Best of KC 2024: Shutterbug Tarik Sykes brought sports photography to life
Photo by Tarik Sykes
Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2024. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November.
Who is this guy? Photographer Tarik Sykes has been our eyes from the side of every major sporting event in town, providing all the expansive, dazzling scenes you’ve seen in galleries on ThePitchKC.com from KC Current, KU football, Royals, huge stadium concerts, parades, stand-up comedy gigs, BBQ events, weed events, combination BBQ/weed events (yes, really), and anywhere you might be in danger of getting crushed by a monster truck. His camera leads him into uncharted territory and he just leads where it follows. If you’ve been decked out in KC gear, had your face painted to support your team, or generally just gone buck wild at an event in the metro, there’s a better than nonzero chance you’re spotlighted in one of Sykes’ signature fan appreciation photologs. Go check our site right now. Let us know if you want a high quality copy of a shot you’re in.
When we say the man “can’t stop, won’t stop” it is a frustratingly accurate summation of his 2024. In the summer, he was a no-show for a few events, and being the free spirit he is, we were kinda hoping he’d just fallen down some ridiculous new adventure’s rabbit hole. Nope. A major health event nearly took him from us. Which we only found out about because we were one of his first phone calls as soon as he became conscious. And then he was back out in the field loooong before we would’ve preferred.
On behalf of everyone you profiled, documented, and celebrated this year, God bless you, bud. But take it down a notch in 2025, yeah? [He is almost certainly mad we suggested he give anything less than 200% but he had to try.]
