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|| SportsShooter.com: News Item: Posted 2004-04-15
Olympic torch relay begins in Athens
SportsShooter.com member Todd Warshaw covers the torch lighting and relay for Getty Images.
By Todd Warshaw
Photo by Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
Todd Warshaw in Greece.
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(Editors note: SportsShooter.com member and San Diego-based freelancer Todd Warshaw is covering the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay as a freelancer on assignment for Getty Images. Following is a dispatch from Todd after he covered the lighting of the torch in Athens.)
First of all, this is VERY long, and that can be blamed on the 10 hour flight I just finished, from Athens to NY. Needed something to do other than watch the three bad movies (any flight that can accomodate three movies - bad bad bad....). I'm on my way home from eight days in Greece, covering the lighting of the Olympic Flame for the upcoming Athens Olympics for ATHOC, thru Getty Images. It was an interesting trip.
After a very uneventful flight over to Athens, which included stops in LA and NY (but thanks to flight delays, I only spent a total of 25 minutes on the ground once I left SD - worked out very nicely!), I met up with several members of the Torch Relay video crew - Terry, Jim, Robert, David. They had just come in from Texas, and we all piled into the rental van. After some laughs at a Nescafe billboard outside the airport ('Taste Greece!') we're cruising down one of the only good roads in Athens to our hotel. First observation of Greek things that are a bit odd (to me) - no shower curtains in the hotel bathroom. Ok, weird, but whatever. We had a late 'Italian' dinner and the first of countless Greek salads, then headed to bed. Our departure time is 5am, so not much time to recover from the 18hours of travel and 10 hour time difference.
For some ridiculous reason, I woke up at 3am and was wide awake. Wonderful. Guess it gets me warmed up for the upcoming Relay schedule (more on that later). We reload the van and head off to Olympia - a four plus hour drive west of Athens. Odd thing #2 - lines on the roads are optional. Even the double yellow - if you feel like it, feel free to pass in oncoming lanes. And as a result, if you're being passed you're expected to nearly ride off the shoulder to create more room. Quick drive, even had a chance to shoot some cool sunrise shots over the ocean, and grab some breakfast. We arrived in Olympia, and this is about the time things begin to go horribly wrong.
A bit of historical information about the parties involved here - I'm contracted (actually sub-sub-sub-contracted) to shoot this event and the Relay for the Athens 2004 Olympic Committee, ATHOC - the host organization for the upcoming Olympics. As are the video crew, and the management company. The Flame lighting ceremony we're attempting to cover falls under the 'organization' (organization in Greece is an oxymoron) of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the HOC, Greece's equivalent to our USOC. One would hope these two organizations could cooperate to showcase their country to the world, but the previous couple years of relay
planning have taught us that things are the exact opposite.
Regardless, the crew put together an amazing piece from the 2002 Olympics, as well as the 1996 Olympics, and the relay group has been involved on four of the last five Games as well, so we expected things to work out.
Tuesday we get to shoot the dress rehearsal of the lighting ceremony - a very moving and emotional program that really makes the significance of the Olympic spirit and flame stand out. Sure we're just doing a job, but this is something that is traced back over 2700 years, and in the exact same location we're standing. Pretty incredible stuff. And we don't have much time to reflect on it, since suddenly it seems that the HOC doesn't like all of us being there.
Photo by Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
MARCH 24: High priestess Thalia Prokopiou ignites the Olympic Flame with sunlight during the Olympic flame ceremony REHEARSAL in Olympia, Greece, in preparation for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
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This is a closed rehearsal, yet there are 200 spectators who just happened to be in the area. We have to leave, but they can stay and watch - odd, but slowly becoming obvious that this is to be repeated. Our people talk to the right people, and we're allowed to stay. Somehow I end up shooting the rehearsal lighting from about five feet away - they moved everyone away except the HOC video crew, and me. I was fully expecting to get booted, but they seemed to not notice me. Good thing, since those shots came out just perfect. The high priestess who lights the flame uses a salad-bowl-looking dish to reflect the sunlight onto the kerosene-soaked wick of the torch, which under ideal conditions, bursts into flame in about two seconds.
