The Corduroy Enduro 2012 Photo Report

Welcome to the 59th edition of The Corduroy Enduro. For access to photo albums please click HERE.

Over 150 + riders from across the country gathered September 21-23 to race the country’s hardest off-road event. This years race was made even more special as one of the worlds top ‘Extreme Enduro’ athlete Chris Birch from New Zealand suited up and raced his first event in Canada. The Cord, as this race is affectionately called, is touted as Canada’s toughest race as riders slash it out over the picturesque but harsh, rocky, hilly and rooty trails of the Haliburton Highlands in eastern Ontario.

This event would not be possible without the help of countless volunteers. Club members from across the province came to help – LVDR, HORRA, TNT, BMA, HHTR, OCMC, SCORRA, ODSC, OFTR. A HUGE thank you again to Dave Wrack, Ed Strohak, Blair Sharpless, Dennis Lever, Ken Hoeverman, Kevin, Scott & Sue and many others for pointing me in the right direction. We all know my map reading abilities are astounding!!

A HUGE shout-out is also extended to Tracey Evans, her mom and her sisters for keeping the riders, volunteers and others well fed and, for making fresh mashed potatoes. Do you have any idea how long it took these women (and Dave Wrack) to hand peel potatoes with love for over 50 hungry racers for Saturday nights dinner? I can assure you…they all had arm pump at the end of the peeling marathon.

I hope you enjoy the photos that I have selected for my photo report. Comments are always appreciated and thank you for those of you who take the time to do so. There are many more photos available (please see the link above or click on the ‘Gallery’ tab). Because there were so many riders and my computer has been very unstable lately I have only uploaded a few photos from each area I went to. This also helps keep the album down to a more manageable viewing size. Please email me with your minute number, side plate number, description of the bike and clothing would also help. And while I did my best to try and take photos of everyone please understand that chasing around over 150 riders is not easy and I apologise in advance  if I was not able to get a photo of you.

Chris Birch, KTM/Red Bull/Comsol Bell Racing pro athlete aboard a KTM500 charging up fresh loamy dirt on Friday’s second test of the day at Scott and Sue’s place. Chris just came back from downhilling in Whistler, BC’s famous bike park and little did he know that a little bit of  the west coast greenery and mossy woods greeted him here.
All around nice guy Patrick Beaule, KTM/Aldo Racing/Flanny Media, using the Cord as a training ride for his upcoming Dakar 2013 race.
Yamaha backed rider, Brian Wojnarowski, staying on the throttle throughout the entire weekend finished the event in second place only five points behind a world class rider. Congrats on your awesome ride Wojo!
Shooting the breeze early Friday morning before the mandatory riders meeting.
As the saying goes…’a picture is worth a thousand words.’ You may interpret this pic as you like.
A rider at the MX1 grass track early Saturday morning under a light rain, or was it sun. Oh wait…it was both as temperatures, rain and sun changed regularly every 5 minutes. The Cord definitely tested my skills as a photographer with the ever changing light!
Birchy’s slight bobble in the rocks didn’t stop him as he swiftly and skillfully attacked the infamous Greens Mountain.
Scott Bowes choosing one of the many lines available on Greens Mountain.
There was carnage on Greens Mountain Saturday morning as racers took to the hill in the opposite direction of Fridays test. Spectators lend a hand to weary, tired and frustrated riders.
Saturday afternoon racers faces resembled this beautiful Styrofoam mannequin head – dirty with a wide-eyed ‘WTF did I just get myself into’ look?
Kevin Burnett from Rally Connex displayed his big Katoom with some nifty discoteque-ish lighting.
I am sure some racers were dreaming early Saturday night after an exhausting day of mud, sweat and tears. The Cord has a way of reducing a person’s ego to bits and pieces and many first timers need to know that and be reminded that many don’t complete this race on their first try.
Sunday morning saw the pros once again riding the pristine trails on Scott & Sues property.
I could spend all day here shooting at Scott & Sues. Found a really cool line that requires a seriously skilled rider. The landing could hurt a bit but it would make for a killer photo. Any takers?

