The 100 Best Sports Photos of 2009 - (Part 1 of 4) - Big Shots

The 100 Best Sports Photos of 2009 - (Part 1 of 4)

"Best"? Who am I kidding? I don't believe there's any way to determine what the best sports photographs of the year are. Photography is simply too subjective. Almost every professional photographer has stories about winning awards for mediocre pictures while his or her best work goes unrecognized. A contest is only as relevant as the judges making the choices, and the same contest with different judges would produce very different winners. So perhaps I should call these photographs my favorites, because that's what they are. They reflect my personal tastes and biases, which regular readers of this blog will recognize: an attraction to the obscure, a passion for the absurd, and a love of that intersection between sport and culture. Pictures full of humor, beauty, and moments both subtle and decisive draw me in. Editing this blog has been pure joy as photographers from all over the world astound me every week with their skills. Each week there's always many more photographs I want to share than I have room for. And this entry is no different. Part one of the 100 Best Sports Photographs of 2009 covers the months of January, February, and March. I'll post the rest on successive Thursdays this month. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much I do. ( 25 photos total)

Swimmers prepare for the opening ceremony of the UK Cold Water Swimming Championships at Tooting Bec Lido in London January 24. (REUTERS/Kieran Doherty)

Competitors in the Dutch Ice Skating Championship Marathon race on the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in Lelystad, Netherlands January 8. The event took place on natural ice for the first time in thirteen years. (ROBIN UTRECHT/AFP/Getty Images) #

Spectators line the track during the Wiessmann Luge World Cup February 21 at the Whistler Sliding Center in Whistler, Canada (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) #

A competitor takes part in an official training session of the World Cup Ski Jumping competition January 30 as the lights of the city of Sapporo twinkle in the background. (KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images) #

Snow kiter Marco Koeppel surfs the snowy mountains of the region of the Bernina Pass, Canton of Grisons, in south-eastern Switzerland February 19. (AP Photo/Keystone, Dietmar Stiplovsek) #

Members of Scandinavian wing walkers The Skycats perform during the Al-Ain International Aerobatics Show at the Gulf Emirate's Airport in the United Arab Emirates January 28. (KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ray Ferguson misjudges a turn and leaves the course during the Jetsprint World Championship at Meremere Sprint Bowl January 4 in Auckland. (Sandra Mu/Getty Images) #

The crew of a women's surfboat reacts as they paddle out through large surf while competing at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Perth's Scarborough Beach March 18. (AP Photo/Australia Surf Life Saving/Harvie Allison/HO) #

The Boston Celtics' Glen "Big Baby" Davis falls into the crowd while trying to keep the ball in bounds during an NBA basketball game against the New Jersey Nets in Boston January 14. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder) #

Tapio Luusua crashes in the finals of the moguls competition during the FIS Freestyle Grand Prix February 7 at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, Canada. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) #

Evgeniya Kanaeva of Russia performs with the ball during the qualifying round of the Hungarian Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Budapest March 7. (REUTERS/Karoly Arvai) #

A participant performs during the Kila Raipur sports festival on the outskirts of Ludhiana, India February 13. The festival, also known as the 'Rural Olympics', is held annually in the northern city and the competition attracts athletes from all over India. (REUTERS/Munish Sharma) #

A competitor runs through fire during the Tough Guy Challenge at South Perton Farm February 1 in Wolverhampton, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) #

An Egyptian boy sand-boards on the Al Katania dunes southwest of Cairo March 27. (REUTERS/Tarek Mostafa) #

Racers compete in the men's point race 40km during the UCI Track World Championships March 25 at the BGZ Arena in Pruszkow, Poland. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images) #

France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is reflected in a window returning a ball during a practice session for the Davis Cup match against the Czech Republic in Ostrava, Czech Republic March 5. (REUTERS/Petr Josek) #

Two bikers ride a dune during the sixth stage of the Dakar rally between San Rafael and Mendoza in Argentina January 8. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

A competitor makes his way up the course during the New Zealand National Club Rowing Championships at Lake Ruatanihwa February 19 in Twizel, New Zealand. (Phil Walter/Getty Images) #

The Chicago White Sox' Scott Linebrink delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training baseball game in Las Vegas March 5. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) #

Gael Monfils pauses during his match against Gilles Simon at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne January 26. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) #

The "Cameron Crazies" heckle Jason Clark of the Georgetown Hoyas during an NCAA college basketball game against the Duke Blue Devils January 17 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) #

Juventus' David Trezeguet celebrates after scoring against Palermo during their Serie A football match at Barbera Stadium February 21. (MARCELLO PATERNOSTRO/AFP/Getty Images) #

The USC Trojans head coach Pete Carroll reacts as water is poured on him during his team's victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 95th Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena January 1. (REUTERS/Danny Moloshok) #

Wing Bowl competitor Douglas "Obi Wing" Petock holds back a mouthful during the 17th annual chicken wing eating contest in Philadelphia January 30. (REUTERS/Tim Shaffer) #

Danny Bonaduce warms up for a celebrity boxing match against Jose Canseco in Aston, Pa. January 24. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek) #