Enduro

Dec

2014

Jetblack 24hr

Last weekend was the Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals, held at the wonderful Mt. Annan Botanical Gardens on the western side of Sydney. I was the official photographer with Gil and our company Outer Image Collective. For this race, we also called in the help of the talented Michael Vettas from Vettas Media to free our hands for a bit more chance to shoot editorials.

This year a new section of track was incorporated into the loop which by the end of the race had turned to dust, not so good for the riders or cameras but great for the atmosphere in the photos. The wonderful thing about shooting a 24 hr race is that you get to experience all types of light from the harsh midday sun to the black of night and the softness of sunrise and sunset.

The Jetblack 24-hour ends the Enduro season for me this year. It has been a great season and has taken me to some fantastic spots again this year. I am already looking forward to the kick-off next year with the AMB100 in Stromlo.

Below are a few highlights of my shots from the race.

: Matin and Juliane of Rocky Trail Entertainment

: Get your branding out

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Tools of the trade

: Getting underway

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: A local out on track

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Fiery sunset

: Jetblack 24hr Light trails at nightand Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Through the camp at night

: DJ Nige getting the vibes happening

: Golden light of the moenning

: Morning is dawning

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Getting tired and coming unstuck

: Jetblack 24hr and Australian 24hr Solo Nationals at Mt Annan

: Australian champ, Jason English on the way to another win

: Australian champions

: All smiles for a great weekend

Oct

2014

Thule B24 in Bright, Victoria

Once again Gil and I hit the road as OuterImage, this time making our way down to the Victorian Alps. It was time for the Thule B24 enduro at Bright. It’s the second year it has been running and word is getting around about the 24hr race and it’s trails, numbers were up on last year and this year almost 300 competitors registered for the race.

Gil and I arrived on the Thursday evening and scouted the course on the Friday. Although mainly the same course as last year there was a couple of changes to add in more single-track. The track runs out along the river before heading up into the pine forests on the mountainside above Bright. It dips into the pines of Treehugger before the return downhill through a flowing section called Gorilla Warfare and back out to run along the river again. Over the nights we stayed at some great lookout points in the surrounding mountains and rose early to catch sunrise photos.

Race day saw temperatures up into the 30’s and a few people dropping out for a few hours until things cooled again heading into the evening. Many soldiered on though and continued knocking out the laps. As night fell so too did the temperature though not to the same biting chill like the previous year. Lights came on but Gil and I continued to shoot into the night. Eventually Gil and I called it a night.

As Sunday dawned we got back into the shooting in some beautiful mountain light. As the sun rose and the temperature climbed again I made my way deeper into cooling shade of the trees around the river. As the temperature rose even further I actually made my way into the river and cooled down a bit whilst standing knee deep and shooting from there. I wasn’t alone as the race neared completion more and more competitors who had made their final run came down to cool off.

A huge congratulations to all those who competed and a big thank you from Gil and I to all those who helped organise such a wonderful event. Already looking forward to the next one.

Jul

2014

Shimano GP: Round 3, Ourimbah

After a short break Rocky Trail Entertainment’s Shimano Gp is back. Last weekend saw the round 3 happening at Ourimbah State Forest on the central coast. Rain the day before kept the dust down but did not leave the track overly muddy.

A fine day as always at the wonderful Ourimbah track. The best thing from a photographer’s perspective about the Ourimbah track is the variation of locations to shoot at, from rainforest in the lower sections to eucalypt forests in the higher areas of the tracks. This year Gil and I focused our attention on the higher sections. There was areas up here that I had never even had the chance to visit during the years shooting here. Some of the trees in the top area are just stunning in the right light. Being not as thickly forested as the rainforest areas means it is also less strenuous on our flashes and some of the shots can be shot using the available light coming in through the trees.

If you are in the area and haven’t yet had the chance to enjoy these wonderful tracks I certainly recommend giving them a go.

May

2014

Shimano GP Round 2: James Estate

Last weekend was the wonderful James Estate Winery leg of the Shimano GP series. This race is completely different for us as part of its course runs through the vineyards and vats of the winery. It’s also a chance for one of us to go up in an ultralight and see and shoot the race from above. This year I was the lucky one and the flight was fantastic.

The James Estate winery is located in the Hunter Valley to the north of Sydney and is one of Australia’s premier wine producing regions. Luckily it doesn’t seem to share the same weather systems as Sydney though as it rained all weekend in Sydney while we were treated to some glorious weather.

Numbers were down slightly in this race but this was to be expected with the UCI World Cup taking place up in Cairns. This year for the event all the goings on were moved to the campsite area keeeping it all nice and central.

The track runs out to a single track on the edge of the Wollemi National Park. It zig zags around there before making its way back into the vineyard and up and round through the vines. Last year I covered the single track and Gil took the vineyard so this year we decided to swap around. Finding numerous various shots in a vineyard is harder than I had expected.

It was another great event put on by Rocky Trail and one of our favourites on the circuit.

Apr

2014

Shimano GP, Round 1, Awaba

And it’s on again. After previously being rain delayed the first round of Rocky Trail Entertainment’s Shimano Gp got underway at Awaba last weekend. Rain had threatened with delaying the race again but the weather cleared up and although there was a couple of puddles the majority of the track had dried sufficiently beforehand. I headed up again with Gil to shoot for our project, OuterImage.

It was a great day with a few clouds around which kept the heat down. The clouds make it great for photography as the contrast levels are right down and we are able to control the lighting much easier. Awaba is one of those great track where you can walk 50m and find a new angle with some great shots. I covered the final section of the track while Gil headed off to cover the start and middle section. To mix it up and give it a new feel Rocky Trail decided to run the course in reverse to what it would normally be. As far as photography goes this basically means it’s a whole new track for us to shoot as everything becomes different.

There was quite a few familiar faces out on the course but also plenty of fresh ones. In the end it was Andrew Lloyd who took the honours in the male elite category 7hr and Kirby Knowles in the Female Elite 7hrs.

Mar

2014

Australian Gravity Enduro Rnd. 1: Glenworth Valley

A new track and a new race circuit. Gil and I were there to cover it all under the guise of OuterImage.

The Australian Gravity Enduro Series kicked off the season with it’s inaugural race at Glenworth Valley one misty morning. The Gravity Enduro is a combination race of technical downhill and rolling single track enduro sections. Gil took the top half of the track, taking the bus up and walking down while I started at the bottom and headed up. Gil’s walk took him through scrubland along the rolling track where competitors had to pedal hard to keep their speed up. Whilst my walk took me through mosquito infested forests and up what was the downhill section. This technical section of track, tight, rocky and steep, got the better of many competitors throwing them from their bikes and although there was a few who had to pull out of the race the injuries were minimal. I have never seen so many mosquitoes as I saw there and despite splashing on the Aeroguard I still got destroyed. Note to self: Next time I have to shoot there pack a chameleon or some other mosquito eating creature in the bag.

Elite male was dominated by Victorian Dan MacMunn while the Elite Female fell to Sydneysider Genevieve McKew.

The series continues next in Victoria before heading out to South Australia, across to Western Australia, back his way to Stromlo in the ACT before finishing up later in the year at Cairns in the Queensland. Definitely something to watch out for when it comes your way.

If you are interested in riding this track at Glenworth Valley you will have to wait until the Rollercoaster event hits it later in the year as it will be closed between now and then.