20 Photos, 20 Stories - Photo Epic

With 2016 about to wind to a close I decided to go back through the more than ten thousand photos I shot throughout the year in an attempt to create some sort of recap to showcase all the highs, lows, and in-betweens. But as I went along I was having trouble finding inspiration to re-tell stories that have already been told through the various photo epics seen on the site through the season. So in an attempt to avoid redundancy I settled on a different theme. Picking out twenty photos spread through the year that all stood out to me for various reasons, be it entirely personal, based a particular photography technique, or a notable moment in the sport. Most importantly. though, I wanted them to all stand alone which would allow me to tell their own individual story. Below you will find the final twenty I selected and the reason why, in no particular order other than chronological.

Please enjoy...







Joey Schusler // Queenstown, New Zealand

I started the year off by spending the month of February road tripping around New Zealand's South Island with a crew from Yeti Cycles while creating images to accompany a video promoting their new SB5.5c. Joey Schusler and I arrived a few days before the riders to do some location scouting, take notes of what locations looked best in the morning or evening light, and generally sketch out a plan to use our's and the rider's time most efficiently. Coming from winter back home this was our first mountain bike ride in months and the first of 2016, so it goes without saying we were keen to get a little shred time in before the real work started, and this particular shot came about as we were tracking the evening light down Coronet Peak's DH track.

Joey and I have been friends for quite a few years now, and we used to get out to ride and shoot together on a regular basis. In fact, when I started down this career path as a photographer he was one of the people I turned to the most when I needed some top talent in front of the lens. Nowadays we are both quite busy during the season traveling for our various photo and film projects that we rarely ever get the chance to ride together, let alone sneak in any photo shoots. Little did I know at the time but this evening above Queenstown would be one of only two days all year Joey and I would get to ride together for fun, and it would be the only time in 2016 I would get to shoot photos with him. So, looking back I am glad we made it count. Here's to a few more days like this one in 2017 my friend.








Cody Kelley // Castle Hill, New Zealand

The day after we wrapped our shoot with the Yeti boys in NZ this shot materialized pretty much out of nowhere. Anyone who has spent time around Craigieburn will have met or heard stories about Richard Goldsbury, the legendary local with a talent for building his own carbon gearbox frames, a passion for trail building, and a limitless sense of adventure. Seeing as it was our last day in town he wanted to sneak in one more ride before going our separate ways. The only catch being that he had to be at work by 8 am and the ride would take at least two hours. Seeing as the sun didn't rise until 7 am you can figure out the rest.

So out we went in pitch darkness on a hike a bike mission to the top of a massive ridge with no idea where Richard was taking us. He had promised me an epic photo spot at sunrise, and he certainly did not disappoint. What started as a wall ride shot quickly changed as Cody Kelley began popping these flat stylish tables off the smallest rock lip I have ever seen, and when the sun crept around the corner and began to cast his shadow on a boulder nearby, we knew we had our shot. We kept the shot under wraps for quite a while, and when it finally did see the light of day it was in a spot every photographer covets; The cover of Bike Magazine. Thanks, Richard, it was your vision that truly made this shot come to life.





Getting There // Corral, Chile

The Enduro World Series has made a reputation over the past few years of seeking out truly epic locations across the globe in an effort to fully embrace what it means to be a "world" series. 2016 was no different as the first big event on my calendar found me in Corral, Chile... On a boat. Never afraid of a bit of extra adventure the organizers from Montenbaik (the same crew behind the Andes-Pacifico and the infamous EWS round from Nevados de Chillan as few years back) a curve ball was thrown at the racers in the form of a remote island location only accessible by ferry.

For me, this photo sums up one of the big reasons why I love covering the EWS, that reason being that no obstacle seems to be too large to stand in the way of truly epic trails. When this is the taxi you take on your commute to work you know you are in for something extra special. Something can be said for getting people out of their comfort zone right from the get go as a way to create a truly memorable experience.





