Photographer Angus Scotford sent us through a short photo feature from Buller the other weekend. The photos feature Gus St. Leon, Darragh Walsh and a few other crew hitting a handrail – Angus tells the story better than I do. Click below the cut for the photos and the story.
From Angus…
Saturday Morning, Day of the comp. With our Fingers crossed, and hoping for a break in the clouds and rain. I headed out with Nitro riders Darragh Walsh and Jarryd Williams went spot hunting worthy of getting my camera wet in the village. We came across a fence worthy of a few rock n’ rolls maybe a few backside disasters. Guess we’ll never find out, as we went straight to getting the spot 10 metres to the right shread-able. This spot was a nice long (greasy) flat hand rail. With ever increasing drop after the pop off.
And then textbook, once Jarryd and Darragh have finished off the shovelling. Gus St Leon, Jaye Botfield from 3CS outerwear, Matt Galina, Morgan the fuel TV filmer And Mark Bristow the Nitro team manager with “coffee for one” strolled round the corner. How do you like your spots lads? Poached mostly. Just jokes, it was always the intention to add numbers to the crew.
Darragh was first to drop. This rail is fat and flat, so the challenge comes when your trying to get an edge in for the pop off. This was seen when Darraghs arms starting flapping and wailing around for that something to hold on to. Unlucky! there was nothing there like that at all.
Gus St Leon was next. The thick cloud cleared and gave me the chance to shoot this safety 50-50. I was thinking I was on here. The boys would all start boning and pressing and this will be my first shot of the weekend. And then we can session the fence.
No such luck. The dirty damned PO PO came out the trees flashing his pretty little badge. Maybe a little of our fault in hindsight, considering the pigpen was the second building over. He told us the usual stories about public liability, lodge owners having a good old whinge and whose gonna stop 15 year olds trying to emulate you lads. Firstly if one of these lads were to fall, we would get him the necessary medical attention. But definitely wont be involving lawyers for the sue job. These lodge owners will always be snowboard haters and aren’t ever happy unless they are complaining. And the 15 year olds… Well, how else are they gonna learn? That’s how these Nitro boys got to where they are. Breathe out, Breathe in. That’s better.
The copper left. No doubt to stop any one of the broke snowboarders in town taking extra sauce sachets for their own cooking back at the lodge.
So we decided to pull a good ol’ fashioned decoy run. While Gus strapped in and I turned my flashes on again. The others grabbed the shovels and bags and made it seem as if we had taken the coppers advice and were moving on. This time I told Gus to press on his nose and we’ll get a shot. Only this time, those clouds had rolled back in and milked out my shot. And then the rain started and that would be the last time I pulled my camera out the whole wet weekend.
To take a quote from Liam Kaska “It’s the nature of it, isn’t it? Just makes it all the more special when you get that awesome shot.” Too True. Next time.
