Special Edition Hyperlite Photo Battle
This week’s Photo Battle comes straight from the pages of the latest issue of Alliance Wakeboard Magazine. If you haven’t picked one up yet, get to your local pro shop and grab on STAT. Last summer the California contingent of Hyperlite riders converged in the centrally located confines of Lake McClure and Mike Schwenne’s West Coast Camps houseboats for a little weekend of friendly competitive shredding. It was So-Cal vs. Nor-Cal in a battle for photographic dominance. Cali native photographers Rodrigo Donoso and Spencer Smith were teamed up with the riders — it was gonna take some good shredding and serious creativity for somebody to come away with the prize. The photos you see in this week’s Photo Battle are each photographer’s favorite shot from the weekend. For Spencer Smith and team Nor-Cal, it’s a shot of Brodie Chaboya boosting a big stalefish, while for Rodrigo Donoso and team So-Cal, it’s none other than wonder kid Jacob Valdez with a dirty little tail poke. These two photos just got some great play in the latest issue of Alliance, but now it’s up to you guys to decide which one is the winner of the Hyperlite Nor-Cal vs. So-Cal contest.
There are no prizes for this week’s battle (except of course glory for the rider and photographer!) but starting next week, Hyperlite will be kicking down some apparel packages to the winners of our regularly scheduled battles, so get your shots in for a chance to win!
Now, pick your favorite!
Nor-Cal: Brodie Chaboya by Spencer Smith
So-Cal: Jacob Valdez by Rodrigo Donoso
Which photo is your favorite?
- Team Nor-Cal (55%, 540 Votes)
- Team So-Cal (45%, 439 Votes)
Total Voters: 979
April 5, 2010
Yeah Brodie! Get some!
April 5, 2010
Brodie holdin it down for Northern Cali!
April 5, 2010
Brodie keeping the style HELLA NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
April 5, 2010
i believe you spell valdez s-t-y-l-e
April 5, 2010
Good shit Brodie!
April 5, 2010
Give them something for winning this week, Brodie needs some swag. Throw him a towel at least, everybody is tired of seeing his crusty junk on the boat.
April 5, 2010
Yeah Brodie..Rep'n NORCAL!!!
April 6, 2010
so-cals pic would have taken it if the flash didnt ruin it. the photographer had his flash too high and the subject (the rider) refected it. he could have put it in photoshop, but what ever.
April 6, 2010
Personally, I like the picture of Valdez. And as a photographer, getting the exposure down just right for a picture like that is not a simple task. With the low lighting that's aimed directly at the camera, the flash had to be bright enough to light the rider. Not to mention having all settings in the perfect spot to freeze the rider. Both pics are pretty nice, but the pic of Valdez got my vote simply for creativity and technical skills involved to capture this shot. Best of luck to both!
April 6, 2010
the pic of brodie is a good one but it seems so generic, i feel like we have all seen that shot before. jakes photo may not be as crisp as the other because of the lighting angle but it is just oozing style all over, and like matt said it is def a creative shot.
April 6, 2010
Yeah Brodie! Rippin' it NorCal style!
April 6, 2010
its nott letting me vote, (someone might wanna check up on that could explain why valdez is behind in the votes)but i deff gotta say jakes got this one. really showinggg thatt style that so cal is known for. good job jake.
April 7, 2010
sick shot!!!!!!! spencer………
April 7, 2010
Brodie C, tighter than a glove, pressin' play on remote at the nor-cali club. Much Love B,
Keep on keepin' on.
-LR
April 7, 2010
i think this battle is too political. the so cal picture is so much better but the nor cal riders vote for nor cal riders… like politics, there is no truth!
April 7, 2010
SO-CAL!!!!!! Rodrigo kills it everytime with his shots!
April 7, 2010
Kelly knows what's up.
April 7, 2010
IN MY OPINION, i feel a lot of people are judging on the rider themselves as opposed to the photographer and what it took for them to get the shot. Both photos and riders are dope.
Based on what it took to get the shot Rods looks more difficult to get involving a handful of factors (tube, flashes, daylight etc).
The best of luck to you both!
My vote is with Rod
April 7, 2010
Little Man / Big Ride = Jacob Valdez ( he's the one to watch )
My vote is Valdez. What a HOT SHOT !!
April 7, 2010
I have to agree.. I live in Nor Cal and it seems as if most people are voting based on geographical location and for their local rider's.. But if this is a photography contest… I have seen quite a bit of Rodrigo's work, and I must say this one is no different, Sweet shot..He killed it as usual!!!! Awesome work Rod…..
April 8, 2010
If it was based on geographical location it would be tied. Rod and spence both live in norcal. And as for generic pics. I see a lot more chaseboat shots than photog floatin in the water. Keep on rockin in the free world!
April 8, 2010
Must say jacob's Pix Is Awesome! I've Seen It In Person and to catch this shot is a pretty tricky task, very creative! 🙂 Team SO CAL!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 8, 2010
Correction…tube shots.
April 8, 2010
With a lot of the other cats on here. Everyone seems to be voting based on the rider. Brodie is sick as F%$K, but I've seen that angle on a shot 100's of times. Rod actually put some work into settin up his shot. My vote is with Rod(Team So-Cal)even though Rod is as Nor Cal as they come!!
April 8, 2010
I think its a win win for nor cal…. Rodrigo for team so-cal, wtf?
April 8, 2010
Like I said…Nor Cal vs. So-Cal. Has nothing to do with the actual shot.
April 8, 2010
Definitely a sick shot with the hillside and water wrapping up the side of the lens. Color contrast gives it a real clean pop… Amazing job Rodrigo!
April 9, 2010
These things are all pretty subjective. Both Jacob and Brodie are friends and I like Rodrigo and Spence is obviously at the top of his game so this is hard to vote for. Being subjective and picking your favorite photo is always hard. People like to support their friends and help them when they can. That being said I voted for Brodie because believe or not that is a hard shot to get. Not saying the tube shot was easy, Rodrigo has a lot going on in that photo being on a tube the sunlight in the background so having to use the flash to fill the shot. It's a great shot. Being a sitting duck in the water with no housing from what i am told, timing everything focusing quickly and getting the grab and poke on the stalefish was hard to do. Plus shooting against the rock shoreline and being able to get Brodie to stand out makes that shot look cool.
April 9, 2010
I dont like the flash on the bottom of jakes board other than that both really cool shots my vote goes to brodie
April 10, 2010
Brodie, That is an EPIC shot! Check out the air underneath you. Rock on Buddy!
April 10, 2010
Rodrigo takes it, hands down…."you can do it in photoshop"….if you can do it with the camera, and not PS then that to me makes for a better photo, the angle, color, composition, not to mention the technical aspects of the exposure and such…the other shot is just "meh"….not downplaying the athletisism that not the issue, but the shot desn't have anything that says "cover shot"…
April 11, 2010
ROCK ON BRODASAURUS! Way to hold it down…
BOOYAKASHAWW!!
April 11, 2010
BRODIE TEARIN' IT UP AS USUAL !!!!!!!
**** N O R – C A L ****
April 15, 2010
BRODIE!!!!! GO NOR CAL!!!!