This is my year in review, according to some top five lists. I managed to meet Bill Clinton as well this year.
1. Reno, the first race of the ABA schedule . This was the first ABA race I had ever been to in my life, and it did not disappoint one bit. The vibe in the venue was awesome, and the racing was action packed.
2. Oldsmar, Florida . Aside from the race action, this trip was awesome because it was a vacation away from the New York cold in Februrary. I head down to Florida a few times a year to visit friends and hangout. This race happened to fall right into the middle of my vacation, so I brought a couple friends to the race to hang out and go out in Tampa's wonderful Ybor City.
3. Desoto, Texas . In the past several years, it has snowed in the Dallas metro area maybe two times. One of those times happened to be while there was a heatwave in New York and I headed down to Dallas. The first day of my trip was awesome -- t-shirt, racing and a quick skatepark session in the evening. I woke up the next morning to 40 degree rain. It didn't get any better throughout the day. After dinner and staying with one of my friends who lived in the area, I awoke the next morning to a half an inch of snow, which in most places is no big deal. In Dallas, a half of inch of snow becomes an hour of traffic.I got to the track late, left late, and got to the airport on my way home late, only to find a delayed flight that saved me.
1. Connor Fields at the UCI Worlds . Connor had a huge, huge lead in the Jr. Elite main event. He could have rolled the track effortlessly for the last two straights and taken the title home. Instead, he went full force as normal. One slight miscalculation on the third straight rhythm cost him the title and caused him a sore knee/body. He blew up on his own with a 30-foot lead in one of the hardest falls of the season. Luckily he was able to get up, but that wouldn't put the title (and bonus check) in his hands.
2. Maris Strombergs at the ABA's Race of Champions . Maris and Sam Willoughby were sitting one and two in points. This was the last race before the ABA grands to collect some extra points and lock in, or unlock the title. In his first moto of the race, Maris over pedaled the second straight and got sent into one of the most brutal dead sailors I have ever seen. This resulted in a broken hand, separated shoulder and ruined dreams. If Maris had won the ABA title, he would have been the first person in history to hold every title at once.
3. Alise Post , blowing herself up on her last day of riding going into the ABA Grands/Race of Champions. Messing around on the AM track at the Olympic Training Center, she looped out and put her foot down the wrong way, breaking her fibula and taking her out for the last few days of the season.
4. Dominique Daniels at the Disney Cup . With two wins in the bag, DD just needed to take home a podium spot on Sunday and the Disney Cup would have been hers. Instead, down the last straight, with Alise Post hot on her tail, she started inching over to block Post out. While this might sound like a smart move, the UCI doesn't think so. There is a rule in place stating that a rider must choose their line going down the last straight and can not intentionally get in another riders way. Post didn't backdown until the bikes actually touched. Watching from behind, it was obvious what had happened. Unfortunately for the Internet message boards, the video didn't show it as clearly.
5. Corben Sharrah getting put over the first turn in Salt Lake City and directly into a photographer (who happened to be me.) Fortunately for us, we were both okay, as for my 28-70 lens -- it sits on my desk as a pen holder. The pain of being taken out by one of the fastest pros in the game started to set in on my redeye flight back to New York, and come Monday I felt like I had been hit by a car.
Courtesy of Patrick Nugent Me being taken out by Corben Sharrah.
1. Nic Long for the win in the last turn at the Chula Vista Supercross race. He went from third to first, swooping under both Sam Willoughby and Maris Strombergs and kept his lead to the finish.
2. The French dudes who blasted Marc Willers over the second turn at the Chula Vista Supercross. A race where the lead changes multiple times is a black swan. It rarely happens without multiple people falling. In this case, Marc Willers got bumped over the second turn. The French rider who bumped him lost all of his momentum and didn't even get anywhere because of it.
3. Sam Willoughby passing Maris Strombergs at the Salt Lake City ABA race. Going back and forth all day, these two were determined to win. Strombergs took the holeshot and led down the second straight. On the jump into the second turn, Willoughby rode the white line squeezing between Maris and a hay bale. It was wild that he rode out of it, and then took the win.
4.Alise Post passing Dominique Daniels at Rockford. Alise is known for her jumping skills, while DD is known for her power and pumping skills. In this case, the jumps were the best bet. Alise took the pro side, passing DD and making for an epic photo of the two competitors.
5. Maris Strombers passing everyone at the Chula Vista SX. After blowing his gate and having his bars move back into his lap, Strombergs did the impossible. He went from dead last, like 15 feet behind everyone dead last, to taking over the lead. He did ultimately get passed by Nic Long and Sam Willoughby in the last turn, but getting to the front of the pack, even for a second, was an amazing feat.
Patrick Nugent Anytime I get to use the fisheye (which isn't that often with race stuff) I am psyched. This is the Free Agent team earlier this year.
1. Almost any race Maris Strombergs is in, he has it. The guy has the most power in the sport and isn't afraid to let it out of the bag.
2. Dominique Daniels. She is a power house. From the gate to the first turn, the races are hers.
3. Connor Fields at the Worlds. He had a killer lead by the end of the first straight, and by the end of the second straight, turned it into a solid lead.
Patrick Nugent My favorite portrait this year. Donny Robinson during a break at an ABA race in Fla.
1. I'm not sure if they came out this year or at the end of last year, but DK's Race cranks and Alpha pedals are awesome. The cranks have all the stiffness you could need and the pedals have all of the grip (if you aren't riding clips.)
2. Profile's new Elite hubs. 200+ points of engagement and they sound awesome. A full set of ti internals and you have some of the sickest hubs around.
3. Power inverters for a cigarette lighter. How many times do you travel somewhere and need to charge something and not have an outlet? Power inverters are one of the most important parts of a rental car travel kit.
4. Angry Birds. I can't believe I am including Angry Birds. But those birds are just so angry. Besides, they make a five-hour flight go by as fast as an iPhone battery.
5. Apple TV. I haven't had a DVD player or anything to use as one in the last few years. I picked up an Apple TV two weeks ago and have already watched like 40 episodes of LOST. Thanks New York winter!.
Patrick Nugent A crowdless Radio City Music Hall.
1. The portrait that went with the Donny Robinson interview. I was psyched with the final outcome after the post processing was complete and glad it all pulled together.
2. The portrait shot with Joey Albright that hasn't been posted yet. It's very upstate New York in the fall.
3. A photo of Maris Strombergs in Salt Lake City. He was wearing a mostly red Free Agent uniform that contrasted really well with the cyan/blue of the sky.
4. The Free Agent group photo. Anytime I get to use the fisheye (which isn't that often with race stuff) I am psyched. Although it is almost a cheating lens because everything looks good, I feel like it pulled the photo together with the triangular composition it gave me.
5. Not ESPN related, but working with my 9-5 job, I had all access to Radio City Music hall with a client and had the chance to shoot photos of it completely empty, completely full as well as behind the curtain while John Oliver of the Colbert Report took the stage. While none of the photos may be defined as "amazing" it was one of the best things I had the chance to shoot.
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