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Drying out

It’s unlike me not to post for a few days but I’m honestly happy to be drying out for a few days. I’m giving my wounds, cuts and bruises time to heal. If you have never been to Hawaii the surf breaks are over a very hard and sharp reefs. It hurts a lot when you get smashed into them. I will be exploring Maui for the next few months so I promise to post a bunch of new and exciting locations soon…

here are a few pictures I liked that I didn’t have room to post in the last few weeks

Here is Myles Padaca during the break for the final at sunset, He was a caddy and got the place to himself for 40 minutes

Here a guy getting burnt at pipe and the other guy getting an epic barrel, happens a lot at pipe, kind of suck but it’s reality

And Jamie O’Brian home at pipe

Don’t be hating

I was off today, couldn’t figure out what to do with my self. Got suited up, camera ready, walked down to Pipe…… and sat on the sand watching it for at least 3o minutes. Wasn’t a point to get wet, pipe was a gnarly drop into a Mush Burger. It bothered me that I didn’t want to get in but to get any type of shot I would have got blasted over and over.

I was Hating all day, worked out for two hours then just walked back and forth to the beach over and over again….. Same story. It drives me crazy, cause there was waves but nothing I wanted to shoot or surf.

Around 2pm I lost it, grab my camera and hiking gear and climb the Ko’olau Mountain Range behind sunset. I know, I’ve been told repeatedly not to climb there, It’s either private land or military. But I don’t listen well…

Towards VLand

Towards Sunset/Rocky Point

The whole North Shore

Found these glasses on the street at the beginning of my hike, so I gave my best “better not be hating look”

Good Morning Pipeline

Got up early to get out at pipe before the glorious sun ascended over the Koʻolau Mountain Range which frames the North Shore. I was feeling artistic from the moment I left my house, the air was crisp and I was good spirits. I’m really grateful for my time here and I want to make the best of it. I hope my images warm your heart wherever you may live…

And here is a barrel shot because it is Pipe 🙂

Backdoor BARRELS!

Swam out to Backdoor today, Pipe was firing too, I just liked the shape of Backdoor today more. (for people that don’t know they are the same wave, Backdoor is the right, pipe is the left).
No more talking, you say the word Barrel and nothing else matters

Kamalei Alexander getting shacked

Ok I’m not hatting here but I had to post this. I don’t know if Benji Weatherly gave up or literally fell asleep during this backdoor wave. The wave was not a closeout and pealed down the line with Benji so I know he didn’t fall but I have no clue what was going on during the wave.

I can’t end a post with Benji and his narcolepsy so here is Dylan Goodale about to get shacked

Rocky Point is Home

So I live across Kam Hwy from Rocky Point Surf Break (probably the most photographed beach this season due to the lack of Pipe swells) so there is always talent at my beck and call. I could live here forever but I wouldn’t want to be any where else right now.

It’s impressive to see a 13 year punt an air this high and land it. Names Rico 

If you have ever surfed Rocky Point you have seen this guy, his name is Rasta, nice guy just don’t take off on his wave

We are both starring at the same thing, the lip 

Wanted to show the change of color from the rights to the lefts, both these pictures were taking within 10 minutes

I don’t post blurry pictures too often but I literally get hundreds a day, Water is a hard medium to shoot in and if you haven’t noticed to sticks to everything. This u shape blur actually worked as it blur out the back of the surfer and the sun refection on the wave. Picture was taken at 5:30 right before sunset

O yeah and it’s Holly Beck, you might have heard of her!

Velzyland Afternoon Session

The crowds were out in full force today, I wanted to get away and have a fun session, no better place to find smiles then at Velzyland. Meet a bunch of happy people today, gave out a few business cards, so lets see if any of them go home and check out the site. I’m not trying to make money on small day like today, just go out and have a good time. Mahalo for checking it out

So I don’t usually post pictures of bodyboards but these guys where mad cool and actually funny

Few good ones rolled thru

I got a bunch of pictures of this Young scrappy kid, reminded me of my self. He would paddle his brains out to get into every wave. Kept going the whole time I was out there, gave him a card hopes he checks it out.

WaterProof Long Exposure

So when I first got my water housing I wanted to see how far I could push the limitations. If have you never seen a water housing it has very limited controls (more access, more points that could potentially leak). So a lot of planning needs to takes place before you start trying a long exposure in the ocean. It’s not like you can just stop and readjust, water is bad for cameras. Here is the first attempt ( Click here for first attempt), I went out a little earlier this time to get the sun as it was setting. Turned out OK but I still have a lot of conceptualization before next time.

An underwater sunset, the blue strip down the middle is actually a channel thru the Reef, there is a sand path and since its lighter it picks up the reflection of the water better then the reef (HOW COOL IS THAT!!!)

I tried to Un-Focus here to make the illusion of standing in clouds, the shore waves weren’t that strong so it picked up the refection, otherwise it would have looked like vapor.

Add a light to this one to show the color of the water as a contrast against the red sky (it’s been raining the sky has a reddish purple hue)

And here is just a picture of the house on Rocky Point, I use it everyday as a reference point while surfing and shooting so I’m always thinking about it. (reference point: positioning point on land so you can line yourself up in the water to be in the best spot for the wave)

Pipe Master Finals

Today was the finals of the Pipe Masters and the Triple Crown of surfing. I stayed out shooting all day. It was a great ending to an amazing contest season for me and couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it. Kieren Perrow took home the win and John Florence the Triple Crown.

Kieren Perrow in the final 

from the semi

Since Slater sells heres a shot of him from the Quarters, went backdoor every wave so not too many shots of him 

Really wanted to see Evan Valire in the finals he was amazing to watch out there.

Michel was one heat away from the Triple Crown Title you could hear him in the water, he was really pissed off that he didn’t make it, there is no second place in the triple crown.

Relaxing back stage and just stoked he was wearing a $10,000 watch, haha

Going surfing

Hey I should totally be shooting the contest today but I’m going surfing. I surfed second reef Puena (east of the Haleiwa Harbor). Since it’s been a slow winter and there aren’t too many more days in the near forecast that are going to break Second Reef, I had to get a big day for myself. I love to shoot but Contest photography is for the struggling photographers that have to shoot for the Magazine. I’m blessed enough to be doing alright for myself and I need to remind myself that I love surfing and that shooting needs to be fun, not work. I’ll be out all day tomorrow for the Finals

Pipe Masters

So it was kind of a dream come true today, being out at pipeline with only 4 guys in the water. Pipe is a  scary place for photographers too, we may be sitting in the channel but rouge sets and inexperienced surfers will kill you. All seriousness, I don’t recommend going in the water at pipe and anybody that respects the place says the same thing. I didn’t stay out long but after you see up-close John John get a perfect 10 it’s not going to get better. (Perfect example the next heat Aamion Goodwin beat Taylor Knox with a combination of two waves for a total of a 2.20)

My favorite wave of the day was John Florence 10 point ride. You can see him here stalling with both hands to get in the perfect position. Awesome

Kai Barger was in the same heat as John John but he didn’t have a chance, had some great waves 

Evan Valiere not only picked the perfect waves but was super deep and under scored in my book

And Ian Walsh Talking off on this monster, look at this thing throwing!!!This is the biggest crowd I’ve seen on the North Shore so far this season, went on like this for about half a mile, impressive they way they handled it, even if there was a crazy line for the bathroom