Standerd Slides

Subject: Matt Manzari
Photo: Joey Meddock
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Chronicle, Page 22

Reed Hansen, Matt Manzari and myself took the the winch in tow and went searching for some spots to skate one day. I’ve been getting awfully lucky finding spots on a whim, but the winch gods were with us this day. We were out strolling around blindly and found four perfect spots in one day. It was almost too good to be true.

This undisclosed location was insanely secluded and begging for a skate sesh by two of today’s best wakeskaters. All of the elements were lining up, I knew I was in good hands.

I shot Matt from several different angles that evening. When I felt I had one covered (2.2 Juice photo) I grabbed a different lens and camera setup and began to move in closer. I walked out on the ledge where he was dropping off of and waited for him to give me the signal. I didn’t have a water housing with me that evening and I knew I was in the “wet zone” but I went with it anyway, rolling the dice. I tried to block the water with my body. He was directly behind me, passing me on the right, so I stood with my back to him and pointed the camera back toward the angle of his exiting ollie.

I got completely soaked but the camera stayed dry…bonus. This shot was on film so I didn’t have the immediate satisfaction of knowing what the shot looked like. I did, however, felt that I had a good one as soon as I took this shot. I could see that spit second when I pushed the button. It gave me that “feeling“…that “feeling” that is sometimes absent when shooting digital.

When I got the film back on the light table a few hours later, I couldn’t help but stare at his grip on the handle. That tiny part of detail is what did it for me. The trick itself was dope enough, but that little extra detail and uniqueness is what helped this photo make the cut for chronicle in book 2.2.

-Meddock