For quick access to the Codrington photo gallery please click here. Please note that I have at least 2-3 pictures of each rider so scroll down or give me a shout and I’ll help you out.
Just north of the 401 at exit 509 lies a small community called Codrington. I had never been there before and all I knew was that it was close to the Northumberland Forest. ‘Fair enough’ I thought to myself, ‘there’s has got to be some excellent riding with some fun hills thrown in.’ I arrived at the farm around 7:30 just in time to get the last bit of sweet sunlight. I had planned on being there earlier but the Tim Hortons at Port Hope took over 15 minutes to prep my toasted sesame seed bagel with regular cream cheese.
I grabbed my camera and began recording the last Off Road Ontario XC race of the year. It was a beautiful morning and the sun was fighting hard to burn off the mist left over from the cool night. It was strangely quiet as campers lay dormant and only a handful of people were busying themselves with morning chores. At the base of the campsite stood a drumlin majestic in its own solitaire way – uniquely Canadian and typical of this area. I was captivated by the beauty of the farm and its surrounding fields decorated in fading yellows, delicate whites, and crimson flowers. A wonderful course layed out by the TNT crew and a perfect place to end the XC season.
I would also like to take this time and say thank you to the riders for allowing me to take your pictures and to the race organisers and volunteers for pointing me in the right direction. Photography for me is an art and I love spending my time in the woods looking for that perfect shot. Thank you also to my supporters – your comments and enthusiasm towards my work does not go unnoticed and it is a strong driving force – one that I often reflect upon when sitting in the woods getting regularly eaten by black flies, deer flies and mosquitoes. And than there’s the poison ivy…but that’s another story. See you all at the enduros or on the local trails and don’t forget to style it when you see my camera.
Off Road Ontario’s KTM 2012 XC series was sizzling hot. Great races, great people and tons of fun.Run-bikes eagerly waiting for their owners to take them out for an early morning spin.Races aren’t always hectic and noisy. In this picture mom spends some quiet time with her son.TNT and OO member Bill Watson explaining the arrows.And the races have started with the pee wee and junior riders going first.Minimalism. You either like it or you don’t. I enjoyed the simplicity of the fields showing their late summer colours and textures.When I walked through these fields I was dwarfed by the flora. From a distance I could only see the young racers helmets as they flew through the tall grass.The morning racers are off and battling for ‘holeshot’ bragging rights.Number 1 plate holder for the 2013 season Ted Dirstein showing us how it’s done on ‘Hones Hump’.The course was described as fair but tough just like ‘Judge Judy’. This rider got rocked in a greasy technical section of the course.Riding tip: quite often the best line if the one closest to the tree and off to the outside of the trail. Choosing the correct line is essential to keeping smooth and conserving precious energy.
Third place finisher Mike Vanden Hoeven pilots his Suzuki around the deep ruts and slippery rocks.Bill Watson sharing with us the reason he spends time organising events – because riding is a lifestyle and it’s something he loves to do! A HUGE thank you to all race organisers, OO crew and the many volunteers for making the 2012 season a success.Flying high with Machine Racing Yamaha rider Zach Lewis who had a horrible start and worked his way into 2nd place.Yamaha rider Wojo taking the win and with it the number 1 plate for the 2013 season. Congrats!Number one plate holders for the upcoming 2013 season. Kudos to all racers and to countless volunteers that make racing possible.
Have you ever had a race, or a day, when you realise you should have just stayed in bed? Well that’s how I felt Saturday night as I was driving back home from the 2012 edition of BMA’s Calabogie Boogie trail ride. I stopped at the local Tim Hortons in Perth, picked up my BLT toasted on white with no sauce, and contemplated the day and my lack of photos. I sat in my still wet clothes inside my car for a good half hour, closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. I called home, explained the day and my husband David told me to book a room and go back to the Boogie tomorrow. Bless his heart.
This event was important for me to shoot for several reasons. First, to document the ride and hopefully nail some shots so riders could have a few sweet pictures of themselves riding a classic event in difficult terrain and show their friends and family what they do when they ride off-road. Second, ‘Romaniac’ team mates Rome Haloftis, Barry Armstrong, Paul Phillip and Mike Pflug managed to talk pro Red Bull/Comsol Bell Racing enduro athlete Chris Birch from New Zealand to come to Canada and ride our trails. How cool is that? A world class enduro rider hitting our homegrown trails!
