West Vancouver, British Columbia (CNN) -- It's more than two hours before snowboard practice begins, two hours before Robert Beck will take his first picture, and he is trudging up the steep icy slope that is one lip of the halfpipe.





Temperatures are just above freezing on Cypress Mountain, and Beck, a Sports Illustrated photographer for 24 years, is steadily ambling up the hill to stake out his position near the top. The climb is just 160 meters, but try doing it with a 50- or 60-pound pack on your back and a bad knee repaired just three weeks ago.





It's going to be worth it; Beck knows precisely where he needs to be to get the perfect picture when the overwhelming gold medal favorite Shaun White performs.





For the next nine hours Beck won't leave his spot -- he's not allowed to come back down until the competition is over -- so he has a bag full of equipment and provisions. He carries three camera bodies, four lenses, several radios to remotely trigger cameras and a bunch of Cliff bars. (McDonald's might sponsor these Games, but there's no Golden Arches on the hill).





See 19 of Robert Beck's amazing SI photos from the Winter Games





He knows where to be to get the shot he wants because Beck and his assistant, Kohjiro "Kojo" Kinno have been photographing White for months, learning his every move and tendency.





For instance, Beck knows the best time to shoot a close-up of White is during his first practice run because the snowboarder doesn't go as high then.





They went to three World Cup events and the X Games, shooting White and his competitors in preparation for the Olympics. Then once in Vancouver it was off to every practice to test out different angles to shoot.





"We're trying to frame it just right," Beck said on the drive from his hotel to the venue. "On their tricks, snowboarders are spinning so fast. Sometimes you never see their faces. You don't want to get pictures of rear ends or the bottom of the board. We want to get their faces if we can."





Beck, who has more than 50 Sports Illustrated covers to his credit, is frustrated even before he climbs the hill. Kinno is an important part of the "we" he talks about. Kinno has been there for him for nearly seven years, handing him the right equipment, fixing things when they go wonky, running cards back to the work area and often being the voice of reason. But that won't happen today because officials wouldn't give Kinno a photographer's armband. He's not even allowed to shoot pictures from a lower area of the venue.





It's almost like a pitcher without his catcher, though the understated Kinno often is the one who shakes Beck off. And then there's the eye roll. They have this way of disagreeing that only longtime friends can have. There's often disagreement, Kinno says, but they always come to an understanding.





On this Wednesday at the halfpipe, Kinno will have to stay in front of a laptop all day, trying patiently to wait for runners to bring him the cards from the cameras. At least he has company. John Birk, photographer Al Tielemans' assistant, can't go with his photographer either. Tielemans will spot up on the other side of the pipe while photographer Bob Martin will be positioned at the bottom.





Just before setting off for the hill, Beck gets a call from Steve Fine, SI's director of photography. Fine has a request for Beck to get White at a certain angle. Beck's sure he can't and tells Fine that he has a great shot in mind, looking up the pipe as White soars into action. Fine likes that but wants to have one with the crowd in the background. Beck and Kinno agree; it's not a clean shot from where Beck will be, but they can try and see what Fine says.





You'd think that Beck can call the shots, so to speak, and send in his favorites
How long has Robert Beck been a photographer What is Robert Black's job? Who went to several events beforehand? Who has been a photographer with Sports Illustrated? What is the name of the mountain Who took 1,400 pictures in one day?
24 years, Sports Illustrated photographer Robert Beck Robert Beck Cypress Robert Beck
question: How long has Robert Beck been a photographer, answer: 24 years, | question: What is Robert Black's job?, answer: Sports Illustrated photographer | question: Who went to several events beforehand?, answer: Robert Beck | question: Who has been a photographer with Sports Illustrated?, answer: Robert Beck | question: What is the name of the mountain, answer: Cypress | question: Who took 1,400 pictures in one day?, answer: Robert Beck