Eskimo Escapades | Celebrating 20 years of Shut Up & Ski!

It was a cold, sunny day on January 18th at Volunteer Landing for the 20th Eskimo Escapades. As mentioned in our last blog post, we've been photographing this event for several years whether it's raining, snowing, or icy cold. Thankfully, this year it was just plain cold. The sun was shining and 40 waterskiers, wakeboarders, tubers and barefooters came out to take a lap on the Tennessee River and raise over $10,000 to benefit the Patricia Neal IRC, the Amputee Adventure Camp and Dream Connection.

Find out more about Eskimo Escapades on their website and see how you can help!

Here are a few photos from this year. Click this link to view all of the images from the event. Images are available for free download and prints may be also be purchased. Proceeds from all sales benefit Eskimo Escapades Foundation.

{Please note: as of 01-30-14 all of the photos had not been loaded to the site, so if you are looking for a photo and don't see it, please check back!}

While Allan was shooting from one of the boats, I was photographing the action from the Landing with the 600mm lens. You know it's cold when I break out the Elmer Fudd hat!

This guy was smart to keep his face warm! Beard power!

Kneeboarding!

The water was glistening in the sun! And this guy was brave to wear shorts!

Harvey Letson is one of the event organizers and has ridden each of the 20 years of the event!

Face full of frigid water

This was her first ride!

Joe Thompson takes his annual spin in the tube!

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Eskimo Escapades 2014 | January 18th at Volunteer Landing

One of our favorite action events to photograph each year is the Eskimo Escapades. Eskimo Escapades is held to benefit the Patricia Neal IRC, the Amputee Adventure Camp and Dream Connection. This marks the 20th event and it is held no matter what the weather is! There have been years when it has been so cold we can barely stand it to days when we've had to strip off almost all our layers. It's snowed, rained and been blindingly sunny. This year participants can expect it to be cold, but partly sunny. The frigid fun takes place at Volunteer Landing on Neyland Drive in Knoxville on Saturday, January 18th from 11am to 3pm.

Participants pay a registration fee of $30 to waterski, wakeboard or tube {you don't get wet!} in a generous loop on the Tennessee River. Local boat dealerships donate the use of boats from local boat manufacturers and they are driver by experience boat drivers who volunteer their time. And speaking of volunteers, there are a bunch of folks on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone gets their turn in a timely manner. Here is the 'Home Crew', the folks who work hard throughout the year to make this event a reality. Plus there is an announcer/DJ to keep everyone entertained. There is also food available, most notably from Bayou Bay Seafood House who sets up on site, and Calhoun's on the River, located right next to Volunteer Landing.

Riders don't have to worry about being cold because Ski/Scuba provides a complimentary wet suits and Aurora Pools, Spas and Billiards will have a hot tub ready for a toasty plunge post frosty lake around the lake. 

Come on down and see what all the fun is about! Bring your mittens, your dog and your camera! We'll be set up on the on of the Landing 'points' with the 600mm lens as well as shooting from one of the boats for an up-close capture of the action.

Here are some photographs from 2013...

Dogs love the water!

It was very foggy in the morning. This is NOT a black and white photo.

The water was warmer than the air and there was snow on the bank.

Allan captures the action from the boat while I hang out on land with the big lens.

The fog disappeared...finally.

You can also kneeboard!

Tubing is fun!! And you stay dry!

Portraits with the 600mm...yeah, that works!

Matt gets ready to hit the water

This guy was ready for a balmy day at the beach! Love it!

Larry Bohanan, developer of the Quadriciser, rides on a stool on a wood disc. You HAVE to see him do this to believe it!

The boat crew

And there is also barefooting!

Joe Thompson takes a spin in the tube. He's always smiling!

There was a little B Boy action for entertainment too!

We hope to see you there!

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Wake Love | Why we photograph watersports

ALM Photo has had a long love affair with the waters of East Tennessee, but some of you may not know the whole story. So, let's take a little trip back in time...back before digital cameras were held in the hands of nearly every person on the planet. Back before the 'A' and 'L' of ALM Photo even met.

Allan doing a 'spinny flippy' trick

Allan wake surfing

{cue the way back machine music}

Allan has always had a love for being on the lake getting pulled behind a boat whether it was waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing or even kneeboarding. In the later part of 1990's and early 2000's, he was the co-owner of Precision Sports LLC a watersports shop and boat dealership in the Karns community. Prior to opening his own shop he worked at Alpine Ski Center, selling snow and water sports equipment, and was instrumental in introducing wakeboarding to East Tennessee. It was actually a combination of taking photographs of boats and equipment for the shop and spending long days on the lake riding behind a boat that refueled Allan's interest in photography. It's also where I got my start behind the lens. After all, Allan couldn't photograph himself. The movements of the wakeboarders, from smooth butter slides to popping in the air to do their 'spinny-flippy' tricks taught me how to follow the rider and maintain focus as well as how to manage the changing light. In addition to learning how to photograph action sports, I learned how to hold my camera steady while hurtling over the water and stopping, starting and turning. Definitely the best on the job training ever!

Allan looks fantastic upside down...

Several years ago Knox Wake had a weekly winch-pulled wakeboarding and wakeskating competition at Wild Wing Cafe and we would head over there as our scheduled allowed to capture photos of the riders. They loved to see what they looked like hitting the rails and kickers and sometimes we even brought out the strobes to really get some cool shots. More than anything though, it was Allan's love for the wakeboarding community that brought us out each week and it's what keeps us involved with the wakeboarding community that exists today in East Tennessee. So, now you can see why we love to photograph watersports events.

Wakeskater at a KnoxWake Wild Wing Cafe event

It was this love and expertise for photographing watersports action that interested the Tennessee INT League early last year. This is the second year ALM Photo is photographing the wakeboarding tournaments put on by the Tennessee INT League. The INT League is turning the recreational sports of wakeboarding, waterskiing, kneeboarding and wakeskating into a competitive, but fun for the whole family, sport. Drop by their website and find out more about what they do for the watersports community.

From the boat

From the shore

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