Mykkal's book records moments in history

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9: Sports photographer Ras Mykkal is passionate about preserving history.

Mykkal’s first book Click …I got Ya! Volume 1 is a collection of photographs and stories about Bermuda’s sporting legacies.

He said: “I literally have hundreds of thousands of photographs people have never seen. I looked at doing a book, but wanted to have a historical value to it.

“I thought it might be a good idea to put them in a book as a collector’s item.”

Mykkal said he doesn’t have a website to showcase his talent and only a few pictures get seen every week in the Bermuda Sun.

 “I wanted it to showcase people’s records like Kavin Smith, who has won May 24th nine times. What years did he win it? Now it’s in a book.

“Jay Donawa never won May 24th, he was always second but when it comes to cross country he won it 11 times. I wanted to show what years he won it.”

Mykkal said every photograph includes the date he shot it.

The book also includes stories about sports veterans such as Sinclair Gilbert, Calvin ‘Bummy’ Symonds, Lloyd James, Allan Simmons and Eddie Roque.

“I wanted to make sure these people with accomplishments both locally and internationally don’t go unheralded.

“They are walking about and the younger generation doesn’t know who they are.”

Graphic designer Stephan Johnstone helped with the layout of the book.

“The design of the book is his. I told him the format I wanted and let him put his genius to it.”

Mykkal said he’s already been overwhelmed with the response and is looking ahead to doing another book.

“In the next volume I want to add a page or two of Bermudians and how they got their nicknames.

“People like ‘Fleas’ Hall, ‘Bummy’ Symonds, ‘Dirt Digger’ Burt Ingham — I think people will find that interesting.”

In his book there are quite a few photos of people who have already passed on, like Calvin ‘Baldy’ Hansey.

“Hopefully it has a historical value that people will view it as a ‘must have.’

The book retails for $39.95 and is available at Brown & Co.