The Struggle of Olympic Weightlifting

Glory exists in some form in every single sport and it exists in multiple iterations. It's not only present in the form of a late game offensive triumph. Glory can emerge from the limbs of a quick handed defender or land in the glove of a leaping outfielder. But where does the glory lie in Olympic weightlifting?

I suppose it occurs when the lifter successfully raises that heavy bar accessorized with heavy plates on each end, up and over their heads for a period of time. But in this case, that glory is boring. At least from a photographer's perspective. Second to "peak action" on the sports photographers list of what makes a great picture, is great faces. And the struggle of Olympic weightlifting weighs a thousand kilograms.

In my first attempt at capturing the sport at the 3rd Annual Midtown Classic in Sacramento, I've found that the unsuccessful lifts make for the most compelling images. The grimace on their faces combined with the gravity defying lean of their bodies mixed with a bar and weights that seem to have gone rogue paints the perfect picture that makes you wonder, "What the fuck just happened?" The tiniest breakdown in technique could be the difference between the struggle and the glory, but photographically speaking, the gap between the two is quite large.

Check out some more images here.

3 On 3 For All The Marbles

What do you get when you mix the following ingredients: 3-on-3 basketball tournament, outdoor courts, the hot summer sun, and a $600 cash prize with no entry fee? A whole lotta shit talking, hard fouls and a few scuffles. But all in all, everything went pretty smoothly.

Last weekend, the Show Out Boyz (a classic car club) held a 3-on-3 basketball tournament at Swanston Park here in Sacramento, CA. So far I've been unable to find any internet evidence of the Boyz or their tournament except for this jpeg of a flyer. But when I pulled up to the park, it was going down! There was a total of about 39 teams with games occurring on three half courts. The tourney dragged on for about 7 or 8 hours and as I was losing daylight, the main event was finally underway.

In a game that started 12-3 (first to 15 wins), there was a near impossible comeback with a final score of 15-12. The man with the crazy haircut and his team representing "The Heights" split the $600. Shout out to the Show Out Boyz for putting on the tournament and their success in keeping everything in order. Looking forward to the next one.

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