About time to add some panoramic images from all over the world, a section that I will be updating more over the coming months.
Most of these have been stitched using the excellent Hugin stitching tool.
View over Nagasaki, Japan, from the Clover Garden elevator. 2004
View over Capetown from Signal Hill Road. 2005
Radio538 Queensday concert panorama. 2009
Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver. 2009
Penstraat Willemstad (Curaçao). 2010
Dutch Olympic Homecoming Haarlem. 2010
The Hyundau Sungwoo Resort in Gangwon.
Some final images of the past two days before I leave for Switzerland Tomorrow.
Yesterday’s half-pipe saw some amazing action but the light was horrible for photography. Still managed to pull a few nice shots, especially from the winner Ryoh Aono from Japan.
Ryoh Aono 2x
If yesterday was cold, today was Arctic. With heatpockets in both hands I managed to keep my fingers a bit above freezing temp but the conditions weren’t as nice as they were in the first few days. Guess we saw it all this week: full sun, biggest snowfall in 20 years and freezing windy icechills to end the week with.
Last contest was the Big Air which had horrible angles from all sides so no real great images here too. Perhaps tonight for the finals things will be nice with my slaves and all the lamps they’ve put up at the jump.
David Mol (close-up) and Pim Stigter (action)
That’s it for this amazing Korean week, what a great place for such a contest. I’m off, Laax (Switzerland) is next… see you after the weekend.
Some more shots of todays action: the half-pipe contest which sadly turned out to be a bummer for Dolf van der Wal (missing the finals by 2/10 points on a disputable judging score). Some nice shots even though the waether was a bit bleak.
The nights Big Air practice turned out to be fun again while stressing the camera to the limits, using the high ISO range and two slave flashes. Happy with the results and ready for the contest the day after tomorrow.
Todays carving action wasn’t too succesfull for Nicolien either but fortunately I was able to do some decent freestyle shooting today. First some shots at the half-pipe (in between parallel slaom heats) and then some difficult shots with slave-flashes at the nightly big-jump practice session.
Tomorrow: half-pipe qualification and perhaps a couple more bigjump shots…
Some images from Today’s GPS event. Jetlag got me up early on the mountain, right in time to catch the sun rising above the hills.
Early rise!
Nicolien Sauerbreij memorizing the course.
Nicolien Sauerbreij in action.
The steep course made for some great crashshots!
Amazing lightshow.
A quick back-and-forth to the halfpipe for a shot of David Mol.
From South-Korea this week I’ll bring some updates on the 2009 FIS Snowboard World Championships.
Munich take-off
Seoul arrival… hmm!
A bit of a thing: driving 8 hours through heavy fog to Munich to catch a plane to Korea. But, it’s a small price to pay for a dream-assignment like this! So, after an easy but mostly sleepless flight (compensated for by gin-tonics) we arrived at Seoul Airport with a gentle but nagging jetlag of eight hours.
Getting close to the contest.
After a mad and three hour VIP Taxi transfer that took us past the edge of the capital city, traffic jams, heavy snowfall and a highway though the mountains (hills, if you live in the Alps) and the crazy Hyundau Sungwoo Resort in Hoengseon-gun in the Gangwon-do province. How about a mounthfull! As the Koreans were convinced I was an important competitor the drive was fast and furious and ended up with a police escort for the final 5 kilomters, cool!
Bell Berghuis and coach Frank Germann discuss the course.
Some high-grade board preparation.
From the taxi it was straight to the slopes to watch Bell Berghuis compete in the Boardercross qualifications. It’s a pity she fell on her second run because she had a very good chance of competing in the finals. Still, a nice day for me photograph-wise. More updates this week as there are plenty more Dutchies competing.
Practice run on the first rollers.
First quali-heat on the massive corner!
Over and out…
One of the nicest hotels I’ve ever had the pleasure of overnighting can be found near the Johannesburg Airport, little over twenty minutes North of the hectic and largest South African city is Pretoria, the legislative Capital. Before hitting that town, famous for its abundant Jacaranda Trees, in a hidden and very nice neighborhood you will find a Villa turned into a hotel for Kings, their website says it all and nothing of it is overstated. What an incredible place!
Click on “full screen” for the high-res slideshow:
A magnificent villa with sweeping views across the treetops of the historical Jacaranda City. Set in tranquil gardens, teeming with birds, it is no wonder that Illyria is often referred to as a “little paradise”.
Upon entering through the wrought iron gates, a fairytale ambience, reflecting the epitome of gracious and romantic living unfolds, complete with white gloved butlers discreetly working their magic to please.
Unrivalled personalized service, exclusivity and luxury are a given at this intimate haven. Fine antiques, 17th century tapestries, soft classical music and exquisite cuisine have contributed to Illyria’s standing as a sought-after oasis of tranquility, refined beauty and charm.
It comes as no surprise that Illyria House has become a destination in its own right, a unique, nostalgic, colonial experience, highly appreciated by the discerning traveler, and the secret retreat of royalty, heads of state and celebrities alike.
Services rendered by your personal butler include organizing historical tours, sports activities, country picnics, individualized shopping outings and transfers to attractions in the city and surrounding areas. Guests may enjoy beauty treatments in the magical wellness spa in the secret garden or in the privacy of their rooms.
Secluded yet centrally located, a stay at Illyria House is ideal in combination with a luxury rail journey, wildlife safari or Indian Ocean island resort, and holds the promise to add an unforgettable authentic experience in colonial African hospitality.
Kelly Rowland headlined the 2008 edition of the POSI+IVE event in South Africa’s Sun City. The Sun International event raises money for some of their AIDS projects all over the country. With ust a few days notice (Backstreet Boys had to cancel due to family circumstances) she managed to pull a great show at the POSI+IVE Rocks Gala.
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