I arrived Friday night around 7pm with dark brooding clouds covering the Calabogie Highlands. It was great to meet up with people I had not seen in a while and I chatted up a storm. Nearing mid-night it was time to check into Hotel GMC and as I watched lightening strike across the lake I visualised the type of photo I wanted. Having ridden the Boogie several times in the past I knew how devastatingly difficult yet beautiful the terrain could be and I had envisioned the perfect shot…I just had no idea where in the 170+ km day I needed to go. Thankfully, Dave Wrack gave me some pointers and a map of Saturday’s trail ride.
Enter Saturday. Rain, thunder and more rain before the riders meeting should have given me a clue as to how this day was going to turn out. I headed out well in advance of the riders and checked out a few spots. And the rain continued. I thought about doing some ‘drive by shooting’ where I literally took pictures from the inside of my car but decided that the only place I could do that really did not make for exciting pictures. I realised I could not drive too far into the trail with my 2WD and so opted for hiding underneath a huge maple tree and hoped for the best. Soon enough, the rain got the better of my flash and I made the decision to pack up my gear and leave before I destroyed everything. Artistically I would have prefered to stand out in the open to allow the viewer to see the length, steepness and technicality of the trail but I decided to not risk damaging my camera gear. Electronics and water rarely mix well.
The rain continued heavily throughout the lunch hour. I had found the lunch stop and took refuge, along with the riders, under the two tents. I decided to change my game plan and chose to take photos for a project I am currently working on. Little did I know that was going to be my style of shooting for Sunday as well. Many riders opted out of riding the afternoon as the cold settled into their bones and chose to end the ride via the K&P Trail heading for the comfort of their hotel room, tent, or trailer. I decided to try one last area before I called it quits in my attempt to salvage my day. Kudos to the BMA pre-riders and volunteers continually upkeeping the trails the day of as high winds and rain knocked over larges branches.
Somewhat sheltered from the rain under the protection of a few trees the riders made their way up a slick rock infested hydro line before disappearing into a low cloud.Check out the rain setting the stage for what became a long arduous day in the saddle.Umbrellas were the hot item before the ride.And more umbrellas.In queue waiting for sound check and dodging rain drops.Despite the rain some riders were all smiles. Love the positive attitude!! View these pics on a large monitor and you can see the rain steadily getting harder.There are truly some hard core riders out there and this guy screams that. Head down, wool sweater…rock and roll old man! (Meant with the upmost respect.)
During the lunch break I took shelter under the two tents, along with the other riders. It was getting crowded and this was honestly the only opportunity for me to take photos in a relatively dry area. I took advantage of it.
Taking refuge in a trailer by the lunch tent. Rain is progressively becoming harder and cool air slowly taking over.Heading out after a warm lunch sandwich Jeff Denton, Ed Kikauka and um…not sure who the other rider is get ready for the second leg of their journey.Wringing out the gloves ready to tackle the trails once more.Rome Haloftis seen emptying a recycled water bottle as a make shift jerry can ’cause he ran out of gas. See the rain in the corner of the photo? Yup, still raining…hard.Chris Birch riding a slick, rocky technical uphill late in the day. Thanks are also extended to the super kind sweepers for helping me find this trail, and for helping me with my trials bike (carbs gummed up). Thanks a heap!A boyish grin from a very humble world class athlete.
Chris Birch chillin’ on the days last extreme section. Hurray…the rain stopped by mid-afternoon.
Sunday – blue skies and cool temps greeted the region today. Back at base camp riders were eagerly prepping themselves for another great day in the saddle. Sadly though, the MNR decided to kibosh the killer trails on the north side and along with it the beautiful scenery. And, unfortunately, I mis-read the map and realised that most of the riders were on a trail to my far left thus resulting in me missing the pretty much everybody in the morning. At that point, I decided to change my game plan, again, and just take pictures to satisfy my creative itch.
