To us, tennis is synonymous with spending time with the people in our lives; rallying, slicing and serving for hours on end into a late afternoon; gathering courtside with drinks in hand as spectators of the game and spending the evening cooking a meal to devour over intense debates about the line calls of past matches, whose backhand has more topspin and whether or not Kyrgios will in fact win a (single’s) Grand Slam one day.
Here, we join Victoria-based photographer Guy Ferguson and his friends Stephany, Caleb, Mali, Zac and Jess on a late summer tennis trip to Saltspring Island, located in the Strait of Georgia between British Columbia, Canada and Vancouver Island.
Tell us about the location of the shoot.
“Some family friends of Mali’s have this amazing property on Salt Spring Island. It spans 10 acres with gardens, orchards, dogs, goats and lamas. When the owners travel out of town, Mali and Caleb sometimes go and housesit and look after the animals. The tennis court is there too; easily one of the most beautiful courts I’ve ever seen. It’s surrounded by flowers and apple trees, mountains in the background and eagles flying overhead. There’s a natural pool too that you can cool down in after playing. We always find ourselves feeling incredibly lucky and grateful to be able to have access to a place like this.
What’s the drive up there like?
“Easy. We all live in Victoria from where we drive to a smaller town called Sidney and then it’s just a 30 minute ferry ride to the island. The court is a quick drive away once you’re on the island, located next to a provincial park and a short walk to the ocean.”
What role did you find tennis playing in this trip?
This trip was all about the tennis! Having access to a private court with a ball machine is definitely something worth travelling for. Tennis is a relatively new obsession for me, but I’m already trying to figure out how to incorporate it into future trips. It’s a great way to spend time with friends outside and explore new places and communities.
