mentions will be notified by email. Each entrant must have complied with, and remain in compliance with, these rules, and must sign and deliver to MEC (within days of MEC's request) a standard declaration and release form (which will include a declaration of the entrants' compliance with these rules, an acceptance of the mention as awarded, a publicity release, a liability release, and the correct answer to a skill-testing question) and any other documentation that MEC may require.
MEC may request valid proof of identity, residency, age and other relevant documentation, and MEC may disqualify an entrant if MEC determines (in its sole discretion) that the provided proof is not sufficient.
If the prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or if a selected entrant does not comply with all of the above requirements within the above time frames, or does not otherwise comply with these rules, the entrant will be disqualified and MEC will select a replacement entrant.
The chances of winning will depend upon the number of entrants.
MEC expects to announce the names of the 5 honourable mentions on or around November 2, 2011.
The entrants of the top 3 videos will be notified by email. In order for these finalists to be declared contest winners and be eligible for a prize, each finalist must have complied with, and remain in compliance with, these rules, and must sign and deliver to MEC (within days of MEC's request) a standard declaration and release form (which will include a declaration of the finalists' compliance with these rules, an acceptance of the prize as awarded, a publicity release, a liability release, and the correct answer to a skill-testing question) and any other documentation that MEC may require.
MEC may request valid proof of identity, residency, age and other relevant documentation, and MEC may disqualify a finalist if MEC determines (in its sole discretion) that the provided proof is not sufficient.
If the prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or if a selected finalist does not comply with all of the above requirements within the above time frames, or does not otherwise comply with these rules, the finalist will be disqualified and the contest judges will select a replacement finalist.
The chances of winning will depend upon the number of entrants.
MEC expects to announce the names of the winners on or around November 2, 2011.
There are three (3) prizes and five (5) honourable mentions to be won, with a total approximate retail value of CAD $4,000. The 3 prizes will be awarded to the top three finalists (as chosen by the contest judges) as follows:
MEC will also select five (5) Honourable Mentions in its sole discretion across all activity categories (MEC's core outdoor self-propelled activities: cycling, hiking and camping, climbing, snowsports, and watersports). These 5 honourable mentions will be awarded to five entrants as follows:
All prizes must be accepted as awarded (with no substitutions), and may not be sold, transferred, or converted into cash.
If for any reason MEC cannot run the contest as planned (including as a result of bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, infection by computer virus or any other cause that corrupts, impairs or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this contest) MEC may cancel, modify, extend or suspend the contest. In that event, MEC may award prizes at random from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment, or award no prizes.
MEC may also disqualify any individual who tampers with or in any way corrupts the entry or voting process, or who attempts to undermine the legitimate operation of the contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair practices, or by attempting to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or MEC representatives.
By entering a video in the contest, you waive all rights you may have with respect to the video, including all moral rights and rights of personality, publicity or privacy, and you grant to MEC the unrestricted, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide license (but not the obligation) to use, reproduce, communicate, modify and display the video (in whole or in part) for any purpose without any fee or other form of compensation, and without further notification or permission, including without limitation the following purposes:
You grant to MEC the unlimited right: (i) to edit or modify your video in any manner, including by adding visual or aural effects or other elements; and (ii) to use, adopt and modify any or all portions of your video in combination with other materials. When editing or modifying your video, MEC will use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the original essence of the video.
Except where otherwise prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes a winner's consent to MEC's use of the winner's name, home town and province for promotional purposes without further notification, permission, payment or consideration.
MEC does not accept liability for any loss or damage of any videos entered in the contest or for any other loss or damage resulting directly or indirectly from your participation in the contest.
MEC is not responsible for: (1) incorrect or inaccurate transcription of entry information or late, lost, incomplete, misdirected entries, or entries received through impermissible or illegitimate channels; (2) technical failures of any kind, including without limitation the malfunctioning of any telephone, computer, network, hardware or software; (3) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any service; (4) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the contest; (5) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the contest or the processing of entries; or (6) any injury or damage to persons or property, including without limitation your computer, which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from your participation in the contest or from downloading any material from MEC's website.
MEC will not be liable to you for any indirect, special, consequential, or punitive damages in connection with the contest or these rules.
By participating in this contest, you release and agree to indemnify and hold harmless MEC and its employees, directors, officers, affiliates, agents, judges and advertising and promotional agencies from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of actions, or losses of any kind resulting from your participation in this contest or receipt or use of any prize.
By participating in this contest, you further agree to indemnify and hold harmless MEC and its employees, directors, officers, members, affiliates, agents, judges and advertising and promotional agencies from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of actions or losses of any kind (including actual legal fees and expenses) arising from or related to: (a) your failure to comply with any of these rules; (b) any misrepresentation you make under these rules or otherwise to MEC; or (c) your participation in the contest.
You consent to MEC using and disclosing your personal information for the purposes of administering the contest; advertising the contest and any future contests and any of MEC's products and services; and for the other purposes described in these rules. If MEC uses some or all of your video for advertising purposes, MEC will only disclose your first name in that advertising unless you consent to MEC also disclosing your last name.
The Rules will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada and the federal laws of Canada applicable in British Columbia.
All disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with the contest, prizes or these rules will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court of the Province of British Columbia, Canada.
In Canada, with respect to Quebec residents, any litigation respecting the conduct or organisation of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the Régie only for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.
The parties have expressly requested that this Agreement and any related document be prepared in the English language. Les parties aux présentes ont expressément demandé à ce que cette convention et les documents qui s'y rapportent soient rédigés en anglais.
For more information please contact MEC:
Mountain Equipment Co-op
MEC Head Office
149 West 4th Ave,
Vancouver BC V5Y 4A6