Despite the foul weather and land issues BMA ran a top-notch event and riders came away happy. As for myself…my misfortunes on Sunday were all of my own doing. Serves me right for always following David and not paying attention to map reading 101. Overall, I may not have been able to get the photos I had envisioned but I am quite happy with the pictures I did take. Kudos are extended again to all the help the BMA crew gave me and for creating a great and unforgetable weekend.
Sunday morning and I betcha that riding gear isn’t dry.Riding the hydro line on a beautiful Sunday morning. Thanks to all the riders who gave me a wave. Feelin’ the love!Swinging out the rear end stylin’ it for the camera 🙂This is my favourite photo of the weekend. Sue and Scott – a wonderful couple deeply involved in bettering the off-road scene finding some quiet time together before hitting the road again.I asked Chris if he liked our trails and he said ‘yes’ and even loved, and welcomed, the rain yesterday. I guess they don’t get much rain in South Africa which has been his home for the past two years.Not sure what the guys are looking at but I was checking out the trial tire on the back of the KTM.Rome and Chris tackling another pink section.Final stretch of Sunday’s ride. You’re almost there buddy. Thanks to the BMA crew and volunteers for providing a safe and kick-ass event show casing Ontario’s finest trails. It was a hard ride Saturday but in the end it was a great and unforgetable event and one that will only make us stronger physically and mentally.
Offroad racing in an urban city just became reality. On August 26, 2012 Motomotions inaugural XC event took place at Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort, in Kitchener, Ontario. Fielding Offroad Ontario’s largest race turnout the event (over 200) was both challenging yet fun for racers and spectators alike.
Under another blazing hot sunny day, the newly layed out course held up well under dry, dusty conditions. With lots of switchbacks, off camber climbs, near vertical ups and downs – the course can be crowned as one of the most difficult on the Offroad Ontario XC circuit. Not impossible…but challenging. And in my opinion…challenge is good. I don’t know about you but that’s how I learn and how I get better. There were a few bottle necks in the morning races but don’t forget…this is a brand new course. Hiccups are bound to happen and I am sure these will be dealt with appropriately next year.
I had a blast taking pictures for this event. Taking photos in a new facility always amps up my creative juices. The most difficult part of the day (besides becoming ‘crispy’ from too much sun) was the dust. Like most of the race season this summer the dust has been relentless. I decided to stay with one lens as I did not want to change it out in the open. I just spent good money cleaning my sensor and, quite frankly, I cannot afford to part with my camera for a few days while it sits on some white lab table at Nikon HQ.
Not only was this a spectacular event Chicopee had a their restaurant/bar open and lots of beers were sold during and after the races for spectators and racers alike. Entrance money from over 400+ people was also collected in support of the Rick Hanson Foundation. Killer award plaques – sporting a huge 10×15″ size – found their way into the hands of podium recipients. Pro autograph session, free posters, vendors, exhibitors and tons of activities for the entire family. Need I say more?
I have put together a photo report with some of my favourite photos. I hope you enjoy them. The rest of the photos are available via my website at http://order.coolcatphotography.com/riders. And, if you want to know my where abouts and what CGP is shooting next catch me on Facebook under Cecile Gambin Photography.
The PeeWee course was the best and the cutest I have ever seen. Held under a canopy of trees the little racers battled it out riding some sweet flowing singletrack.‘Soupy’ working his way down the course.Riding the ridge at the top of the ski hill overlooking Kitchener.Urban racing was a treat with a beautiful 360 degree view every lap.Activites for young kids were plentiful during the races. I would just dig jumping around in this bouncy castle!Balloons, face painting, beach volleyball (lots of sand for the wee ones), a bouncy castle, and lots of race action = fun for kids.Fastest pit stop I’ve ever seen. This future ‘Yamaha’ rider is lucky to have Dad in his pit crew.Lots of vendors and exibitors were on hand by the chalet.Not your usual find at an offroad race but at least Sally was well tucked in for her afternoon nap.Race time. Yamaha’s Brian Wojnarowski drinking up at the start line.Start of the Pro men’s race, third place finisher, Brian Gallt from the US, leads out Wojo and VandenHoek.Brian Marshall flying up the wall finishing the day in 9th.Jacob Faber rides hard to a first place finish in the Expert class.Kevin Cockayne hammering a rough section of the course finishing a strong 5th in the Pro class.Wojo, and Pro race winner jumping the logs in the enduro section of the course.Once fatigue sets in and even the pros have a hard time with the enduro section.Ethan Sultana ripping through the long flat downhill before the sweeping left hander at the bottom of the course.One happy morning racer. Congrats on the race finish!!Left to Right: Steve Polonoski from Macquire’s and Motomotion, Suzuki’s Mike VandenHoek finishing a solid 2nd, Yamaha’s Brian Wojnorawski cleaning up in first, and Chris Gallt riding KTM rounding the podium with a third place finish.Jill Carney wrapping up a hard fought race with a third place finish in the Ladies A class gives her son a drink of water. By the end of the day Jacob had learned how to use the Camel back hydration system. This is good news for any parent as he can now carry his own water 🙂
To see all pictures of Sundays MX1 & MX2 races please click on this link: order.coolcatphotography.com/riders. Or, go to the Gallery tab above and the ‘For Riders’ tab.
