Source: Matthew Mallory
It was one year ago today that I embarked on a new journey in my career. Having spent the past several years in a ski and bike shop I was a little nervous but mostly excited about the new opportunity.
The whole deal came about from an acquaintance that I had known for sometime. When Phil Mowatt and his business partner started a cycling website we began talking more and more. In CCN's first year online I snapped some pictures and wrote a few words that we turned into articles. This turned into a trip to Las Vegas for Interbike with the requisite amount of work, photos, writing, partying and a severe lack of sleep.
March 1st 2010 was the day that I took on the role of CycleComponentNetwork's Media Director. There were several hats to wear in this position but the main part of the job involved me looking after the posting of daily cycling news and reviews on the site. Along with this of course comes a lot of photography, travelling to events, hanging out with some awesome people and documenting the journey.
When I look back at what I have done and where I have been in the last year it boggles my mind. Having a passion for photography and bikes I never dreamed that it would be my job one day to go to the coolest events on the planet and be there in a capacity to report on them. There were so many different things going on that I am still a little in awe of what I got to see last year.
The spring started off with a trip to California for the Sea Otter Classic. Leaving the deep snow of Whistler we headed out on our first adventure of the year to the clear skies and warm temperatures of Monterey, California where I spent several days immersed in bike racing and taking photos of the World's best riders.
After Sea Otter I started traveling with the CCN downhill race team all over the province for the BC Cup DH series. I went to six races and was able to spend days on the side of the track snapping pictures and writing up race reports about some of the most exciting racing action that British Columbia has to offer. Another upside was getting to know many of the racers that I never would have had an opportunity to meet otherwise.
Looking back at the year every event I attended stands out for one reason or another but there are two that really stand taller than the others. Crankworx in my adopted hometown of Whistler and The Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships.
Having been at and in some cases participated in every Crankworx as well as it's predecessor Joyride I have always enjoyed the spectacle. With the crowds that have come out in the past few years riding is a bit of a nightmare but to cover it with a media pass is something else. In 2009 I had done some coverage for CCN but I was only able to go out on my days off and after work which means I missed a lot. This year it was my job to cover it and I found it easy to spent 15 hours a day or more wrapped up in the action and loved every minute of it. I was able to be at almost every event and many nights I was out on the town doing the industry thing and then waking up at 5:00am to post the daily news and photos on what was happening. The long hours didn't bother me as I was to use a popular quote "living the dream".
Then in early September Phil and I boarded a plane to Quebec. It was my first trip to "la belle" province in over a decade and I was there to cover the 2010 Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships.
I was expecting a lot from the Worlds and it did not disappoint. If anything it exceeded my expectations. Everywhere I turned there was a race or something happening that I wanted to capture on film and the crowds. My lord the crowds, on Saturday and Sunday when we exited the cab at the base of the resort you could hear the fans going wild. And this was before the races had even started. There was even one dude using a chainsaw as a noise maker. With so much going on we were awake 20 hour days to get all of the article coverage but it was well worth it as we got to see mountain bike history being made. Canada got it's first gold medal in downhill when Lauren Rosser took home the Rainbow Jersey in the Junior Women's race and Stevie Smith came in a close second taking Canada's first silver medal in the Elite Men's Downhill. Tracy Moseley also had a bittersweet moment when she won the Elite Women's downhill, her first World Championships win in a long and very successful career of racing.
At the end of one year I am stoked on how far I have come, my photos and writing have improved. I have learned more about my tools; computer, camera, internet, etc than I had in the previous however many years of using them and I am looking forward to what is to come in 2011 and the following years with CCNBikes.com.
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me out over the past year as well as Phil and Rupert for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.
Cheers
