From 360° cameras to superimposed rides, new techniques put viewers in the saddle

Indeed, the expression “It’s all in how you look at it” is very relevant when one considers how an athlete’s experience of competition is conveyed to viewers. Take the use of helmet cams, which give a front-row seat of the action in whatever sport is being shown. For example, one can mention this incredible view from a bike rider descending a mountain in an extreme race in the United States. 

High-level American eventer Elisa Wallace has done the same thing for many of her competition experiences, including for this ride with her mount Simply Priceless at the 2018 Kentucky Three-Day Event in the U.S. With the sound on, viewers not only have a view from the saddle as the pair race by spectators and soar over obstacles, but also hear their breathing and panting and the rider’s exhortations to her partner. “Steady, steady, easy, easy, easy, easy…” 

Of course, as prey animals, horses have a broad field of vision – said to be around 340° – with a small blind zone in front and behind. And cameras for humans have been pushed forward even further in recent times to allow spectators to scroll around the screen and see the action in three dimensions. A stunning example of that last year captured American rock-climber Alex Honnold’s free solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California. Viewers can use their cursor to look up to see what remains for him to climb, and down to see what is below. 

And that concept has been applied to equestrian sports as well – for example, in this 360-degree video by Longines of Cedric Lyard’s show jumping ride at Strzegom in Poland. [The video does not work with all browsers.] Similarly in this 360° clip, “Join Jerome Voutaz as he embarks on a beautiful round of marathon driving at the 2017 Longines FEI European Championships.”

Other techniques offer different ways for spectators to experience and understand sports performances. To cite just one example: Swiss company Alogo Analysis’ superimposition of Kent Farrington and Henrik Von Eckermann’s rides in the Top 10 jumping Competition at the Geneva CHI. Such an analysis provides an insight into what might have made the difference in the final results.