Iron Woman Series

[Mongo]

"The racers start on the beach, swim out through the surf and back, then repeat paddling a surf board with arms only, then repeat paddling a surf ski with a paddle.  If there is any sort of swell it can be quite challenging technically, but even in flat conditions, if you have ever had questions about your upper body strength this event will answer them.  Between elements they run along the beach; not far but it is on soft, dry sand, and that is brutally hard".

thanks Les, your above re-quoted description is exactly what they were doing; two circuits of each ! that was just on an hour non-stop and flat out. The conditions were very choppy - like a washing machine. Amazing endurance

[tommiejeep]

Mongo, very good series.  Love the first image.  I agree on the FL range.  One of the reasons I always shoot sports with at least two camera combos . So Mrs. Mongo was shooting the better combo  .  I did not think she was there as a minder, not with those women anyway.  You would probably have had a tough time catching them, I know I would not have a ghost of a chance  .     The series of the surfer is really well caught.  Wow, the 600mm  . I just cannot carry the 500vr across the sand any longer.  I keep trying to organize the cart that Andreas (afx) told me about.

Now if I had one of these , and could get my son to pull it 

All the best,
Tom

[Mongo]

Thanks for your comments Tom. Glad you liked the images in both threads.

As for carrying any heavy lens, that is also out of the question for Mongo. That is partly why he bought the 200-500mm. The 600mm is only used when Mongo can park within about 50 meters of where he will set up the Tripod. Luckily, the local beach has a cement promenade that follows the beach and is located a nice distance from the water for a 600mm. It is also fortunate that the promenade has a great deal of parking immediately attached to it. There would be no away Mongo could otherwise use this lens for the surfers’ thread.

On this subject, Mongo recently almost completed modifying a tripod with 250mm pump up wheels on it and other useful changes for the very purpose of pulling it through reasonably flat parkland when birding with the 600mm. It could probably work well in firm sand also. May post an image of it for those interested. It may be helpful.

BTW - the rig in the image you attached would be a great deal of fun but would be too big to bring to the beach each time we needed to have it tow a heavy lens (even with a sail) ….LOL