I took this shot for the Globe and Mail back on March 24th. The photo was a front cover shot / story about Lauren’s phenomenal accomplishments at the 2010 Whistler Para-Olympics. The story was entitled, Canada’s Golden Girl and can be viewed here, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/canadas-golden-girl/article1511256/

The idea that we tried to convey was that she was on top of the world …. hence the photo on a mountain top, in this case atop Mount Washington.

I hope you enjoy the photo.

Dreams, has just been released … check it out at http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/dreams-feat-kawme-nkrumah/id357193820?i=357193851

And, ahem, check out the photo taken for the single’s artwork taken in my studio just before the team left the island for our Whistler base. If you download it, let me know what you think. The song was recorded with Ashley Macisaac and some of the members of Spirit of the West.

Here’s a picture of Kwame signing Ashely’s fiddle:

And so, race day approaches — the men’s slalom starts this Saturday at 10 am. The second run starts at 1:45 pm. Keep your fingers crossed for Kwame.

Training is going well. We are on the hill daily training and conditions have been good although as of today, conditions have started to deteriorate. It’s been raining for most of the day and it’s expected to continue for the next couple of days. Fingers crossed for good conditions for Kwame on Saturday.

That’s it for now. Running out the door to a dinner being hosted in Kwame’s honour in Pemberton.

Bye for now.

Gordon

The media juggernaut surrounding Kwame continues to inflate and it has been a stiff race to keep up with it. Amazing yes, but a wee bit overwhelming at times. Today, we held a press conference in the Whistler Media Centre and at least 15 news media were present … I counted 22 television cameras alone! But we’re enjoying the ride and Kwame’s training is going well. Conditions have been perfect for the last 2 days — fast and icy. But without sharp edges, it’s a dangerous slope as this skier found out today … time to sharpen those edges or some very expensive camera equipment is going to be junk.

Yes, camera equipment … Canon International have lent me their latest gear (cameras and lenses) for the duration of the Olympics.  Basically, as a pro Canon shooter (and Nikon offers a similar service as well), you can show up to the Olympics without any kit and shoot with the latest gear. Cool.

Music. Kwame was invited to play drums with Ashely Macisaac on a song he is recording in support of the Ghana Ski Team. Also present in the studio were some of the members of Spirit of the West who helped with the track. Vocals were done after we left the studio last night and  the song should be ready today.  One thing I have learned at the Olympics — events move very, very fast and the quality has to be high.

So, one post six days later … a symptom of full, fast-paced days, but hopefully this blurb will give you a taste of what’s been happening on the Ghana Ski Team. For the latest, check out ghanaskiteam.com

Night All.

Gordon

Finally, we’re grounded in Whistler …. and Pemberton, too, for some of the team. Through the continuing generosity of the people we meet we now have a (ahem) mansion in Whistler (which is easily accommodating the 18 of us) and another house in Whistler.  So riches continue to abound wherever this the Ghana Ski Team shows up.

So backwards in time … last night was an electrifying ceremony of sound and light that left the city of Vancouver buzzing with excitement.

As I was still waiting for security clearance on my Olympic accreditation, my press ticket for the opening ceremony couldn’t be issued. But no worries, we still had fun as David, one of the other team members (who also didn’t get his clearance) and I toddled off to Granville to join the fun in a local bar. Dressed in our Snow Leopard gear, we had a blast of a time and when the Ghana team came out, the whole bar went lit up. Fun.

Then the long drive home back to Pemberton — 3 hours of grueling eye-fouling madness. The Sea to Sky Highway is sadly still a piece of crap. Okay, so it’s raining and it’s dark, that part we can’t change … but they have installed these yellow pylons that make the lanes extremely narrow and they are absolutely memorizing at night especially in the glare of oncoming lights. Add a little water on the pavement and the surface becomes one long mirror … I mean, what the hell was the IOC thinking? We’ve done that drive for the last 3 nights … hopefully, that’s the end of it.

Turning the clock back another night, we were hosted by the local Ghana community in Colquitlam — about 200 hundred people  came out to celebrate Kwame’s Olympic quest. And how cool was that? The people were so appreciative of Kwame’s goals and what he is doing for Ghana and for Africa in general.  What a trip.

Today is about finishing my accreditation,  getting the “technical” team (web, IT, etc.)  set up in Whistler and getting the lay of the village. Stay tuned…

Go Ghana Go.

Well, looks like we’re off … I meet the team at 8 am tomorrow morning up on the mountain where we will re-arrange our gear and take off for the 10:30 ferry for Vancouver. Now that should be crazy … Vancouver, pre-Olympics. Yikes.

Even though our days were rather hectic here in the Comox Valley, we are anticipating that things will get much crazier from here on in. I think we will miss the help and hospitality that the team has experienced here in the valley.

Media coverage today of Kwame was excellent with the following media present on the hill to interview him: CNN, BBC World Service, NBC and Swedish Media. And it was a blue-bird day up on the mountain. Conditions were excellent.

So, packing into the wee hours of the morning and then we’re off.

Did an awesome photo shoot last night with Kwame and the team in my studio last night.

Gotta love the amazing make-up art done by Gillian Brooks and Sandy Dennis. The shoot lasted for 8 hours and turned into a fine party as we rocked along to dub and hip hop.

Ciao All.

G

There was no training today but the team managed to race our ‘bobsled’ – a kayak with wheels and yes, skis of a sort were strapped on. The team did their best managing a silver medal. We all then went in to watch the women’s hockey exhibition game between China and Sweden. The Chinese were vastly outplayed but managed to keep the game close with a 4-2 win in Sweden’s favour. It was a mellow day for the Snow Leopard as Kwame took in the game and met with many of his fans. The rest of the day was a down-day in preparation of a photo-shoot in the studio tomorrow and possible training photos if the blue sky plays in our favour.

Packing like mad as we prepare to leave the Comox Valley for the next 3 weeks. It’s all coming with — computers, screens. printers, toolboxes, studio lighting — plus 25 bags of team gear. How are we going to do it? Right, who knows.

Stay tuned beautifuls. This story is about to get really fun.

Gordon

Yes, it’s official, Gordon is going for Real Gold with the Snow Leopard and the Ghana Ski Team as their official  photographer. Yeah baby. Whistler here we come …

Check out ghanaskiteam.com for complete up-to-the minute details of the team and their quest.

An image from under the 5th Street Bridge in Courtenay, BC. Rain and high tides conspired to raise the river to a dangerous level not seen in years.

Feel free to drop by and check out some rare images of Ethiopia. One of the world’s most culturally — and tribally — diverse countries, the Southern Omo Valley is a human wonder to behold. But it is also a wild area and although there is much beauty here, life is dramatically short and harsh.

The show will stay up for the next couple of months so feel to drop by if you are keen to explore the images in a quieter, more contemplative atmosphere.

We have a number of events coming up this month, so make sure you check out the Calendar by clicking on Schedule.

Hope to see you soon.

Gordon Ross

This is a picture of one of the rarest and most beautiful birds on the earth — the Blue Hyacinthe Macaw. Actually this particular bird was quite happy to sit there and have his picture taken. And occasionally he would put on a performance just like this one. I love the intensity of the colour and the circular lines embedded as he shakes his head at high speed.