My 2014 - 12 Months in 12 Photos with Dave Trumpore
As my 2015 season is about to kick off next week in Chile and will continue almost flat out and uninterrupted until November, I decided I wanted to go back through everything I shot in 2014 and pick out one photo from each month of the year that stood out to me or helped tell my story. All in all I flew over 80k miles last year, which amounts to almost 8 full days of sitting on a plane, not to mention the multiple days of driving across Europe on more than one occasion to shoot photos in 12 different countries. It was a long long journey to say the least. The photos seen below that made the cut are not necessarily my "best" photos from each month, but rather a selection that reminds me of where I have been, what I experienced, and what I wish to remember. To me these are the moments that make all the travel, late nights, long days, and time away from friends and family worth it.
January 2014 - Home in Boulder, Colorado
February 2014 - As Winter ragged on at home it was time for my first of two trips to Chile to chase a bit of summer weather
March 2014 - An early spring in Colorado meant it was finally time once again to spend full days riding bikes with good friends
April 2014 - Back to Chile and a brand new location. One that would rule them all
May 2014 - And so it begins. The first a two long European tours kicks off in the South of France
June 2014 - Leogang Austria. Why we do what we do where we do it
July 2014 - Back in Colorado for a quick break and an opportunity to explore things closer to home on my own time
August 2014 - To the victors go the spoils
September 2014 - Watching the sport progress right in front of your eyes
October 2014 - Back to Europe for a ride through history
November 2014 - The light at the end of the tunnel
December 2014, Home in Boulder, Colorado
Roll on 2015
MENTIONS: @yeticycles @EnduroWorldSeries @redbullbike
January 2014 - Home in Boulder, Colorado
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 To be honest I try not to shoot many (or any) photos from Dec-Jan as I like to take a break, step back and get back in touch with all the people and places I miss out on when I spend weeks and weeks on the road each year. However when Cyclocross National Champs rolled quite literally through my back yard in Jan 2014 I figured I might as well go have a look. I didn't want to bring my camera but in the end a fear of missing out got the best of me. Even then I think I only took 20 photos that day, and of those I processed 5. It was indeed good to be more of a bystander at an event for once, as it is not a luxury I often have. The thing I like about this photo is that the spectators are actually just watching, and taking in the experience. No one has a camera phone, GoPro, or DSLR out (except me). I would love to see more people take this approach at events rather than trying to document everything at every moment. I don't think a lot of people realize how lucky they are to just be able to stand back, watch and just be in the moment. |
February 2014 - As Winter ragged on at home it was time for my first of two trips to Chile to chase a bit of summer weather
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| This is the Parvazo Trial that descends from La Parva high in the Andes to just outside the Chilean capital city of Santiago. This trail is beyond iconic to the local scene here and has probably played a bigger role than any other trail in Chile to introduce a generation or two to mountain biking. It was shown to me for the first time in 2007, and finally with a camera in hand I was able to share it for the first time with a hand full of mountain biking's "who's who". On the eve of the Andes Pacifico Enduro, Chris Ball (pictured), Anka and Sven Martin, Jon Cancelier, and Gary Perking all got their first taste of the Chilean "Anti-Grip" on Parvazo. Over the next four days we would ride from here all the way to the Pacific Ocean |
March 2014 - An early spring in Colorado meant it was finally time once again to spend full days riding bikes with good friends
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| After a snowy winter at home the weather finally took a turn for the better in mid late March. With the lower elevation trails dried out, Joey Schusler and I managed to get out for a full day of riding without having to deal with mud, cold and slop. I even stopped to snap a few photos as the sun began to set over the 14,100 foot Pikes Peak in the background. |
April 2014 - Back to Chile and a brand new location. One that would rule them all
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| Anyone that knows me knows I have a soft spot for Chile, hence the reason I made two trips there in 2014. The riding, the hospitality and the openness of the people keeps me coming back again and again. It also helps that I have found some of the most photogenic trails on earth here and simply can not get enough of the place. This year I experienced Nevados De Chillan for the first time and was left speechless. I probably left Chillan after two weeks with more photos that I am proud of than the rest of the season combined. It just got better and better the longer we stayed and the more we explored. |
May 2014 - And so it begins. The first a two long European tours kicks off in the South of France