 

An estimated 50 spectators lined the south side of the ‘Tunnel of Love’ silently waiting for riders to test their skill…and let’s face it…watch some carnage.
Knackered is the word that comes to my mind but I’m sure this rider thought of a more expletive word.
The normally quiet and reserved Wojo rocked the tunnel as he cleanly bounced around the rocks a few times looking for a pass in his quest to gain time on Chris Birch.
Rome Haloftis, Vet Expert winner, focused and railing another gorgeous Haliburton Highland forest just past the Tunnel of Love.
Birch captures the win and with it the top finisher for the 59th edition of The Corduroy Enduro. Congrats Chris!
The future of off road racing Zach Lewis always ready and riding in style at Sedwicks Quarry, Sunday afternoon. Zach finished second in his category and I believe the youngest finisher in the Cords history having just turned 16 a few months ago. Congrats!
Easy viewing for the last race of the weekend at Sedgwick’s Quarry.
‘Mad Mike’ Pflug showing off his collar bone post-Romaniac race.
Brian Wojnarowski giving thumbs up before the last Endurocross of the weekend.
A relaxed Chris Birch before the last test of day. Birch is one of the most humble and down-to-earth pros I have ever met and it is refreshing to see this in a top level athlete.

 

Ummm…this is no time for a nap Birchy! Despite the fall in the soft sand, Chris Birch comes back and pulls off a win at the spectator friendly EnduroX race Saturday afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Great Pine Enduro

All pictures for The Great Pine are up on my Flickr site. Click here. You’ll also find pictures from The Corduroy Enduro 2011 there as well but in a different album.

Find your picture, email me the number or at least the key time if you remember it. And even a description of your bike would help if the plate is not easily identifiable. Prints or high quality digital downloads are available for purchase.

All pictures will be corrected for colour, and watermarked removed. Please excuse the rather large water mark but this is to prevent people from lifting my pictures. This is currently my only source of income and I only wish to cover my expenses (gas and camera equipment). You all know I love photography and off-road riding. Thank you.

The quickest and easiest way to receive a picture is through a digital download. Prints will take up to a 1-1.5 weeks (pro lab + Canada Post).

The price List is shown below (payment can be made via PayPal using my email which I will give you when you contact me):

Downloads & Prints Print& Media  Cost ** Shipping & Handling
Download all your images (High Res. 3200 x 2300) $45.00 n/a
Download 1 image (3200 x 2100) $15.00 n/a
4×6 * $8.00 $5.00
5×7 * $10.00
8×10 * $15.00
8×12 * $20.00 $8.00
10×15 * $30.00 $10.00

 

Kudos to all participants for a ride well done and to OCMC and all of its volunteers for putting on a great event.

Cecile

The Cord!

Pictures for ‘The Cord’ are available for purchase and can be seen via my Flickr page. Click here to see and order them.

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was before The Cord, during The Cord and after The Cord. I’m still giddy and super stoked at my pictures I took this past Sunday at the 58th Corduroy Enduro held in the Haliburtons.

Stoked because I just picked up my new camera – a Nikon D3S , rented two outstanding lenses from Headshots in Toronto and because I’ve ridden the Cord in the past and I know it’s a super hard event. Since my favourite lens is still in the shop (waiting for a part from Japan) I decided to rent a Nikon 70-200mm and a Nikon 14-24mm as my wide angle is no longer compatible with the full frame D3S. I also had my trusty D90 with me as a backup body and that’s about what it became…a backup body. To say the least…I cannot believe the D3S…and even though it broke the bank … I’m in love!! Combined with two top lenses the quality of the pictures are unreal!!! Yea…I know Nikon is supposed to come out with another announcement sometime in October but I got tired of waiting and this is prime enduro season!

My day started bright and early Sunday morning leaving my in-laws in Peterborough at 6AM. I got to Gooderham around 7:20, ate a BLT and saw some old friends and riders I haven’t seen in a while. It feels so good to catch up with everybody and LOVE at how tight and accepting the off-road community is. Friends for ever is an understatement!!

With the spectator sheet in hand I made my way over to the first special test and was treated with amazing light! Right place at the right time with a kickass camera and lens to boot. The light pouring onto the field, and trees in the distance was magical. Oh yes…I was salivating and I needed a rider as I saw a few really cool shots. That’s when I was introduced to the ‘Blues’ brothers, whom I haven’t seen in about 8 years! The last time I saw them was at The Algonquin 2 Day where I was the head honcho for the children’s ride and led a bunch of them through the Madawaska area on my Gas Gas TXT 200 while they ripped up the single track on PW50’s. Jack quickly suited up and we booted over to the hill while I explained what I wanted. I fired off about 15 pictures before the sun rose higher and lost the epic light. But before the light changed I knew I had nailed some killer pics! I was so excited!!

