Sports

The latest news from Sydney-based photographer Richard McGibbon as he travels up and down the East coast of Australia covering athletes on adventures and high-action sports events and races.

Feb

2012

Skateboarding in Austria

Patrik Pittl, Kickflip, Innsbruck, Austria

What do you do in Austria when there is no snow? Skateboard of course. Well, that is if you are a skateboarder I guess.
Yesterday I was speaking to a friend in Austria who I had done some skateboard shots with and he told me that he hadn’t seen the shots for a while as he had lost his copies. I realised that I had never actually posted many of them here on my website, so I thought I better rectify that.he shots of Patrik Pittl were taken in and around Innsbruck. The other shots are all taken in and around Brixlegg and the Cradle Skatepark.
I also want to say a big thanks to few people who made these shots possible:
Ben Herbert who introduced me to everyone.
Chris Cab for his amazing hospitality
and Flo Smith (www.flosmithphotographic.com) for helping me out in Innsbruck and lending me bits of equipment when I realised I had left mine back in Australia.

See more of my skateboard shots here

: Patrik Pittl, Kickflip, Innsbruck, Austria

: Chris Cab, Brixlegg, Austria

: Chris Cab, Brixlegg, Austria

: Dave Margreiter, Feeble, Brixlegg, Austria

: Patrik Pittl, Kick Flip, Innsbruck, Austria

: Chris Cab, Brixlegg, Austria

: Patrik Pitt, Innsbruck, Austria

: Chris Cab, Brixlegg, Austria

: Simon Fliri, Austria

Dec

2011

Downhill Mountain Biking at Oxford Falls

Yesterday I met up with local rider Nick Turnbull at the Oxford Falls downhill track here on Sydney’s Northern Beaches area for a bit of mountain biking. Its a short track but with a few nice jumps and obstacles. We also met up with another local rider Tom Sanders. Despite being a Friday afternoon we had the track to ourselves so we had plenty of time to set up shots. Here’s a selection from the afternoon’s shoot.

Jun

2011

Surf on the Northern Beaches

There has been a few waves around on Sydney’s beaches this last week. Although I don’t really have the lens for surf photography I thought I should take myself down to a few of the local beaches and see if I could get any shots. For surf shots like these I could really do with a much bigger lens but that’s just not going to happen at the moment.I am going to make a special effort to get up early in the morning and get myself down to the beach to go shooting. Although I love the sunrise and all I have never been much of a morning person so this will be quite a struggle for me but worth the effort I am sure or so I am going to keep telling myself.

Dec

2010

Skateboarding in Tarragona

I got to hang out in Spain and shoot skateboarding in Tarragona, Spain with a few of Tarragona’s local skaters over Summer. We just cruised around the city me conversing in my broken spanish and they in the broken english. It was still a lot of fun and great to see some of the local spots that Tarragona has to offer.

We spent our days exploring around the harbour front and the old city hitting some of their favourite spots and looking for some new ones to add to their list. We went as far out as Salou to an old abandoned mansion that had a pool overlooking the Mediterranean.

My thanks to Valen, Frankie, Ceasar and the others for letting me shoot with them and their patience with my terrible spanish.

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Skating the streets of Tarragona, Spain

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Valen Haralambibis with a nosegrind over steps near Tarragona’s skatepark, Spain

: Street skating in Tarragona

: Valen Haralambibis, Crooked Grind, Tarragona, Spain

: Valen Haralambibis with a nosegrind in Tarragona’s skatepark, Spain

: Valen Haralambibis at the harbour in Tarragona, Spain

Sep

2010

Mountain Biking and Flashing

With studying lighting at school I thought I should take my new found knowledge into the field. A friend, John Harbord, has been kind enough to volunteer his skills on a mountainbike. We took the show up to Oxford Falls in Sydney’s Northern Beaches area. Also met up with another friend, Josh a BMXer, at the nearby Freedom Jumps. The following is a few of the shots.

: John Harbord hitting one of the jumps at Oxford Falls in Sydney’s North.

Jun

2010

Chris Cab: Skateboard

Chris Cab is a character with a lot of personality. His open and easy going attitude reflects in his skate style. With his hometown boasting one of the best skateparks in Europe, The Cradle, his roots are dug firmly into old school, skating mainly bowls and vert. Now things are moving for him in a slightly different direction with the release of a his own designed skateboard and the beginnings of his new company, Wasted Youth Skateboards.

Name:

Chris Cab

Date of Birth:

23rd of January 1982

Nationality:

Austrian / South African

Hometown:

Alpbach Valley / Brixen

Sponsors:

VANS, Wasted Youth Skateboards, Skullcandy, Electric & X-Double Shop

Favourite board:

Wasted Youth Splatter Plank

Favourite spot:

Washington Street & The Cradle

Website:

www.chriscab.com (currently under maintenance)

Other sports do you participate in?

What are “Sports”?

How did you get involved in skateboarding?

Skateboarding got hold of me, when I was around 10… 😉

What motivates you to skate:

The inner drive, the hunger to skate every day, feel the pain, dedication and passion. Those are the things that motivate me…

Who or what are your influences:

Dogs, Wife, Parents, Wasted Youth Crew, Thrasher, too many to name…

You have just released your own skateboard. How did this come about?

I was tired of begging for boards at Black Label, so I asked my homie Adi from the XDouble Shop in Innsbruck, if he was down to do a shop model with my shape and my design ideas… He was down and they sell very well… I am stoked for I am riding exactly what I want!

Austria is better known for its skiers and snowboarders. What is it like for skating?

We have the 1st cradle in the World, one of the best parks in Europe if not the best! Since Dreamland poured ‘crete in Tirol, there have been bowls and pools popping out left and right in Austria. So I think it is pretty cool if you down with transitions. Street skate wise, I have no clue, gotta ask someone else.

Favourite trick at the moment:

Favourite trick, must be the invert but all time it will be the frontside rock….

Best Moment:

You gotta be kiddin’ me… Waaaaaay too many to count!!! But surely every time I learn a new trick or ride out something big… 😉

Worst Moment:

Same, same but different. But again, surely every time I get hurt badly…

Plans for the future:

Get my skateboard sales from my company ”Wasted Youth” up and running so I can travel again, but real plans…… none. Taking it day by day. The only thing I know, is that my wife and I will be moving into a little farmhouse by the woods, where I can finally build my own concrete wonderland and live a happy life…

Last Words or anything you would like to add:

Rollerblading sucks, Skateboarding is everything, Viva lá WASTED YOUTH!!!

See more skateboarding shots here