We enjoy the rest of the ceremony, which moves over to the stadium, where the running events were held in 776BC - the marble starting line is still there as well. We're getting great weather, a bit breezy but plenty warm. Part of our plan for the week is to stage some scenic torchbearer shots- take a real torch, a model, and find something that says 'GREECE!', then shoot/video it to promote the upcoming relay. Just getting our hands on a torch turns into a 24 hr project, but we finally wrangle one from the Greek Relay group.
An early start on Wednesday so we can shoot some before anyone wakes up (we could have started at 11am- no one in Greece wakes up early, but didn't realize that at the time). There are a few shots of vineyards and countryside, a good start to the day. When we arrive at Ancient Olympia, we're stopped at the gates. We'd been told our crew would be given full access to the facility for the entire day, yet that memo didn't make it to the over THREE HUNDRED Greek police who have arrived.
It seems that the show of force is intended to calm international fears about security for the games, but none of the police know what to do, other than congregate in smoking groups. We're forced to sit outside the gates for an hour, but the four GAS CANS a maintenance worker is wheeling inside don't get a 2nd glance. We're told we have to leave, but since we're quite happy in our location, we try something we've learned during our short stay - argue. We told them we didn't want to move, and then ignored the six policemen. We would have simply been cuffed and hauled off in the US, but that's business as usual for the Greeks, so the leave us alone.
We finally get in, and spend the next two hours shooting general scenics of ancient Olympia - temple ruins, pillars, etc. Very nice stuff, and great weather as well. Wildflowers everywhere, made for some very cool images.
Photo by Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
MARCH 24: A model torchbearer carries a replica of the Olympic Flame through the ancient ruins in Olympia, Greece.
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We sit through another dress rehearsal, this one more restricted than the first, and not worth shooting. Now we're pretty annoyed since it's looking more and more like the ATHOC-HOC battle is using us as a pawn, and HOC holds the upper hand. We spend the afternoon in deserted ancient Olympia shooting more model torchbearer stuff, which is great. Over more Greek salads at dinner, we come up with a game plan for the big event the next day.
On the way back to our hotel (which I forgot to mention, is surrounded by roosters. Roosters who don't understand that they shouldn't make noise at 3am...), we make the drastic mistake of stopping to pick up some beer. Now, keep in mind the roads in these little towns are about 1.5 cars wide, yet there is 2-way traffic, parked cars, etc. It's amazing you can get a car thru at all, let alone find your way on streets with no signs.
David is driving (and doing a great job) until he misses a turn, and we start going up a hill. Winding around, despite our knowledge that very few roads in this area lead ANYPLACE, if even close to our hotel, we continue up. And up. Ending at, of course since this is Greece, a nice big church. Here's where things could have gone differently. If David HADN'T pulled into the church parking lot to turn around, if Robert HADN'T needed to relieve himself right then and there in the parking lot, if the gate on the parking lot HADN'T CLOSED BEHIND US, it would have been a much less interesting evening.
We go flying back towards the gate before it closes, hoping the van will trigger something and open the gate, but of course not. Try opening by hand, it's probably the only thing in Greece that's been completed, so it won't budge. Robert offers to go knock on the door, and heads up. We hear a lot of barking, and some screaming, and general mayhem. It suddenly gets quiet, and Robert comes strolling back around the corner. Nope, no luck - although we suspect saying 'Ingles???' may mean 'I plan to kill you' in Greek, based on her reaction. (and no, I have no idea why Robert asked her in Spanish if she spoke English). Now David heads up to try, and having some Greek ancestry (as well as Cherokee, Jewish, Methodist, Russian and a whole host of others he uses when he sees fit), figures he might have a shot. He even gets his dad on the phone back in Texas, and asks him to translate 'open the gate please' into Greek. You can imagine trying to quickly get a translation on that kind of comment from 7000 miles away!! Suddenly, the gate begins opening, and David quickly hangs up on his father so we can escape.
