Some people go the extra mile to do a great job. Not only is this cameraman dressed in camouflage, but he’s filming on ice skates! It’s a pretty niche job; not everyone could do what he does, and to do it well without causing serious injury. Perhaps that’s why ice-hockey cameraman Nathan Eidse has recently leaped to fame. Eidse has been covering the world junior men’s hockey championship inside Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre for TSN. He’s become a bit of a firm favorite as he weaves effortlessly about the players capturing on-ice footage that is far more up close and personal than the rest of the cameras can manage.
Dressed head to toe in white, Eidse’s camera was only added to the camo get-up fairly recently. Hockey player great Wayne Gretzky apparently had a hand in that. “I love it,” Gretzky told Eidse, adding, “but we’ve got to cover that camera in white.” And, of course, Gretzky made it happen. So how does a cameraman become a cameraman on ice? Eidse obviously has formidable skating skills and used to be a hockey goalie himself. The decision to put him out on the ice was a gradual one.
On-ice cameras have been used for a while in European games, allegedly. Eisde was keen to see how it could work and got permission from the International Ice Hockey Federation to be on the ice during specific situations. He sits in the penalty boxes and generally jumps onto the ice during play stoppage times. He’s recently been allowed to skate during warm-ups as well, capturing some creative footage in the process. And, of course, being on the ice, he doesn’t need to worry about gimbals and stabilizers. He rarely takes his feet off the ice when skating, affording even greater smoothness to the footage. It’s lovely that a cameraman is getting recognition for his work. It’s frankly a potentially dangerous situation to be in, one hit from a puck could end either you or the camera. And not to mention the speeds that hockey players move at. Getting wiped out would not be difficult. However, Eisde tells CBC News that “he’s never been hit with a puck,” adding, “I pick my moments.” He’s not generally one for the limelight, preferring to be behind the camera than in front. Although he does acknowledge that he probably has “the best seat in the house”. [Via CBC News]