Chris Ball // Bariloche, Argentina

In keeping with my love of the EWS this shot came during one of those "is this real life?" moments while scouting the stages to be used for the round in Cerro Catedral. I'm sure most people reading this can recall the crazy dust and roost fest that went down on the hills above Bariloche, an experience more like powder skiing at times then mountain biking. None of us had ever ridden anything like it and we simply could not keep the smiles off of our faces.

Halfway through the day the rain rolled in and with it some fog which added that extra moody feeling to the whole experience. Here Chris Ball drops out of the forest of beech trees in the pouring rain, on a trail still axle deep in dust and volcanic ash, in a location who's namesake is synonymous with adventure; Patagonia. The entire day was spent in disbelief of what we were experiencing as the trails and conditions just got better and better and better. When the director of the EWS is on a bike shredding and smiling alongside everyone else, you know the series is certainly in good hands for many years to come. To this day it's a photo that still takes me back to what was easily the best day of riding I had in 2016.





Jerome Clementz // Bariloche, Argentina

While some of the previous photos focused on the experience or emotion behind the image, this one stands out simply for the end result. The final meters of the final stage, classic Jerome Clementz attacking, golden hour and backlit dust, and a little foreground bokeh in just the right place make this my favorite racing image of the year. The bokeh is actually caused here by the harsh highlights reflecting off the needles of a pine tree just in front of the lens, and the desired effect only came about with the lens hood a few millimeters away from the branches. So close that most of the shots from this angle came out with ugly green and purple tints from the color of the pine needles and were unusable unless converted to black and white. But for this shot, a little luck must have worked it's way into the mix because it came out just right, making all the throwaway shots worth it.





Iago Garray // Wicklow, Ireland

I met Iago a few years back while covering the Andes Pacifico Enduro in Chile and besides pretty much instantly becoming friends, it also became immediately apparent that Iago was one of those riders with a style all of his own. As the originator of #doyouevendriftbro he is usually the guy sliding it sideways whenever a camera and corner are in sight, but he also has a knack for style in the air.

While the EWS is serious business, there is still ample time to have a little extra fun during practice and whenever Iago and his crew roll up you can expect good things to happen. I had shot a similar angle to this in the same section in 2015 of riders scrubbing this roller into the field of those famous Blue Belles and greenery for which the Emerald Isle gets its name. But for 2016, I wanted something different, so when Iago came up with the idea to boost it as close to the tree branch above I was all for it. After a few tries, he nailed it perfectly right into the natural 90 degree corner made of moss covered trees, and just like that went back to the more serious side of his practice session. It's racers like Iago that really stand out to me on the circuit not only for their obvious abilities as racers, but also for never losing sight of why we all love riding bikes... Fun.





Richie Rude // Wicklow, Ireland

I could have picked a finish line image of Richie from one of the four EWS races he won this season but it was this shot, taken as he crossed the line to take 3rd in Ireland that stood out the most to me and also speaks to his character as a racer. To give a bit of backstory, Richie had just won the first two rounds of the season in convincing fashion and was without a doubt the fastest man on the hill, so why so happy to take 3rd? There is a saying that what truly makes a champion is the way they perform on their worst of days, and for Richie this would be that day. A flat tire had pushed him back to 86th after the second of the day's seven stages and it looked like all hope of even a few points was lost. However, that was not to be the case and Richie would ride mental for the last 5 stages of the day to claw back enough time to land on the podium. He said he never looked at the times after his flat tire and simply wanted to ride as if he still had nothing left to lose. This photo captures the moment he realized for the first time what he had pulled off.

I've worked with Richie for a few season's now and this is one of the purest moments of joy I have seen from him. As a consistent winner he is always humble, of course happy and smiling, but this day was just different. Where he easily could have been upset about the flat tire and not winning on a day where he was the best rider on the hill, he was thrilled instead just to be on the podium after what should have been a disastrous outing. At just 21 years of age, to be the best in the world as well as a class act is a rare and perfect combination.