Early Saturday morning I received an email from the editor of Inside MotoX & Offroad letting me know that my credentials were waiting at Gate B ready for me to pick up in time for the 2012 Parts Canada CMRC TransCan Canadian MX Nationals held in Walton, Ontario, August 19.
A few hours later I was in my car driving back to Toronto (I had just gotten to the cottage only a few hours before) to pick up the rest of my camera gear, buy another memory card, charge my batteries and get about 4.5 hours sleep. David and the kids stayed up north so I would have to drive back on Monday to pick them up as I had taken the car.
Despite the lack of sleep and heavy driving duty it was not an issue as I loved every moment shooting the big race. Don’t get me wrong…I love offroad but I will admit that shooting a 2-3 km MX loop is much easier than a 100km enduro event. Really the only similiarities between the two sports, aside from the bikes having two wheels, is the poison ivy that grows rampant in sandy soil. And, somewhere on the Walton farm there is a crop of it and it found me!
I have assembled a few photos that I hope you will enjoy. They have been specifically chosen to represent my day watching athletes and volunteers hard at work, and spectators enjoying the show while encompassing the beautiful Walton farm landscape where the colours and textures inspired me to take the photos the way I did.
Thanks to Jeff Morgan of IMX for giving me this opportunity!
Coffee break before the first Moto of the day.
KTM’s Factory rider Jeremy Medaglia storming through the field wrapping up the season with a second place in MX2 final point standings.
Early morning mechanical.Pre-race warm-up with Matt Goerke.Matt Goerke with special permission to wear the Number 1 plate for the morning practice. Great for photogs with the beautiful morning light.
I love playing around with perspective. This reminds me of a toy tractor we had as kids.Dominic Kisiel out running his shadow or is it his shadow out running him?Chalking the dirt for the next Hole Shot winner.
Goerke charging hard and on route to a MX1 Champion title.Gavin and Brody working their bikes in between motos. I’m sure Dad will have them jumping doubles in no time!!Leading Edge Kawasaki’s Teddy Maier working hard for his MX2 Championship title.Ryan Derry scrubbing low and looking good for KTM.
Taking the win. Congrats to Leading Edge Kawasake rider Goerke for his MX1 National title.I’d be all smiles to for landing a spot on the podium at the Nationals.MX2 podium. Welcome National Champion Teddy Maier proudly wearing the number 1. With Medaglia (2nd) and Ingalls in 3rd.
Recently, I have had a few opportunities to take action portraits of people doing what they love best. In this case … offroad riding. I had no idea that I would enjoy this type of photography and always thought of it as very complex, time consuming and technical. But I was wrong and I pleasantly found that action, or sport if you prefer, portraits challenges both my creativity and technical skills as a photographer allowing me to show my subject at their best in their element.
I had a sneak preview of the upcoming XC race held at Chicopee, in Kitchener, Ontario and was invited by Ron Golden of Motomotion to ride with a group of established riders. I not only jumped at the chance to ride my KTM 200 but I also wanted to stake out some cool areas to take action shots of racers next weekend. I have been wanting to have a sport portrait photo session for a while and this was the perfect opportunity.
