Bob Wins the Sports Category (Without Owning a Whistle)

Bob didn’t plan on shooting sports.

Bob doesn’t own a jersey.

Bob definitely doesn’t shout instructions from the sidelines.

But somehow, Bob won the Sports category at the Bob Camera Club — and he did it with photos from the ice rink at the St. Lawrence Christmas Market.

This wasn’t a professional arena. No Zamboni drama. No slow-motion replays. Just a pop-up rink squeezed into downtown Toronto, surrounded by brick buildings, Christmas huts, and people holding hot chocolate like it was a performance-enhancing drink.

And that’s exactly why Bob showed up.

Bob treats sports the same way he treats street photography:

stand still, look confused, and wait for something to happen.

On the rink, something was always happening.

There were first-time skaters gripping the boards like they were negotiating a hostage situation. Kids moving at Olympic speed for exactly three seconds before gravity reminded them who was in charge. One skater down on their knees, contemplating life choices. Another standing perfectly still, arms out, wondering why ice is slippery even though everyone warned them.

That’s sports, Bob style.

No action shots of goals.

No heroic victory poses.

Just movement, effort, balance, imbalance, and the quiet drama of winter boots turned into rental skates.

One photo showed a skater mid-lesson, the kind where encouragement and panic exist at the same time. Another captured the moment after a fall — not the fall itself, but the pause where the ice stares back at you and says, “We’ll talk later.” One frame had kids clinging to the boards while adults pretended they were “just taking it slow.”

These weren’t athletes.

These were participants.

When the Bob Camera Club judges looked through the submissions, Bob’s rink photos stood out. Not because they were technically perfect. Not because they were fast. But because they told a story that everyone recognized: winter in Toronto, where sports happens whether you’re ready or not.

The judges voted.

The results came in.

Bob won the Sports category.

Bob accepted the imaginary trophy with humility, while also reminding everyone that this proves sports photography does not require telephoto lenses, burst mode, or knowledge of the rules.

It just requires being there.

The St. Lawrence Christmas Market rink delivered exactly what Bob looks for: real people, real movement, and real moments that last about half a second longer than dignity.

Bob will now add “award-winning sports photographer” to his unofficial résumé — right between “looks like a tourist” and “owns too many cameras.”

And next time someone asks Bob what sport he shoots, Bob will say:

“Winter.”