Finn Iles // Les Gets, France

Weeks of rain preceded the arrival of the MTB community to Les Gets for the weeklong Crankworx festival, and with it came some of the muddiest conditions of all time. Sure we have had some downpours and some muck fests before but never so severe that the ground was saturated a meter down. Usually, ruts only get so deep as they eventually reach hard ground but that was not to be the case in France. They just got deeper and deeper to the point where riders were dragging both pedals and their handlebars through some of the corners, getting more slimy and caked with thick mud as the week wore on.

At first, it was fun for everyone other than the mechanics (they hated it from day one) with the hoots and hollers of racers could be heard down the entire track. It's one thing to practice and ham it up in the mud with friends, but something entirely different to race in such horrid conditions. What started as fun simply because of the hilarity of it all soon became misery and an all-out physical battle for survival. Not to mention cleaning clothes and gear while being constantly saturated with mud head to toe gets real old after a few days.

The look on Finn Iles face says it all here as he arrived back at the pits just after his qualifying run. Even after a top time, he couldn't hide the frustration of trying just to get down the track without grinding to a halt in the bog, and like most everyone else who spent the week in the mud was starting to be simply over it. Challenging weather always does make for unique photographs, though, and this would be the first time I'd ever seen such a real world example of a goggle roll off system being put to proper use. If only it had also been so easy to keep camera lenses clean that week.





Lee Trumpore // Lenzerheide, Switzerland

I never get to ride with my brother anymore as he's lived on the other side of the world in Taipei, Taiwan the past four years. I also rarely ever get to ride at World Cup venues because so few have a good trail network other than the race tracks (or as is the case most often, I simply do not have any extra time). So it was refreshing for the second year in a row to debunk both those trends on the high peaks above Lenzerheide.

My brother was on summer vacation in Europe and having arrived to the venue a bit early we were able to explore some of the many trails above the bike park. Like the previous year, we started by taking a more well known route off the back of the mountain in the morning, down a trail that certainly exceeded expectations. Later in the afternoon we decided to experiment with one of the steep narrow trails we could see off in the distance from the tram that appeared to snake its way back down to the front side. From afar it looked promising but once up close on the ground it was about as awkward as anything I've ever been on. Just as you would find a bit of flow or rhythm there would be some impossible switchback or a scree field composed mostly of boulders. Even once we got off the steeps, the best lines were occupied by a local farmer's cows, and to add to the fun some weather blew it for a few moments with a mix of rain and sun combining to make one of the more unique rainbows I've ever seen.

So despite getting a bit skunked on our search for a new trail we at least got an interesting photo out of the whole fiasco. That's one of the joys of riding in the high alps, some trails are true epics and others can leave you scratching your head in frustration, though either way there's never a dull moment.





Rachel Atherton // Lenzerheide, Switzerland

The track in Lenzerheide isn't the most technically challenging track on the circuit, much of it being one main line and only a quick few minutes in length. So the challenge of racing there really lies in trying to eek out those extra tenths of a second on the few sections of track where different line options or technical elements exist. None more so than the rock garden about 20 seconds out of the start gate. During every practice session, this section of track is lined with racers watching others test various lines, each with a compromise on speed either on entrance or exit and never taking one that looks just perfect.

I really wanted to include a photo in this article that highlighted Rachel Atherton's dominance at the World Cup level the past few seasons and to me there was never a question that this was that photo. The way she rode this section run after run in practice showed the pure confidence she's riding with these days as well as her skills to match. No second guessing, no fretting over what the competition was doing, just straight to business down the direct inside line. Squaring up the tight switchback at the bottom with a quick drift, both feet up and right into the next section without hesitation. When you spend your days stood along a World Cup DH track as often as I do, it's the subtleties between riding styles that really start to stand out, and when a rider is on it, it shows. These moments are not only a pleasure to shoot in photos but also to simply stand and witness in person as a spectator.





