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Finally Bootleg Canyon landed a National Event!!!!! This weekend marked the first event of the year on the Gravity Nationals Circuit and I had the opportunity to hike up and down Bootleg Canyon for several days catching the action.
This time I had the opportunity to land some outside sales to teams and manufacturers. I shot some images for Specialized of Aaron Gwin's new sweet carbon downhill rig and some shots of the new Intense 275 prototype downhill ride. I was also asked to get shots of Aaron and Mitch Ropelato on the mountain (which I came sooooooo close to nailing perfectly!)
This year the race course was a little different than the other races I've shot out there and the pros and open riders got to ride Kavorkian, which is crazy gnarly/wicked/nuts/whatever. So I headed up during practice to shoot and scope out locations on the new section. I got down there and the possibilities are incredible, some really light puffy clouds came in a softened the light and the views were insane. Unfortunately so is the trail and there is no place to hike except on the trail or scrambling over the rocks on the 60 degree side slope --- which is were I was when Aaron and Mitch came through. I was stuck scrambling around some rocks and bushes and captured the guys through a creosote bush that pretty completely obscured my view of them. And the slope was so much there wasn't a chance to move and reposition myself for a clear shot. I was able to catch a shot of the two of them negotiating some narrow stuff before the big drop in though -- maybe Specialized will like it. Anyway, Mitch crashed hard in the seeding run and possibly broke his wrist and I didn't even get a chance shoot him again.
The blown shot, dang that bush!
I shot the Super D event Saturday afternoon, raced home to edit and upload images and returned later in the day to see if I could drag Aaron and Mitch up to Kavorkian for a sunset shoot (when I found out about Mitch's crash).
Sunday I brought out one of my photographer friends and my daughter to shoot with me to get as many great shots as possible (and test my photographer friend for some gigs later in the year). We started at the top, I found my place (one of my favorite locations to shoot for solid safe images -- sorry Jimmy Mac). I would have loved to hit Kavorkian again, but since only a small percentage of riders actually got to race that trail -- and the landscape near it was not as scenic as my spot -- I stayed put for the DH. We headed down the mountain and shot the Chainless race from a jump near the finish line where we could play with shutter speed and things.
The Chainless spot:
Post race report, I've been contacted by both Intense and Specialized for images -- so maybe I'll get something. Sales to racers are pretty good so far after 24 hours. I'm still the only one with all my event galleries uploaded and selling. And man am I sore from all the hiking up and down the mountain for two days (and shooting a half marathon Saturday morning before I hit Reaper Madness)! I definitely like riding my mountain bike far more than hiking. ;)
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