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| Spring was finally in the air come May in Europe and things were starting to get a bit greener and drier in up in the French hills. This would be the first of my 5 straight weeks in Europe, and joining Mick Hannah and the rest of the UR Team for their final round of pre-season testing in France and Italy was a fantastic way to kick things off. |
June 2014 - Leogang Austria. Why we do what we do where we do it
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| It's hard to choose between shooting tight action or beautiful scenery when in Leogang, so often times you just have to go for a bit of both when Danny Hart is whipping his way down the track. To me this shot truly puts the location into perspective and sums up what it was like to spend a few weeks in and around the European Alps. |
July 2014 - Back in Colorado for a quick break and an opportunity to explore things closer to home on my own time
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| After almost six straight weeks on the road in Europe I finally got a bit of a break in the month of July to reconnect with friends and explore some new trails closer to home. The high country of Colorado is my absolute favorite place to be in the summer time as you top out on pristine singletrack often times well above 12 thousand feet. This photo was taken during the annual Yeti Cycles Tribe Gathering that saw 300+ riders take on three days of high alpine riding above one of mountain biking's most iconic towns. |
August 2014 - To the victors go the spoils
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| And the winners are... Victory Champagne covers the lens as the 2014 Jr & Sr World Cup Champions celebrate their overall victories in Meribel. My favorite part of this shot is that as seasoned podium regulars, Manon and Josh are spraying away newcomers to the champagne party, Tegan and Loris are fumbling to open or dropping their bottles of bubbly. A few moments later the World Cup season came to a close. |
September 2014 - Watching the sport progress right in front of your eyes
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| Each year I shoot Red Bull Rampage my mind is blown just a little bit more, and this year it was Graham Agassiz that stole the show for me. As Aggy became more comfortable with his line the blasting began, and continued long after the setting sun disappeared behind the ridge. He may have missed out on the finals, but his riding through the week and his commitment to hitting the some of the biggest features ever built before anyone else really set him apart for me. Aggy doesn't need contest results to validate anything, but none the less I hope to see him on the top step of many a podium very soon. |
October 2014 - Back to Europe for a ride through history
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| Between the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea that greeted us at the bottom of each run, and a culture in Finale that put an emphasis on living more than simply making a living there was a lot to love about closing out the competitive season in Finale Ligure. But in the end it was the trails that really won me over. From riding past Neolithic Era caves one minute, around medieval castles the next, or down the remnants of old Roman roads, you really were riding through history. In this photo Bryson Martin Jr. threads his way down the thousand year old cobble stone road that makes up the bottom of one of the final EWS stages of the year. |
November 2014 - The light at the end of the tunnel
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| After catching the last years final shuttle to the top of Burro Pass to close out Moab's summer season in style, no sooner had we finished that the weather tool a turn for the worst. While being pelted by hail we could see rain to the south and sun to the north, just about every type of weather imaginable all in one place at one time. Perhaps the perfect segway into Colorado's Winter months where you really don't know what you will get and have to be prepared for just about everything. To me November is also the light at the end of a long tunnel, where after months of travel and hard work I get to reward myself with a bit of a break and reconnect with friends and family again |
December 2014, Home in Boulder, Colorado
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| And that's that.... Winter descends on the front range to close out 2014. The hours of sunlight grow less and less as night-time arrives earlier and earlier, the air is cold, and the days of riding grow to be few and far between. Time to rest up, relax, and recharge for the lies ahead in only a few moths time. |
Roll on 2015
MENTIONS: @yeticycles @EnduroWorldSeries @redbullbike
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I guess it's just a different generation and definitely more cycle conservative spectator that goes to CC Races.
I find it really over the top sometime at downhill races and found myself getting sucked into taking pictures all the time too.
Now I don't bother bringing a camera and find I enjoy the action much more. When I work as a race Steward at DH events
everyone thinks they're a Pro Photographer and wants to stand exactly there were we don't want them :-(
Thank you for showing with your work, that in Chile we have one of the best trails in the world. Along with good wine and friendly hosts. We feel you're half-chilean already. Perhaps you already know it, but Chile it's no longer a destiny full with adventure, for you, it's your second home. Always welcomed