Brendan Fairclough // Lenzerheide, Switzerland

Shooting the final race runs at a World Cup are always a challenge. Often the bottom of the venue offers few exciting angles or is muddled with ugly backgrounds full of banners, buildings, and barricades. Editorial work requires quick access to the finish line to catch the winning moments and close up personal side of racing that only happen in the moments once the run is over, so I never stay too far up the hill when the top riders are on track.

In this particular situation I had run out of ideas and found myself in a bit of a no man's land surrounded by a few spectators, a metal fence and a sign post, with the only thing going for it being a ton of different colors on display from peoples' various clothing. Being on the apex of a turn over a smooth fire road I noticed the riders' body positions stayed quite static with no quick or erratic movements, and thought just maybe I could try panning through the crowd with an extra slow shutter to really let the color paint out the otherwise ugly background. To do this you really need to have a fast moving subject and get down below 1/30th of a second (this particular shot is at 1/20th), and then hope your technique and a little luck align for just the right shot.

Technique will get you a sharp subject and a little luck will have the rider show up through the randomly spaced spectators at just the right time and in just the right body position with all the various colors coming together in a way that just fits. I tried for about ten riders, never getting it just right but getting close enough that I did not want to get up just yet, but when Brendan came past and I saw this shot I knew that was that.





Sam Hill // La Thuile, Italy

If you have followed racing long enough this man needs no introduction, and if you have spent any time around him when he was "on it" you will recognize this look. Sam hill is not a man of many words and has been struggling with injuries the past few seasons on the DH circuit, so it's been a while since we've seen that quiet confidence radiate from him the way it used to. However, that all seemed to change in the middle of the summer as Sam began to turn his attention to the EWS circuit in an effort to change things up a bit and get back to what he really loves; racing bikes on raw and natural terrain.

When the circuit moved to La Thule in July, featuring two days and seven stages all descending over 800 meters down high alpine slopes and steep, fresh cut, loamy and technical woods it was obvious that this was the type of racing that had Sam Hill's name all over it. I walked over to his pits after the first day of practice and he was in his usual spot. Standing quietly next to his bike and just watching his mechanic Jacey toil away, only this time there was something different. Sam had that "look" on his face, the one that clearly means his competition is going to have their work cut out for them, that Sam is feeling confident and knows it is his time to shine, and that no corner is safe from having it's inside line impossibly ripped to pieces.

At the end of the weekend, Sam would finish 2nd to EWS Champ, Richie Rude, a result that made everyone take notice and one that motivated Sam to put all of his energy and focus behind the EWS series for the remainder of the season. Just a few weeks later in Valberg, Sam would go one spot better to take the win.

When Sam is on form and motivated it is an incredible thing to watch so if his riding at the end of last season is any indication, the Enduro World Series should be even that more exciting in 2017 when Sam contests the entire season and has the entire offseason to properly prepare.





Tracey Hannah // Mont Saint Anne, Canada

Mont-Sainte-Anne is a brutal race year in and year out and the toll it takes on bikes and bodies through the week of training and racing is rarely equaled anywhere else on the circuit. It is the type of track where there are no small crashes and with constant high speeds in and out of technical woods from top to bottom, hitting the ground is simply not an option. In other words, when MSA bites back it bites back hard.

One of this year's early victims was Tracey Hannah who went down extremely hard during the first training session, struggling each day just to get down the track let alone race and attack for a spot on the podium. Tough as nails and with a never say die attitude, Tracey wouldn't let the bedrock win when the clock started ticking and in the end, it was only Rachel Atherton who would get the best of her. With a second place in the race, black eye and all, Tracey Hannah would solidify her standing in the overall series with only one round to go.




Bas van Steenbergen // Whistler Mountain Bike Park

A sliver of mid-day sun against a shaded background, and underexposed for only the brightest parts of the image. This shot of Bas van Steenbergen is one of my favorite experiments gone right over the past few months. More than a few people have asked how this was shot in the middle of the day with no strobes to control the light, or they have simply decided it's all smoke and mirrors created in photoshop. So for the fellow photo nerds out there I figured you might like to me to explain.