By now the top racers were starting to filter into the special test area and I spent the next 45 minutes shooting from one the various spots I had already staked out half an hour before. I loved the terrain here…I could have stayed here the entire day and not be bored. As it is I’ve got some cool ideas still in my head but need another weekend with pristine blue skies, some time off from ‘mommyhood’ and a few top notch riders. So if there are any riders out there (and babysitters) who are up for the challenge let me know. I would LOVE to take these pics!!

So back to the race…upon entering the special test the riders tackled about a 1.5 km of single track with lots of wet, slippery roots. I know because I ran the entire way with my backpack full of gear, 2 full sized tripods and 2 cameras fully loaded around my neck and the other around my waist which made the 1.5 km feel more like 5km. I was hoping the singletrack crossed the Burnt River but it didn’t and I ended up taking that trail for nothing. I took a few pictures here and there not really excited about the area. The light was patchy and I was running out of time as I also wanted to catch the riders in the next special test. It wasn’t until I got home that I came across this photo and screamed with joy! Best viewed at high resolution this picture is so tack sharp you could prick your finger on it! Combined with the fall colours, and the sun backlighting the pine trees and an aggressive rider this is easily one of my favourite pictures from my shoot!

By mid-morning the race here wrapped up as the last rider came through and I left for the next special test at ‘The Tunnel of Love’. That name still makes me giggle!

I set up shop on a quiet and cozy creek crossing and set up a flash. Lots of ambient light here and there but tricky shooting as the sun kept shifting so I had to continuously re-adjust my camera settings. I also met another photographer – Keith Hamilton – a very friendly fellow who held no reservations and keenly helped me with my new camera. I litterally bought it on Thursday and didn’t have a lot of time to play with it before hand! So to Keith a BIG thank you goes out to you!! I really appreciate your help! So while Keith was giving me pointers I took pictures and missed some pictures as I was also trying to figure things out. But, I did manage to get one of Chris Zanelli from ‘The Dirty Onions’ – a super cool group I just met 2 weeks ago while riding in Simcoe with my friends Gary, Mike and Melanie. And Chris I must say…your outfit is so camo. I think you’ve wearing every colour from the forest – bright greens to yellows to subdued blues. Very … uh… let’s just say colourful. Teeheehee.

All in all an epic weekend. The only thing I would have liked to change was to have been able to go up on Saturday to make it a 2 day photoshoot and get some different terrain which I know they hit Saturday. I really don’t like getting to an event the day of, let alone 2 hours before the start. I prefer to scout my locations ahead of time. However, having said that I’m really stoked at the pictures I got. I’m really happy with them and with my camera. I especially loved the 70-200mm lens and would love that for Christmas. Are you reading this David?? I’m sure you could predict this so probably decided to skip this last paragraph.

So ahhh…all you readers and racers, if you are interested in purchasing one of my pictures just know that your expense is helping me to get to the next event and to upgrade my camera equipment to make you look good. Email me with your plate number and a quick description of your bike (as not all plate numbers are visible). A single high quality digital upload of a picture is only $15.00. Thanks for not ‘lifting’ my pictures!!

I hope you’ll read my article on Traction magazine – where I’ll be putting up the rest of The Cord pictures. Till than keeping you in suspense…thanks for reading and don’t forget to log onto this blog or my Facebook Page (Cecile Gambin Photography) from time to time to see what’s new! And if there are ANY riders who want to do a photoshoot at the first MX test not far from Kinmount let me know – I’ve got some super cool ideas!!

Thanks to Blair Sharpless, Machine Racing, TekVest, Lachapelle Racing Products, Foran’s Roofing & Sheetmetal, Ross Rocher Sales, Cliffshore, Yamaha, KTM, Husqvarna and all the volunteers who made this years Cord a memorable event. It takes a LOT of passionate people to keep putting on a top notch event like this and without them there’d be no fun!