Liquid Skillz Summer 2020
2020 has hit everyone pretty hard, with small businesses being no exception. The Summer ‘20 was not the season Liquid Skillz were expecting; typically the cable would be fully booked from dawn till dusk and the lakeside would be brimming with spectators and their picnics enjoying the sunshine and watching the riders whizz up and down the System 2; but not this year.
Sadly, due to Covid restrictions, it was a very different scene throughout the summer, with only riders being allowed to visit the lake (no spectators); nonetheless, the team at Liquid Skillz didn’t let this dampen their spirits and they continued to offer their tows and coaching with a smile.
I was the lucky winner of £500 worth of cable credit (the equivalent of 50 x 15-minute tows), so found myself suiting up at the lake on a good few occasions, often with the company of my brother, Sam, and best friend, Jordan, who were more or less complete beginners. I can’t lie, watching Sam and Jordan over-ambitiously tackle the kickers was the highlight of my summer. Slam after slam, splash after splash, invert after invert; sometimes you just need to see other people crashing into cold water to make yourself feel better, and this was the perfect remedy for me. It wasn’t all pain for those two though, after a few visits they were both landing their jumps which was just as rewarding to see!
To round the season off Liquid Skillz put on a Covid-safe BBQ with Halloween themed fancy dress and all-day riding for those bold enough to endure the October water temperatures. Not feeling mad enough to ride myself, I volunteered to come along anyway and photograph.
Sandwiched between a summer-long Lockdown, and another November-Lockdown on the horizon, the gathering was just what everyone needed to raise their spirits and round off what had been a less-than-ideal season. I had just got my hands on my new full-frame camera equipment, so it was also a great opportunity for me to put it to the test the way I knew best, with some water-sports.
In between riders, I had a blast capturing the laughs and smiles around the BBQ, something that had been noticeably absent throughout the summer, as well as the kids on the trampoline which made for some really special shots!
The day was the closest thing to normality in a long while for me; photographing sport, meeting new people, laughing, smiling and just enjoying myself. 2020 has been a pretty rubbish year for everyone, but with safe events like this, there is a glimmer of hope of a return to normality soon.
Many thanks to the team at Liquid Skillz for their fantastic service throughout the summer, both in wakeboarding coaching and in providing a safe place to let off some steam during a time when that has been more important than ever; I can’t wait to get back to the lake in 2021 and fingers crossed it will be a more normal season and year for everyone!
Footnote on equipment - all images taken on Panasonic Lumix S5 camera, Panasonic 70-200mm F2.8, Panasonic 24-70mm F2.8 and Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 lenses.
