of Cliff bars . -LRB- McDonald 's might sponsor these Games , but there 's no Golden Arches on the hill -RRB- . See 19 of Robert Beck 's amazing SI photos from the Winter Games He knows where to be to get the shot he wants because Beck and his assistant , Kohjiro `` Kojo '' Kinno have been photographing White for months , learning his every move and tendency . For instance , Beck knows the best time to shoot a close-up of White is during his first practice run because the snowboarder does n't go as high then . They went to three World Cup events and the X Games , shooting White and his competitors in preparation for the Olympics . Then once in Vancouver it was off to every practice to test out different angles to shoot . `` We 're trying to frame it just right , '' Beck said on the drive from his hotel to the venue . `` On their tricks , snowboarders are spinning so fast . Sometimes you never see their faces . You do n't want to get pictures of rear ends or the bottom of the board
West Vancouver , British Columbia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's more than two hours before snowboard practice begins , two hours before Robert Beck will take his first picture , and he is trudging up the steep icy slope that is one lip of the halfpipe . Temperatures are just above freezing on Cypress Mountain , and Beck , a Sports Illustrated photographer for 24 years , is steadily ambling up the hill to stake out his position near the top . The climb is just 160 meters , but try doing it with a 50 - or 60-pound pack on your back and a bad knee repaired just three weeks ago . It 's going to be worth it ; Beck knows precisely where he needs to be to get the perfect picture when the overwhelming gold medal favorite Shaun White performs . For the next nine hours Beck wo n't leave his spot -- he 's not allowed to come back down until the competition is over -- so he has a bag full of equipment and provisions . He carries three camera bodies , four lenses , several radios to remotely trigger cameras and a bunch