2009 Worlds - Competition Day 1 - Monday

COMPETITION
If the Americans can't score from par terre, they will struggle to win on the internationals stage. A take down without bonus points leaves you up one with 30 seconds left and a hungry European, very familiar with needing to score in the last 30 seconds, will find a way to win. This is their game, the European game, and the Russians dominate it. They consistently score when they need to. "Finding a way to win" is everyday wrestling for them, not some coach's platitude.

I was proud today that the three Americans were competitive in every match. Jake (Varner) wrestled well, he looked very solid in beating the Hungarian and Japanese wrestler but hit a wall in the Iranian who couldn't be muscled around. Without that, Jake struggled, but it was a good experience for him, and I'm sure his folks are proud. He was really late in getting to the mat for the quarters, he was on his last call, not sure happened there. (Today I'll go back and check out how they are announcing the matches in the warm-up area.) Paulson was in the match, he fought off a couple shots, but lost to a tough Kazack wrestler. Danny had a strong opponent who he was evenly matched with, but he lost a really close clinch situation (he fought off the initial attack) and scored some points, but not enough. He got clocked in the head in the first few seconds, I wonder if that affected him.

SHOOTING
They didn't have a plan for the photographers and we all only got a journalist credential. They finally set up a rope behind we we can shoot from along one full side of the arena. IOt works okay during the early part of the day, but was a mob scene for the finals. I started shooting from the stands, sitting next to the Paulsons and Danny Felix's family. Great families and I had a good vantage point above the madness that was the media mosh pit. It took a while for me to dial-in, the light is very hot on hot mats, I'm dialed down to about 3200K for white balance, and am still playing with my SO and shutter speeds. They are allowing flash, and since the light is so good I can use a balance TTL which is cool for just a bit of fill flash. I'm reaching quite a ways with the 200, so things have been a little more soft than I'd like. I've upped the SO to about 4000 and am starting to crank the shutter speed.

In all their infinite wisdom, the organizers thought it would be fun to shoot off some pyrotechnics before each finals match. That's cool, except it's horrible for the athletes (think huge plumes of fireworks smoke right as they are walking by) and really really bad for photography (especially with flash) as the cloud of smoke settles on the mat. I've been told they only did that yesterday and won't do it again.

I got some decent shots today, but my proudest moment came when I scored one of about 15 foot lockers in the media room, which means I can store my gear there over night and don't have to lug it back and forth everyday. How's that for making John Sach's proud!? Today I rent a bike and do some grocery shopping so I can have some food after the finals, I don't see anything changing with regards to getting out of there before 11pm any night this week.

SOCIAL
It's almost criminal they way this town shuts down at 10pm. There is NO where to eat after ten, and for anyone who knows wrestling if the competition ends at nine, it's tough to get a group together by ten. As a photographer I'm working right after the event to get some shots up, so I'm not ready to eat until eleven or later. It's hard to know how or why FILA got snow-jobbed by the folks in Herning, and I don't mean that too sound harsh, it's a very beautiful and quaint town, but there is NOthing happening here, it's a ghost town, and it's no lie, there's are no restaurants open past ten. Most folks are being bussed in from 30 km away, so maybe there's stuff happening outside of town, I hope so, because in town is dead. Maybe I wasn't invited to the party in Jason (Bryant) and Craig (Seskers) room. Can you imagine? Those guys must cut more wood than the Zadick brothers with a new winch.

So, with few food options and having had a pear, horrible coffee, and chips for dinner, I needed food or the next best thing, beer, and stopped into the one pub that was open, and ordered a Guinness and peanuts. In walk Steve (Mocco), Joe (Mocco), Mike (Zadick) and Bryce (Hasserman), a more motley group you couldn't find, but we had a good time and met a local couple who, foolishly or presciently, invited the guys back to their pad to drink a few "slabs" of beer -- a "slab" being my new favorite term for a case of beer. I went home to get much needed rest and was up by 7am (see coffee above), what with the construction at my little B and B. B and B standing for Bed A(in't) N(o) D(inner) Breakfast.

Tak (Thanks),

Tony