Big Shots for November 10, 2009

It's great to come back from a long vacation and be greeted by such a terrific collection of pictures. I'm happy to be back to share this week's Big Shots with you as we surf the waves off Hainan, China, crunch through the snow during the Olympic torch relay in Inuvik, Canada, and ply the waters off France's Atlantic coast during the "Transat Jacques Vabre" sailing race. Later this week I'll try to share pictures from a buzhkashi game in Afghanistan and the Indigenous Nations' Games in Pagagominas, north Brazil. ( 33 photos total)

Juventus' David Trezeguet celebrates after scoring a fifth goal against Atalanta during their Italian Serie A soccer match at the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium in Bergamo November 7. (REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo)

Jay Ratliff of the Dallas Cowboys reacts after he sacked Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field November 8 in Philadelphia. (Al Bello/Getty Images) #

Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta at Santa Anita Park November 7 in Arcadia, Calif. (Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) #

The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls react during their NBA basketball game in Cleveland November 5. (REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk) #

The Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo (front) throws up a shot past fallen Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash during an NBA basketball game in Boston November 6. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson) #

Freiburg's Pavel Krmas (right) and Bochum's Diego Klimowicz challenge for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Bochum and SC Freiburg in Bochum November 7. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) #

The Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah (left) and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao battle for a loose ball in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game November 5 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) #

Adewale Oguneleye of the Chicago Bears grabs the head of the Arizona Cardinals' Kurt Warner as Alex Brown brings him down at Soldier Field November 8 in Chicago. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) #

Chile's Universidad de Chile's Marcelo Diaz (right) argues with Brazil's Fluminense's Maicon during a Copa Sudamericana soccer game in Santiago November 5. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia) #

Brian Bain competes in bareback riding at the World's Toughest Rodeo at Jobing.com Arena November 6 in Glendale, Ariz. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) #

KTM 125cc rider Sturla Fagerhaug of Norway crashes during the last race of the Motorcycle Grand Prix season at the Cheste race track outside Valencia November 8. (AP Photo/Paul White) #

Cathy Reed (left) and Chris Reed of Japan perform during a gala exhibition at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy in Nagano November 8. (REUTERS/Issei Kato) #

Flying Aces perform during the 100 Days to Vancouver Celebration November 4 in Rockefeller Center. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images for USOC) #

The Boston Bruins' Blake Wheeler sails through the air as he tries to control the puck with the Montreal Canadians' Tomas Piekanec pursuing. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff) #

An athlete skates during the men's 5000m race at the ISU World Cup Speed Skating competitionsin Berlin November 7. (REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz) #

Cowgirls perform rope tricks at the World's Toughest Rodeo at Jobing.com Arena November 6 in Glendale, Ariz. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) #

Italy's Flavia Pennetta reacts as her victory propels Italy to the Fed Cup title November 8 in Reggio Calabria, Italy. (VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images) #

French skipper Jean Le Cam stands on "Actual" November 9 off the coast of Cherbourg a day after it capsized during the "Transat Jacques Vabre" monohulls and multihulls sailing race between Le Havre and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. (MARCEL MOCHET/AFP/Getty Images) #

A surfer rides a wave in the waters of the South China Sea at Houhai Beach outside of Sanya October 24 in China's Hainan province. China may have one of the world's longest coastlines, but surfing has barely made a ripple in a country where a deep tan is a badge of the peasantry, water pollution is rife, and outdoor sports are still coming into their own. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images) #

Andy Murray sprays champagne celebrating his win in the final of the ATP 500 World Tour Valencia Open tennis tournament at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias November 8 in Valencia. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) #

Kurt Busch celebrates winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway November 8 in Fort Worth. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas) #

WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev enters the ring before his match with David Haye in Nuremberg November 7. (TIMM SCHAMBERGER/AFP/Getty Images) #

A polar bear walks along the road as the Olympic flame arrives in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada November 8. The Olympic flame is on a 106-day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward) #

Mine That Bird is fed a carrot in the barn early in the morning before exercises in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif November 5. (REUTERS/Danny Moloshok) #

Torchbearer Abel Tingmiak wears his traditional clothing as carries the Olympic Flame past the igloo church in Inuvik, NWT November 4 during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics torch relay. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward) #

Cowboys are introducted before the start of the World's Toughest Rodeo at Jobing.com Arena November 6 in Glendale, Ariz. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) #

Horses exit the gate during the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile horse race at Santa Anita Park November 7 in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) #

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway races under the start flag November 8 in Fort Worth. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images) #

At the MSTCA 34th annual State Coaches Cross Country Invitational meet in Wrentham, Mass. Division 1 boys take off at the start of the 5k race November 7. (Debee Tlumacki for the Boston Globe) #

Jockeys compete during the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile thoroughbred horse race at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. November 7. (REUTERS/Mike Blake) #

The Arizona State Sun Devils take the field before the college football game against the USC Trojans at Sun Devil Stadium November 7 in Tempe. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) #

Tailgaters mingle in the smoked-filled parking area outside Soldier Field before an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals in Chicago November 8. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) #

Members of the New York Police Department stand guard after the New York Yankees World Series Victory Parade November 6 in New York. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) #

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Big Shots for November 10, 2009