A couple years ago at the 2nd annual Bombercon in
Okanogan County, I had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people who as it
turns out have become very dear friends of mine. To say that derby has
transformed my life would be an understatement; it’s more like derby has made
my life more complete. I go places
I normally would never travel to, spend time with people I likely wouldn’t
socialize with in general society simply because our paths wouldn’t cross or
for the purposes of this entry…they live in the great white North, or to put it
simply…Canada. A place that just so happens has almost become like a second
home.
This entry is dedicated to the wonderful Canadians who have
enriched my life, ones who I’ve just become friends with and those I’ve known
for several years. Most importantly my dear friends Red Sonja, Inkshot and
Skatepark with the latter two being new members of a very wonderful crew of
people, the Terminal City All Stars out of Vancouver B.C. I’ve been fairly
close to the TCRG All Stars for the last 2-3 years and cannot express how much
I adore that team…those quirky Canadians. And words cannot express how happy,
proud, thrilled and overjoyed I am that three skaters I met several years ago,
just learning to make good plow stops, jump over apexes and work on mastering foot
agility have eclipsed anything I could have ever dreamed of doing and are now
members of such an amazing and elite all star team. Yeah, I could be a bit
bias, but I see a lot of things…I observe so much more than people think I do.
I may be just a photographer but I understand the game, the skills required to
do the amazing things on and off the track that all add up to making a skater
an athlete. As an NSO I watched year in and year out the evolution of skaters
from Bambi’s on ice to super skaters doing things with their bodies that defy
logic. And while I no longer NSO, I spend almost as much time watching skaters,
studying their movements, learning their favorite moves and preferences on the
track so that I can become a better photographer…all of which means I still
watch skaters progress…change…evolve.
So to Red Sonja, who made the TCRG All Star team last year I
say this…remember this?
And to InkShot and Skatepark who made the TCRG All Star team
this year…remember this?
Ultimately we are what we make ourselves into…work hard, believe
in yourself and stick to it if it’s important to you. You don’t just wake up
one morning with the passion to become more than you are…it comes from failure,
tears, pain and determination. And while it sounds and probably is less
dramatic, becoming a better photographer is much the same. I see my failures,
the “damn I missed that shot,” the blurry lines, the missed moments, the photos
from other photographers that I wish I could do and it all feeds my passion to
be better, to do better…and while there is no all star team for me as a
photographer to graduate to, I still reach higher and demand more from myself.
What’s the old adage? Fall down 7 times, get up 8.
No matter your struggle. No matter your passion. No matter
how many times that blocker hits you to the track surface. No matter what…get up.
