Jamie Nicoll, Wakamarina. Photo: Digby Shaw

Nearing the end of the last day of the NZ Enduro, I had been chasing the racers around the Whites Bay loop and through the Nydia Bay track for the two days. On those stages, the riders would start in the order they arrived at the top; basically, fastest riders first. Because I was on my bike I could only shoot the fast guys and girls at the very beginning of the first stage of the day.

The last day was different though. This time riders were helicoptered to the start at the top of the Wakamarina in category order––slowest to fastest––which meant this time I could get a head start and pick my spot to shoot. I took the first chopper to the top and headed down Stage One. The trail was shaded from morning sun and very dark so instead I slogged my way up to the ridge for Stage Two.

It was a lot of fun shooting the stage but I still didn’t have the shot I wanted. I was becoming aware of faster and faster riders coming through as I was stopped to set up for a shot. I had in the back of my mind a potential spot where the track turns straight down the ridgeline, near the bottom of the stage where the light was good the year before. I was running out of time so I cut my losses and made for the spot.

Arriving just as the first Pro-Elite riders were coming through, I rushed to set my camera up and frame the shot. Checking the first frames I knew I was onto something good. Several riders later, Jamie Nicoll came through and he was hooking. As he approached the edge of the rollover, his back wheel spat out sideways and he took off at an angle, one foot unclipped, before crashing through the ferns on his left, landing in a tripod formation, and riding it out. He went on to win the stage by ten seconds. I still have no idea how he stayed on his bike.