One of the frustrating things about cameras is that they cannot capture the full range of light we can with our eyes so there is always a compromise somewhere, especially in harsh daylight where you are trying to balance shadow detail with blown highlights. However, these same challenges can be turned around and used to capture the things we can't see the same way wth our eyes. In this shot, the rider is coming out of a shaded area and into harsh sun that began right at the lip of a jump. Additionally, the trees that line the background are also in the shade. So by underexposing the image so that only the tones that would normally be bright highlights are mute, you lose all shadow detail, rendering the background almost completely black. The hardest part was getting the timing right as one split second sooner and you'd barely see the rider and any later too much detail would come through. After that just a few contrast and tone curve adjustments during post processing was all it took.





Alex Fayolle // Whistler Mountain Bike Park

The first time I rode in Whistler was during Crankworx in 2010. No cameras, just riding and a little racing for fun. It happened to be one of the driest and dustiest weeks I can recall ever seeing on the mountain, that is until arriving for Crankworx this past summer. Everything was completely blown out and the dust was hanging in the air all day long on every run. I distinctly remembered seeing similar long sun rays coming through during the Canadian DH afternoon practice session way back in 2010, and with similar conditions in 2016 I wanted to hike in and see if I could find the same scene repeating itself, this time with a camera in hand.

I skipped shooting slopestyle practice in the golden hour light to hike into the dark woods at the bottom of the DH track, knowing full well I'd be missing some amazing freeride photos as the sun began to set adjacent to all the big features, but hoping the trade off would be worth it. Thankfully, I found conditions to be just as I had remembered them 6 years prior, and was rewarded with shot after shot similar to what you see above for the remainder of the evening. It's reasons like this that I'm always taking mental notes of light and locations no matter where and when I am riding for fun or otherwise. As a photographer, having a database of potential shot locations in the memory banks to be pulled out at just the right occasion, is a good skill to have.





Danny Hart // Vallnord Andorra

When a racer is on and riding confident it shows, and watching them on that confidence high, ripping down a gnarly track is awe inspiring. It's as if no matter how hard they push they simply won't crash or get sketchy, nor will they ever slow up or ride conservatively through any section. It's just full on race pace with what appears to be minimal effort or struggle. Such was the case for Danny Hart at the close of the season, where he'd just come off two WC wins in a row and was looking to make it three at the final round in Andorra. Additionally, winning was his only option if he wanted to knock Aaron Gwinn off the top spot in the overall standings for the season, so it was this mix of confidence combined with a nothing to lose approach that had Danny smashing out run after run a warp speed.

In this particular section, riders had to link up a right-left-right corner combo, down into a compression in one then up over a roller into the other. Add in some deep dust and riders were drifting all over the place while getting loose and out of shape whenever they pushed too hard. Danny however, just floated right in and out, drifting through with both feet up, changing direction through the air and the whole time still looking 30 meters down the track. all while being faster than anyone else. The relaxation and pure focus in this shot really stood out to me and defined the way Danny was riding during a season that would net him three World Cup wins and a World Championship title all in a row.





Tahnee Seagrave // Vallnord Andorra

Tahnee had what was possibly the best season that wasn't in 2016. Consistently fast, fit, and focused, she looked to be the one most likely to challenge Rachel Atherton's dominance at almost every round. But each time she would get close she would get knocked back down by a nasty crash or lingering injury. By the time we got to the final round in Andorra she was already carrying a laundry list of injuries, and would only add to it by taking a massive slam to her face and chest in practice. A crash that looked like it was to be the final straw for Tahnee.

Determination is a powerful thing, though, and giving up is not an option when you have trained all year for something. No racer wants to sit on the sidelines and watch others steal away valuable points, and ever riding super gnarly and scary tracks while in obvious pain is not a deterrent. In Tahnee's case, not even a crushed helmet and day in the hospital stopped her from strapping in and giving it one last go during Saturday's race run.

