Birthplace of the Winds

Out of the four films I took in last night it was the most subtle, and shortest that lodged deeply in my thoughts.The feature presentation at the Mountain Film Festival Wednesday was Beyond the Horizon, chronicling a 2 year human-powered trek across the globe. Aspects of that adventure included months of cycling and trekking across north eastern Russia (the coldest area in the northern hemisphere) and rowing for 5 months to get across the Atlantic. However, it was the short film, Birthplace of the Winds, that had my senses completely fixed upon the screen and my thoughts on what my own future adventures.

Four men travelled to one of the most remote areas of the earth, the Islands of Four Mountains within the Aleutian Islands. They kayaked between the islands (during ridiculously dangerous conditions) and climbed some of the volcanic peaks. These islands were outstanding; mountains thrusting out from the sea, topped with pristine snow and flecked with volcanic ash. The film was well done, and one could sense the isolation of the area and the uniqueness of the adventure. A dangerous film for my mind, because it fixes my thoughts on ideas that become consuming: putting a trip together, planning the next adventure, avoiding work, choosing paths and destinations, avoiding work, considering how it can all come together, how long should I go for, do I want an outdoor-isolation adventure or a metropolitan-culture adventure, avoiding work.

A little research on the ol’ world wide web reveals that there might be a book by the same name, chronicling this kayak trip. If anyone has heard of it or read it, let me know your thoughts – mine are consumed with avoiding work.

Juxtaposition in 2006 World Press Photos

World Press Photo recently announced the 2006 winners of their annual contest. I could spend hours looking through this phenomenal selection of photos that are judged for their news value and the photographers creative skill. Both the single shots and the portfolios highlight the power of photography in making news tangible. It is easy to become numb to the flashiness, quick takes, partisanship and editing of television news. Internet news overwhelms us with opportunities to click from one thing to the next without digesting much of anything. But, photographs intended to go to press stop the flow of time – allowing us to access a moment at our own pace. Political struggles, sporting events, riots, relationships, our everyday lives: they are all constructed from moments. Moments of happiness, moments of sadness, moments of loss, moments of balance, and moments of imbalance. These press photos give us the opportunity to take a closer look and try to understand the emotions of a moment.

The grand prize winner is a photo that captures a loss of a fulcrum within a juxtaposition. Many of the winners highlight juxtapositions, and this one deservedly takes top honours for doing so. In this photo the fortunate drive amongst the unfortunate in South Beirut. While the-have and the-have-not exist equally in the photo, it only serves to highlight the imbalance within the neighbourhood, the region, and the world. Many of the winning photos capture unbalanced juxtapositions including the 1st prize winner for People in the News. The photographer has done a fantastic job of capturing a moment of what seems an impossible struggle.

News photographs of this outstanding nature bring the moments to us for digestion, pondering, and reaction. I find them honestly enjoyable because there is no news anchor, editor, or producer trying to pull the strings and spin the story as it is presented to me. It is just me with the photo, and I can revisit as I see fit. I can draw my own conclusions, change my thoughts, search for what I feel to be balance and develop my own understanding of the moment and how it fits into our wider world. I encourage you to take a look at them. Take your time, pay them a few visits, drink in the juxtapositions, and put yourself in the moments.

Personal favourites and recommendations in addition to the two aforementioned:
-the wheel chairs from 3rd prize Sports Action Stories.
-a particular photo filled with grimace in the 3rd prize General News Stories forces one into feeling a part of the scene.
-3rd prize for Spot News – a revolting moment of reality (discretion advised).
-the swimmer as a part of the 2nd prize for Sports Action Stories is simply a cool shot.
-3rd prize single for Daily Life.
-the entire portfolio for 1st prize Arts & Entertainment Stories is just really cool!!

What are your favourites and/or reactions? (Would also like to hear thoughts on having the little “snap” preview images for links, because I can disable them if you’d like).

Hamilton Returns

How much of your life would you give to expose a hard to believe truth? Conversely, for how long would you live a complete lie to save integrity? If one were to reach such extremes is balance so far removed it plays no role?

Tyler Hamilton made his return to professional cycling this week. For those of you who are not cycling fans, or who are unaware of Hamilton’s story it is worth a little investigation. Just over two years ago he was one of the premier cyclists in the world (and at the time my favourite), winner of a gold medal in Athens, and possible heir to Armstrong’s Tour reign. That all dissolved when he tested positive for blood doping. Tests showed another person’s blood was mixed in his own. Through the heaps of data – which is incredibly technical and jargon filled – Hamilton has remained steadfast. Through numerous hearings and appeals, where his suspension was repeatedly upheld, he has been consistently enthusiastic in saying he did not dope. His efforts have not gone in to half-baked denials. He has not tried to blame others for misleading him. He has not spent huge sums of money on suing newspapers, labs or doctors. Instead, Hamilton has spent all of his resources on leading a very transparent rebuttal and a very clear headed media campaign to prove his innocence. He has been supported by numerous doctors, technicians and officials who refuse to back down in their belief that Hamilton’s test was a false positive. They have put forward a mountain of data and evidence in return that suggest his suspension should have been annulled without argument. But, with two camps at polar ends, and no lay person being able to fully understand the technical aspect of the case, Hamilton will forever remain branded.

However, I can think of no other athlete who has tested positive to put everything in to clearing his name. Cycling is zealous in its attempts to catch dopers (a position more professional sports should take) and I want to believe it is making a difference. I also want to believe Hamilton. There is simply something about the way he expresses himself and the lengths he has gone to. I do not see a resolution because a sporting body so fanatically paranoid about its reputation that it feels it must catch people, is pitted against a man who has bared his soul to the world to profess his innocence in a way no other athlete ever has.

I think cycling is a fantastic sport and encourage people to follow along or get involved. I want cycling to be clean. I want Tyler to be clean. But I just don’t know. I don’t like not knowing.

Nevertheless, guilty or not, he has served the time, and now deserves to ride regardless. I hope he finds what he feels is redemption.