The Open is produced by W1, an award-winning media and production company based in Vancouver, Canada. W1 was established in 1993.

W1 has been producing major photography and film events since 1998, including the Pro Photographer Showdown, the Pro Photographer Search and the Filmmaker Showdown. Under W1’s direction, the Pro Photographer Showdown developed into a 10-screen mega-production that has featured many of the world’s most renowned action-sport photographers. The Open is the evolution of these W1-produced events.

In the fields of visual arts, music and action-sports, W1 has produced more than 250 events and concerts. W1-produced events have delivered over $1,000,000 in prize money to artists and athletes. Its television productions are distributed to 122 countries. W1-created events have drawn a collective audience of over 2,000,000 people.