Last month I blogged about the amazing kite surfers I had the pleasure of watching one day during our holiday on Jersey. I promised then to post some more shots, so here they are. Yahoo!
Kite surfing, again
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Tag Archives: sport
Kite surfers do it in style
While I was on Jersey last month I had a chance to watch kite surfers doing their thing. What an amazing sport.
I wonder what the eighteenth century builders of La Rocco tower would think if they could see this scene.
I got chatting to one of the surfers and he told me it’s really quite easy. Not sure I believed him. The lighthouse in the background is La Corbiere, which featured in a couple of my earlier posts.
One of the tricky things I discovered about shooting kite surfers is that you have to choose between wide shots to get the kite as well as the surfer or close ups to capture the jumps and rolls the surfers do. The trouble with the latter is that without the kite the shot can look a little weird. Needless to say, however, I gave it a good try and some closer shots will feature in a later post.
Guess where we are
What an evening!
We travelled light to the Olympics today, hence the poor quality photos. But what an evening it was!
Love those minis – a cool way to carry the discus back to base
Interesting hat
More interesting hats!
Hooray!
A great night to be British
Bradley does it!
Photo by Maggie Talibart
My daughter’s debut shot, a stunning capture of Bradley Wiggins riding to victory in the Olympic time trials today. Well done, Maggie! I am not sure I should let her near my camera again if she is going to be this good. Well done, Bradley and also Christopher Froome (below) for winning Bronze.
Photo by Maggie Talibart
Olympic road race!
The pack arrives
The Olympics got off to an exciting start for us today as the road race came through our village, Oatlands, Weybridge, Surrey.
Outriders
The motorcycle riders who preceded the cyclists were very jolly, waving to the crowd and sounding their sirens or horns. One even zig zagged down the road, much to the crowd’s delight.
The leaders
It was very exciting when the cyclists finally appeared.
A steely stare from the USA!
One of the USA riders seems to be staring at me but he is in fact looking at another rider moving up to his left, out of frame.
Australia was leading the front group
Twelve riders were out in front as the race came through Oatlands.
Determination
But at this early stage there was still everything to race for.
Silver medalist in action
The Columbian rider caught here near the very back is Rigoberto Uran who come through to collect the Silver medal.
Support bikes, reflections and shadows.
After the riders came all the support vehicles and a multitude of spare bikes and wheels. Notice how the shadows bottom left seem to be forming some Olympic rings?
Olympic spirit
Afterwards the crowds dispersed in very good cheer.
Friendly steward
The stewards were really friendly and good humoured – doing a great job.
Tomorrow it’s the ladies’ turn and we’ll be there cheering them on.
Weightless in water, swift as the wind
I live in a town on the confluence of rivers. Water is a significant part of my local landscape and so is rowing.
In any weather, the hardy rowers can be found ploughing a furrow through the Thames.
We are a nation of rowers and Surrey is in the heart of rowing country.
We like to do well at rowing in international competitions. This year, there is a small sporting event taking place on home soil, and water. You may have heard if it.
Hopefully, we will do well. But however we do, the rowers will still be out on the Thames, doing their thing, every day.
“How fared it with the wind,” I said, “when stroke increased the pace?
You swung it forward mightily, you heaved it greatly back.
Your muscles rose in knotted lumps, I almost heard the crack.
And while we roared and rattled too, your eyes were fixed like glue.
What thought went flying through your mind, how fared it, Five, with you?”
But Five answered solemnly, “I heard them fire a gun.
No other mortal thing I heard until the Race was done.”
R.C. Lehman
Focused Moments 