Knowing all of this info when looking back at this photo I just thought the look on her face and in her eyes really showed that place where talent and pure will come together to overcome pain and setbacks. The mix of grit and determination it was taking for her to get down the course those last few runs to end a season, that while not looking great on paper, was one that showed everyone she has the speed and potential to be on that top step in 2017.





Loic Bruni // Val di Sole, Italy

The season started with such promise for Loic Bruni after his performances in Lourdes and Cairns, and it was plain to see that he was going to be the man to beat in 2016. That is until a fluke training crash took him out of contention with a broken collarbone mid-season and sidelined him for three of the seven World Cup rounds. Despite being off the bike for months he would roar back to a podium finish at Mont-Sainte-Anne, only to suffer a separate injury the following week during Crankworx Whistler. Add to that the usual level of lingering injury that all the riders seem to stack up through the season and Loic rolled into Val di Sole to defend his World Championship title looking and feeling more worse for wear than he would have liked.

He joked with me shortly after this shot was taken that he was turning into Tape Man, and if there were any more rounds or any more crashes he'd likely be held together entirely by tape. It never ceases to amaze me how the men and women at the top of the race circuit push through the injuries sustained throughout the year, many of which never fully heal, and still perform at the level they do. Moments like the one seen in this photo are really the only time they seem human or vulnerable because once out on track they truly are a different breed.





Jared Graves // Valberg, France

By the end of September, I was starting to feel the fatigue and burnout that comes from 13 straight weeks of assignments, and crisscrossing the Northern Hemisphere. I was tired both mentally and physically, a bit homesick and like many of the racers was having to dig a bit deeper to get motivated to perform my job as expected. Arriving in Valberg, I knew it would be my last stop in a long stretch of assignments stacked end on end, and when it was over I would get to go home for a quick but much-needed break.

I was trying my best to keep a positive attitude which I will admit was a bit of a struggle, that is until I jumped on my bike and headed off to check out the stages we would be riding to cover the week's EWS round. As many of you surely can relate, that was all it took to snap me out of the funk I was in. Just getting on my bike and going for a ride was all I needed, but compound by the fact that I was riding some truly amazing and unique terrain. My mind was simply blown by the endless variety of natural terrain down trails that just seemed to go on and on forever. Not even the 1000 meter climb to the top of stage 3 in the wind and rain seemed to matter, so little in fact that myself and most of the other photographers did it twice just to experience the views from the top and the trails on the way back down.

While this shot may not be of one of the many epic views looking out over beautiful vistas and mountain peaks, I still think it speaks volumes about how unique of a place we were in. The grey earth, looking otherworldly, with Jared Graves simultaneously blending into his surroundings and contrasting against it would be my favorite shot of the week here, and one I don't think will be easy to replicate anywhere else. Such a unique place I almost forgot about being homesick and exhausted for a few more days.




Adam Morse // Vermont, USA

At the end of the season, I moved from Colorado back east to Vermont, to the town I had attended college in, and had previously lived in for about ten years. It felt more like a homecoming than a relocation, and needless to say, I was excited to reconnect with old friends and rip up the extensive network of trails spread throughout the region once again.

I met Adam when we were both college students over 10 years ago while we were both racing DH throughout the North East, as well as getting rides in between or after class as much as possible. We always had a good crew up for digging trails, and some of the most fun had was cutting new sections of trails on our friends land, then trying to outdo each other through every corner or over every jump.

Of course, life has changed for everyone since those college days, but it was awesome to link up with Adam this day during his lunch break and to rip some of those old trails together. In a way it was just like those good old days, just modified to fit in with the added responsibility of our current adult lives. Throw in a little fall color, and a unique perspective and you get a photo to go with the feeling. As much as life changes, at times faster than we can keep up or comprehend, it's especially nice when the good times you remember most still find their way back to the forefront. Even if only for an hour during lunch break.

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