Here's a shot that I really like that never made the cut. In fact, the entire shoot was re-scheduled after an epic struggle with sticky, clay-like soil and bad weather meant that we just didn't get enough pictures for a feature. We all had to go back another day and do the whole thing all over again.
Nikon F5, 28-70mm f/2.8, 1/250sec f/8 (or thereabouts) on Fuji Provia 100, single on-camera flash
Back in the late '90s team Animal was a force to be reckoned with - and Tim Ponting was their secret weapon. Quietly spoken and unassuming, his riding was aggressive but oh-so-smooth, pushing his sub-4 inch travel Giant into places it really shouldn't be. I like the look of concentration in his eyes and the reaction from the riders gathered at the bottom of the wall, and I always thought it was a shame this pic was never used.
It's also interesting for all the little details that show how much things have changed. Tim's bike would barely make the grade as a cross-country trail machine now, and no self-respecting freerider would be seen in public wearing tights. The move he's pulling isn't all that aggressive by current standards either, although I have the feeling that if the ground hadn't been so claggy he'd have got another few inches and pushed the bike a bit flatter.
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