Throwback, 2009
The event known as the Isle of Man TT Races is almost here. A throwback shot, race week 2009. Fading evening light casts bike shadows, and sometimes a sunset if the riders get all the laps in, though not here, just the rainclouds passing over blue skies. Due to the inclement weather on the island, the day race schedule is subject to change and evening races occur. Best advice for tourists. Pack shorts, sandals and a umbrella. You're bound to need all of them, sometimes together. I'm a photographer, and the TT for me is both work and pleasure. Jane Hards Photography, an older image on a Nikon D50.
For more TT and Isle of Man images see here
For other skywatch images around the world see here
Chasing sidecars
It's almost that time of year again the island is becomes a haven for motorbikers tourists and competitors (one of those is Mrs Nesbitt who created the abc meme) the Isle of Man TT Road Races. As you can see Parliament Square part of the race route, right in the heart of Ramsey For those who follow the races via TV, this is one of the camera checkpoints shown, passing through Parliament Square. It's also the place I do my job, TT photographer.
Jane Hards Photography - TT photos
Isle of Man TT - older post
Image part of abc
Sometime in August.......
............After the Isle of Man TT Road Races, we have the other motorbikes races, the Manx Grand Prix. Not as busy or well known out of biking circles as the infamous TT, but equally as exciting. Attracting many tourists and riders from across the world, the Isle of Man, once again gives up it's roads to the races. Daily life fits around the two weeks races (practice week, race week) so everyone can still get around the island negotiating alternative routes and breaks in road closures. I'm lucky to have a job that involves photographing this on my doorstep, my home town.
More info on the history of the Manx Grand Prix can be found here
More photos form the event and the island ca be found at Jane Hards Photography at the Manx
Part of Abc, and hoping Mrs Nesbitt will join us one year for the Manx, in addition to the TT
Isle of Man TT 2009
Another one for Denise Nesbitt, as she is a regular visitor to the Isle of Man TT Road Races, which takes place May/June for two weeks each year. Denise, and motorbike fans will instantly recognise the "Doctor" Valentino Rossi. Following him was another motorbike and TT legend, Giacomo Agostini. They both completed a slow parade lap of the island wide route, prior to one of the races.
Over 200 photos of the two weeks racing and visitors can be seen here
More abc's around the world can be found here
Usual TT stuff
Isle of Man TT Races area two week event on island usually, June. First week practise, second week races. In between race days we have a day set a side in Ramsey, conveniently called Ramsey Day. It's a fun day out for all ages, with everything from face painting, motorbikes stunt team display, the Red Arrows display, bike merchandise stalls and take out food stands. Most of this takes place on the Mooragh, where the rugby pitch doubles as a bike park. Strange sight to see a rugby pitch full of motorbikes. It's also the place for the Ramsey Sprint, seen in the image.
Ramsey Sprint is a drag sprint, with a lot of wheel burns on show. Anyone
can compete, though they will have to pay a small entry fee to pay. As you can see, it's not all sprint race, but stunts and entertaining the crowds for some. Visitors from all over the world take part, some with specially modified bikes for that special trick or two. Sunshine is optional, but always welcome. More of TT photos can be found here on facebook
This is my Our World post this week and other our world post can be seen here
Ramsey in blue, scoring a try
My Our World Tuesday post this week is about one of the local sport games on the Isle of Man, rugby. Played by both men and ladies teams, school teams, and boys teams, the juniors across the island. I photograph Ramsey most home games, played at the Mooragh Park pitch. It's a sport I have photographed for 8 seasons now, through wind rail hail or shine. Even in a snow blizzard. It's a winter game, so the sunny image will soon be replaced with wetter windier images. I have occasionally photographed away games, but usually those are cup semi final or finals. As the island is quite small and not enough teams for a full season to play each other, the teams are part of rugby leagues across. Across to anyone living on the island is England in rugby terms. I've taken the team new kit shot for the rugby club website, and have several images printed in local newspapers, both here and England. Anyone can come and watch, there is no entrance free as the pitch is open, overlooking the beach. My world in winter, rugby. See below for links to my other photos or my facebook page, click the badge to get there.
My facebook albums here
My latest rugby in print Chester Chronicle here
Our World Tuesday here
No time for a pint
The Lighthouses Challenge is a cycle race covering most of the island. The route takes in as you would expect from its title, as many of the island lighthouses scattered throughout the land where riding is possible. Not a race for the faint hearted with 3 distances covering 100, 57 & 37 miles over hill and hugging the coastline, rough and smooth terrain. Not your average Sunday amble, but the island has produced world champions, Tour de France winners and Olympians and the youngsters taking part will hopefully go on to compete too in those events. The event is open to overseas competitors too, all ages and both sexes. Cycling is a big sport on the island and attracting people to compete in such events is always good for the economy of the island.
My cycling albums can be seen below where you can see the grueling route and lovely scenery of the Isle of Man.
Lighthouses challenge
Manx 100
Cycling 2
Cycling 1
For more theme days from the CDP bloggers see here
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Try, Try, and Try again
Ramsey may have dropped a division since last season, but so far the first team are on a winning form. Four out of Four wins, and as the scoreline suggest pretty comprehensively too. Rugby is one of the many sport event taking place any weekend on the Isle of Man. Ramsey's home ground overlooks the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. Both first and second team are sponsored by local business. The players are all volunteers, and the club house bar and events too are run by volunteers. All games are free to watch. Local sport is often at the heart of a small town and community, and Ramsey is no exception. Always a good day watching/photographing the rugby, even better one when you capture the winning action, from the winning team. Commiserations to Helsby, but congratulations to Ramsey, back to winning form.
Side by side. The next shot was a wheel lift and crunch!
Sidecar 15 Roy Hanks/Kevin Perry - Sidecar 16 Gordon Shand / Phil Hyde
This is a new spot to me to photograph from, School House Corner, Lezayre Road, Ramsey. I normally photograph right in the heart of town, Parliament Square. It's not just motorbikes racing at the TT (Tourist Trophy) Road Races, sidecars feature heavily too. There are not many sport events in the world you can get this close to photograph, from the safety of someones garden. For me they are still after 11 years here the best two weeks on the island.
Manx Grand Prix, coming soon.
100 km or 100 miles
The Manx 100 is a testing mountain bike event. Competitors enter either the 100 miles or 100 km of endurance cycling. Over road, mountains, bike trails. It is not for the faint hearted or Sunday cyclist. This event is aimed at
experienced endurance mountain bikers, both local and oversees cyclists taking part. The road signage is minimal, the course is bleak in parts, exposed to the elements, and over rough terrain in other areas. This is the island that has produced world class cyclists, such as Mark Cavendish and Peter Kennaugh. Mark Cavendish has often said, that the Isle of Man is where he learned to ride, and ride to world class standard, as they are the toughest courses in the world.
The rest of the Manx 100 photos, can be seen on my facebook page here
Other abc's around the world can be seen here
Ramsey 0-48 Douglas
During the rugby season, through the winter, I can be found here, photographing my local rugby team. This wasn't a league game, but a cup game, The Manx Cup, and as you can see by the result, not a good one for my daily photo of my town, Ramsey, but a good result for the opposition, from South of the island, that being the Isle of Man. For those that don't know where that is, it's commonly referred to jokingly as the Rock, or the Rock in the Irish sea.
Other bloggers our world posts can be found here
Half Time
Most Saturdays I can be found at Ramsey's local rugby pitch photographing the game. I've photographs wins, losses, draws, cup finals, both won, lost and survival games. Unfortunately this survival game became a relegation result for the local side. I'll be back next season, and so will the team. Hopefully photographing a promotion result and a few more winning cup finals.