when i was a kid, i use to swim in the shorebreak at Sandy Beach and look at my other friends in the barrel. we use to call that “i spy.” as adults, i use to do that with Uske at 10′ Off The Wall. it was the exact same adrenaline rush. and it was also one of the most beautiful places in the ocean to be. do you see Uske? we’re literally looking right at each other in the barrel taking photos of each other. haha.
when a surfer is speeding down a 10′ barrel, it’s your job to wait right in the impact zone, dive slightly under the wave, and stick your camera right above the surface to get the magic photo. this is probably the most dangerous position you can ever be in a wave because one small miscalculation could cause the surfer and his board could easily stab or slice a hole in your body. when Uske sent me this photo that day, i realized how dangerous it was. but i loved being the photographer just as much as being the surfer…
and this is the part that fascinated me. swimming up after the wave passes and looking at the beautiful underwater world. the sense of connecting with the ocean is unexplainable. thank you Uske for the amazing photos…
