High Endzone

This is the perspective from Aloha Stadium's Jumbotron Camera 2, above the north end zone, on the concourse of the red and yellow seating sections. It's also behind the stadium's Jumbotron. I took this photo during player warm-ups of a high school playoff game, hence the small crowd.

This can be one of the coldest spots in Aloha Stadium, as there is no shelter from the chilly north winds of our Hawaiian winters. For most residents of Hawai‘i, anything below 70°F is considered freezing. I have experienced the temperature dropping in a matter of an hour as the sun went down, and the winds kicked up.

In fact, during a UH game, a videographer from ESPN was on the platform near mine, wondered why I had my jacket wrapped around the legs of my tripod. I told him that during the second half, the temperature will drop around 10°F. He said he was in Oklahoma the week before, and that was cold ... in the 50s. Right after the halftime show, I put on my jacket, to prepare for the cold. During a TV timeout, I saw him grab his jacket out his backpack, and quickly put it on. I looked over, and he looked back and smiled, then said, "You were right, it's pretty chilly up here".

Camera 2 also has the challenge of fans, especially the ones who have had a few beers, wanting to be on TV. Those eager to be on "TV", tug the hem of my shorts to get my attention. To which my response is that they won't see themselves because we are behind the Jumbotron; and their response is usually delayed since the alcohol clouds the perception. I watched one guy's "light bulb" go from dim to bright as he stood and thought. There's usually a security guard or HPD officer around, but not always.