Overall, I am stoked with the pictures I took but not so stoked at the way I rode the technical sections of the course. I have not been able to do a lot of riding over the last five years (I can count them on both hands) and I believe I have been spoiled by both the Ganaraska and Simcoe Country Forests for their sweet flowing singletrack. I am a whiz on that but had an eye opening, and embarassing (yes…I have an ego) technical faux pas in the uphill sections of the course reserved for the pros.
Ron Golden, of Motomotion, on top of Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort.Kris Ebben, Apex Cycle, flying high. Not only was Kris styling it with his KTM 500 he rode the entire XC course with DOT Offroad tires.Launching the Yamaha’s front wheel up and over.Last light of the day. Good night Kitchener, sleep tight.
Sizzle! Hot off the press – Ron Golden of Motomotion, in collaboration with KTM Canada, have chosen my photo of XC number one plate holder Josh Long as a background picture to this uber cool award plaque. This is one sweet looking award which if I were racing I know I would work extra hard to be able to land one and proudly hang on my wall. Congrats to Motomotion and their graphic artist for the creation of the award and poster. Job well done!
A few weeks ago after the Burnt River XC race KTM and APEX backed rider Josh and myself headed out for a photoshoot session. Riding with blistered hands and broken toes Josh was a complete pro and was super easy to work with. Josh busted out some sick riding moves, and even caught me off guard a few times as he litterally flew over my head. Knowing ahead of time what the photos were going to be used for helped me in directing Josh. Forty-five minutes later, the photoshoot was a wrap and Josh hurried back to the awards ceremony for his podium finish. Not bad day for a guy riding with a few broken toes.
It was a treat to shoot a gifted rider and a bigger treat for me to see my work on this 12×15″ award plaque and promotional poster approved by KTM Canada. Shooting one on one really taps into one’s creativity and I relished at this opportunity. At the end, I was very happy with the shoot and showed my potential photos with confidence.
Mark Sunday, August 26th down on your calendars for a XC race that you won’t want to miss. Bring your family and kids as there will be a host of activities for every age group – think bouncy castles for the wee ones, peewee races and more. My husband will be bringing our two young children and I am excited to show them how family orientated the wonderful world of offroad racing is. Plus, a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Rick Hanson Foundation – another uber cool detail about this event.
I look forward to being the Chicopee official photographer. A huge title and I am honoured to be able to wear it. See you in a few weeks at the races and don’t forget to smile and style it for the camera! Thanks to Ron Golden and his hard working crew for putting this entire event and idea together.
Matthew’s Bay is found in Pointe-au-Baril, Ontario. I took this picture in 2011 as I scouted around the area for photos to digitally paint over the winter in preparation for the 2012 Annual Art Show at the Ojibway Club, Pointe-au-Baril (PaB).
The show runs this weekend Friday-Sunday and features artists in and around the Georgian Bay, with a focus on PaB.
I have five new pieces showing this year. If you are in the area drop by. And don’t forget to introduce yourself. I’ll be hanging around a bit at the show and volunteering my time on Sunday from 10am to noon. Hope to see you there!
Ever wondered what it’s like riding an off-road motorcycle? Well, Samsung and Rogers employees wondered and enjoyed a fun day at Trail Tours Friday, July 27, 2012. Under sunny skies and hot temps a giddy group geared up for the start of a fun filled afternoon.
Trail Tours is located in the Ganaraska Forest off Highway 115 just south of Peterborough. Steve Weykamp (owner) and his staff have plenty of experience teaching beginners to advanced riders. The beauty of Trail Tours is that you do not need to know how to ride a motorcycle – they will teach you. Learning how to ride in a large, safe grassy field is so much more enticing than in a parking lot. Pavement hurts … grass does not…IMO. I consider myself a bit of an expert here as I have had experience falling often onto both types of surfaces. Also included in the price is a full gamut of equipment – helmet, gloves, boots, chest protectors, pants and jerseys. Trail Tours has a large fleet of 2012 Honda Offroad bikes from 80cc to 450 cc’s which are maintained after every session to insure a safe and enjoyable day.
