My focus at Crankworx Whistler was to bring light to all the girls and women out there ‘sending it’.
For some the term ‘sending it’ referred to hitting the big 70ft Crabapple jump and whipping it good. For others, it mean giving it their all for that one race.
But, in the big scheme of things ‘sending it’ is a shout-out to all the girls and women riders who were there to visit, to ride, to compete, to throw it down, to laugh and to have fun.
Keep an eye open for the Autumn issue of ‘Mountain Bike For Her’ with special articles and photos of Crankworx Whistler.
Cheers to the Women of Crankworx 2016!
Ahead of the crowd during the children’s Criterium by the Olympic Village.Kathi Kuypers, of Trek Gravity Girls, was the only women rider competing in the Dual Slope Speed and Style.Tara Llanes ripping it up on A-Line about to grab some air during the Air Fox DH.Haley Smith of Norco Factory Racing bringing in the gold during the XC race held at Blackcomb.
Lalena Desautels transitioning from the medium jump line to the large jump line.Jonna Johnsen riding for Corsair Bikes in the right lane of the Dual Slalom.Jill Kintner, Queen of the Mountain, racking up another win.
Check out this little guy. He’s nine years old and riding technical trails. He didn’t get there overnight. I know as I’m his mother and I’ve watched him pedal, fall, stumble and try again.
Some days I know I need to sit back from an already hectic life and reflect. And I realise I can learn from that very same lesson that my nine year old has been learning from over the past few weeks.
It might take me a wee bit longer but eventually I realise that life is good, and that through preserverence I can achieve what I want.
Bracing myself against the passenger door the driver yelled back to me to hang on tight as we dipped into a sharp right hand turn. Feeling the G’s pushing me back against the frame was nothing short of an adrenaline rush. Oh yea baby…I’m hooked! Hanging out the side window of a pace car is super fun!
On Sunday May 22 I drove to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA to take photos of a Chump Cars World Series race. Having spent the last few years directly involved with off-road motorcycles it was fascinating to see the resemblances between the two sports. Whether you have two wheels or four we are the same…with a few exceptions.
I determined that the number one difference was the sheer level of organization simply needed to attend an event just to race. The amount of gear, pit crew and team members needed for a weekend race is mind-blowing. Bike riders bring BBQ’s, tents, motorhomes, tool boxes as well but with cars everything seemed bigger, larger and more plentiful. Think about it…everything needs to be doubled. Double the tires, the rims, the stands, the gas, the jacks, the oils and so on. Bigger trailers and towing vehicles too.
What I liked about Chump Car Racing, a parody of Champ Car Racing, is the accessibility of racing to the average person. Using cheap cars, insurance claims, or beaters a limit of $500 is placed on the car in order to keep a level playing field. Teams will be penalized for any performance mods made to the car that drive that amount up, safety features excluded.
‘If you cheat or screw-up or both… you’ll be docked laps. If you come to Tech Inspection with a car that’s worth $1,500… plan on starting the race about 100 laps down from everyone else. You can still run in the race and you’ll have a great time… but you’ll never win. If that doesn’t bother you, you’re our kind of Chump!
Seems fair to me.
While car racing is decidedly more expensive than off-road racing the camaderie and sense of belonging is equally as strong. Just because a vehicle has two extra wheels doesn’t mean that they aren’t sewn from the same cloth. Respect, competitiveness, rivalry, family and friendliness – this is racing at it’s finest.
For event photos please click HERE. My photos are for sale (digital format or prints). I thank you in advance for your support – it’s greatly appreciated.
Getting ready to rock n’ roll.Hanging out the back of a Ford Mustang with Nikon D3S, 24-70mm in hand trying to get an artistic motion-blur shot at 100 kph give or take. Yeehaw!Let the games begin.Pit Stop including mandatory driver change which must be done every two hours or less during a 6 hour race.Working on the exhaust system that I believe was falling down. The welder is a driver from another team. Love the camaraderie found at this level of racing!A gear bag isn’t big enough for a weekend race.
Ridge Motorsports had some cool areas for pans. Find your car in my event photos.
Despite it being a cool, wet North Vancouver spring day the competition was fierce, and the spirits were high among the young athletes participating in the second annual Montessori Track and Field games. On Thursday May 26, students from Lower Mainland Vancouver and Vancouver Island competed in various field and running events held at West Vancouver Secondary School.
Among the Montessori schools participating were Discover from Vancouver Island, North Star from North Vancouver, Pacific Rim from Richmond, and Squamish Montessori from Squamish. Students from both the lower and upper elementary divisions competed in events of their choice. Running events included the 100m sprint, the 400m sprint, and a 4×100 relay. Field events included the javelin, and the running long jump.
Over the past five weeks I had the pleasure of working and getting to know both the LE and UE students at North Star. It came as no surprise to see such a fine group work together and help each other out. But what really impressed me was the comportment of all the Montessori students. In addition to the competition and already established rivalry was a level of respect, camaraderie and courteousness among the schools. Regardless of whether they were competitors, brothers, sisters or friends the support felt and given on the field was clearly evident and noticeable. Impressive to see such young kids act better than most grown-ups at soccer or hockey games. Kudos.
Congratulations to all participants for a job well done and to all the volunteers who helped make this day a success.
Please click HERE to see the photos. They are free to download. All I ask is that you do not alter my images in any way including cropping. And if you ever need an action or a documentary-style family photographer please think of me. To understand my style please visit www.cecilegambin.com. Yes…I know this is a shameless self-plug. Thank you for being understanding 🙂
