Vancouver Olympics, Entry 6
I shot snowboarding yesterday. Words really can’t express what it is to stand on the edge of a 22 foot halfpipe and watch the best riders in the world launch into outer space two feet in front of you. Without a doubt, the most insane feats of athleticism I have ever seen -they charge harder, faster, higher, meaner and gnarlier than anything- floating and flipping through the air as if alien specimens. The first and only Olympic sport I would personally pay money to see again. Your head spins. (Again, Im posting more photos than I should – it’s a rough edit at 1AM)
Shaun White (who just won his second Olympic gold) is the only rider other riders stops to watch. The score from his qualifying run would have won him the gold. It was so blatantly clear from the very beginning. A composite image tracking White through the air on this boost is in the works.
This is white on his way DOWN. I have shots of him from this sequence at a higher altitude but he has gone into the TV lighting (cropped out because it is ugly).
Kazuhiro Kokubo was a real contender for silver or bronze, I was personally rooting for him – he charged super hard. Unfortunately he slipped out as he crossed the finish line on both his finals runs, securing a trip home empty handed.
I don’t even like this photo, it just seems so clean and mandatory though.
On the other hand, I really, really like this photo – I don’t even care that it isn’t sharp. I wish I had shot more guys this tight.
I hope photo people like this shot. I do.
Back to White to close us out.
The guy is a pretty big rockstar, and the story of how he first got sponsored and started riding is pretty cool Doesn’t seem like such a bad life to live.
The coolest part of the night was standing two feet from him as he ran over to his posse. He was incredibly genuine and friendly and polite with everyone. After all the hugs and high fives from teammates and friends and corporate schmucks and Olympic trolls, he took this quiet moment with his Mom, which I thought was pretty cool.