Shopping for clothes and boots has never been this much fun!Helping a friend secure his helmet strap.Remember to hold the helmet straps down while putting on the most important piece of equipment.Getting dressed is often harder than learning how to ride a bike.Steve Weykamp instructing the troops.Lined up, listening and learning to ride on a new fleet of Honda offroad bikes.The advanced group learning to ride over a log. Having the ability to practice in a large, safe environment is key to a successful and happy day for everyone.Riding single track in the Ganaraska Forest.A beginners group learning the correct placement of the right foot for the rear brake.Riding the Ganny’s double track.Look ma…I’m riding a bike.End of the day and heading back into the compound with newly found skills and an amazing day.Peace out Bro! Hope to see you back in the trails soon.
SCORRA knows how to put on a fun day. In fact, I decided to do just that…have fun. Early this morning I loaded both my Gas Gas TXT 200 trials bike and my KTM 200. I also grabbed my camera gear but decided to take pictures with my fun camera – my iPad. It was afterall a ‘Fun Day’.
I started the day chatting with people I had not seen in a while as I slowly geared up and unloaded my bikes. SCORRA had it all: trails, MX track, trials area, and kids MX track. Honda and MotoHeadz were also on board with demo bikes. OFTR, Mission Cycle, the boys from St. Onge, and many others were also available to help out with suspension issues, and other great answers to questions.
I decided to hit the trials area first as I had not used my trials bike yet this year. And it showed. I plowed into the logs and got my bike over but not in a trials like way. It worked but it was not pretty and it showed my lack of clutch control. Next the A Frame. Well…I got hung up at the top. Three times. I looked around and spotted a very vertical teeter-totter. I can do that I thought to myself. I’ve done these many times on both my trials and mountain bikes. Done!
By this time Dave Butler had come out to give me some pointers on double gas blips. I tried but did not conquer and than left. Typical of my short attention span I decided to move onto something else and hit the trails. So, I parked the bike and hopped on the KTM. Gotta love a day when you can do that. Went out with my friend Gary Shackleton and rode the trails at RJ’s. Fun, fun and fun. But also, hard, hard and hard! Lots of deep ruts, exposed roots, rocks, braking and suspension bumps. After the trail session Gary and I hit the MX track. Loads of fun riding on a track and a completely different beast over woods riding. There used to be a double by the grandstand a few years ago. That was a fun one to jump but now they all seemed huge. Probably me shrinking. In any case, I decided to be mature and save myself from potential injury by keeping the wheels on the ground.
After lunch I decided to tackle the Williams track and I fell in love. Who ever designed these trails had woods bike in mind. Flow, flow and flow. That’s how I like my trails! Thanks to Jaime for hanging out with me for that ride.
Here are a few pictures from today. Again, my focus was on riding today. Not camera work. Sorry people but I have not ridden much this year and my bikes were calling for me. It felt to good to be back in the saddle and I know my legs will be sore tomorrow!
Huge thanks to SCORRA and there volunteers for a great event!
Waiting to ride. Pre-riders meetings.Tracy from OFTR with the Zero bike. Never did get a chance to try it but those who did came back with huge smiles. Take-off is rocket like. Super fast!It was good to catch up with The Jervais Family from MotorHeadz. Had not seen them since the purchase of my 2008 Gas Gas TXT200.A collection of people images.The teeter-totter. One of the few trials obstacles I actually did with some degree of trials control.Crowds filling in.Always fun to hang around with and a damn good rider…except during water crossings 🙂
Ok…so I’ve had a few issues with my tags not working. I’m hoping everything is fixed now and that my blogs and pictures are easier to find in the land of the triple W. If you’ve missed the news on the following off-road events or want to check out some pics please see the following and click where it says tells you to:
– To see photo report and get link to Offroad Ontario Burnt River XC 2012 click HERE.
– To see photo report and get link to Honda Canada ‘Rock the Red’ MotoGymKhana 2012 click HERE.
– To see photo report and get link to Algonquin 2 Day Ride2012 click HERE.
– To see photo report and get link to Offroad Ontario RJ’s XC 2012 click HERE.
– To see photo report and get link to SCORRA Ladies Training Day 2012 click HERE.
– To see photo report and get link to CMX & VMX Grand Bend MX 2012 click HERE.
For quick access to the Codrington photo gallery please click here. Please note that I have at least 2-3 pictures of each rider so scroll down or give me a shout and I’ll help you out.