In the morning, our group gets as far as the 2nd (of probably 20) checkpoints before being stopped for good. HOC has denied us credentials, and we're left out of the ceremony. Being the seasoned professionals we are, there's only one thing we can do - head for some food. Luckily we find a cafe on the route of the relay (the Greeks run the Flame on a 6 day relay after the lighting, before we take over in June), order some food and relax. As the relay runs by we shoot what we can, but it makes me grateful to be on the inside of the project after this week - difficult at best to find a clean image.
After a few hours of running around catching segments of the relay, we head back to Olympia for yet another Greek salad and some dinner. Our plan for the morning is to catch a little of the relay in some mountain villages, and then head back to Athens. Pretty uneventful day, and we're glad to be back in the relative civilization of Athens.
Photo by Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
March 27 2004: A model torchbearer carries a replica of the Olympic Flame around the Greek island of Santorini.
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Early Saturday David, Jim and I fly off to Santorini, one of the Greek Islands, so we can shoot some additional model torchbearer stuff. Our models for this project are Nico and Nicosa, a charming Greek couple who have a peripheral connection to ATHOC, and have been signed up to help us. Our first hurdle is getting the torch and it's fuel cannister (we've got some extras now) down to the island. Compressed liquid polypropelyne is banned from flying by 7 of the 10 warning signs at the airport, so we figure that being Greece, we have a shot. The torch is beautiful, a combo of wood and aluminum, which make a fine weapon, according to the Aegean Airlines security folks. First they say no torch, even if it were checked. David shows them how to remove the fuel cannister (not before spraying it all over the counter, which didn't help our case for the safety behind it all), and they finally allow him to check it at the counter. One hurdle down...
While sitting in the departure lounge, a Japanese gentleman who had run with the Flame the previous day was trying to board a flight home, and they had discovered the evil torch in his possession. David (and Nico, our model/translator) goes over to help remove the fuel, since this man has no idea. And as we've come to expect, we watch them remove the can and send him on the way WITH his torch. At this point Nico tells us that being American is what got the extra precautions - they want to demonstrate how good security is, and being strict with Americans is a quick way to do that. Doesn't make anything more secure, but we know what to expect.
A quick flight and we're on Santorini, the picturesque town with white buildings seemingly glued to the vertical walls of the island. Of course having a TORCH would make it better- doesn't come through with the baggage. Nico goes off in search of the lost baggage, and triumphantly returns a few minutes later with the proper tube. We ask where he found it, and the answer reminds us of what we're dealing with - 'it's Greece'. Another hurdle cleared...
While waiting for our rooms at the hotel, we have breakfast with Nicosa and Nico, and they start asking us about the Games. She tells us that hearing all of the frustration over the delays and setbacks is funny to them - 'We knew it would be like this - it's Greece! We just don't know why the rest of the world is so suprised?!' She sounds genuinely perplexed that the world expected Greece
Photo by Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
Todd made friends with this vicious dog in Santorini.
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to reign in 2700 years of consistently UNMODERN civilization, and pop out a showcase modern Olympiad. As we read someplace, Greece invented civilization and then took the rest of history off. We talk about the lack-of-landscaping around Athens - the whole place looks like a new construction zone- and Nico tells us, partly kidding but not much, there's no reason to plant things now - no one will water them and everything will be dead in two weeks anyway!
The shoot in Santorini goes very well, our models are cooperative and we have decent weather, although when we begin shooting it's with a 50+ knot wind - there is dust and trash being blown all over, getting in everyone's eyes and making things generally miserable. Luckily we find some spots out of the blowing wind and get our work done. While walking along the narrow alleys of the town, we stumble across a vicious looking dog - not mean at all, but one of the countless homeless mutts roaming the streets of Greece. And this one seems to be Olympic-sponsored!
All in all, it was a successful trip, depsite the political issues we got caught in the middle of. The Olympic Flame is lit and will be making a world tour this summer to get people geared up for the Olympic Games. We begin the International Torch Relay on June 4, in Sydney AUS, hitting 33 cities in 26 countries over five weeks, our chartered 747s taking us nearly 50,000 miles on the trip.
Related Links:
Todd Warshaw's member gallery
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