Tag Archives: surfing

Getaway

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We all need that special place.  Be it close by or halfway around the world we all need a place that has a hold on us.  The place that feels good, has the mojo to help recharge us, that make you feel safe, that you don’t forget and often return to.

Kauai, the northern most Hawaiian island, is our special place.  We’ve been coming here on and off for 24 years, since our honeymoon.  We have experienced the island go through many changes, a hurricane, an abundance of water, a drought, the effect of the economic collapse,  the death of a beloved local surfer and the resiliency to survive, never forget and move on.  We’ve also seen a kind, compassionate, caring culture  of the people that love their home.  The “aloha” factor.

This is our special place, it is a part of us.  No matter the situation we alway have a unique experience.  I try to share what we love about Kauai with our friends through my photography of our travels and adventures.  Every person has to find their own “special place” .  Kauai, just saying it warms my heart, it will always be our special place that keeps calling to come back.  What does it for you?

techy stuff:  all images shot with the new Nikon D600 and processed in Adobe Lightroom 4.  My website is www.zwink.com

An Island Mourns

Andy Irons Memorial

Three times surfing world champion Andy Irons died on November 2, 2010.  We arrived on Kauai Nov. 12 to a community in mourning preparing for a memorial service and a paddle out by fellow surfers, friends and family.  It was an overwhelming experience.  Driving up to Hanalei Bay we passed numerous signs and painted surfboards  along side of the the road that expressed the love, sorrow and loss of their homegrown son.

Over 5,000 people of all ages converged onto Pines Beach for the memorial that was open to the public.  All the flights to the island were sold out as people came to say their final goodbye.  Following a traditional Hawaiian service on the beach attended by the family and friends of the Iron’s family it was finally time.  There was already a large group of surfers circling about a 100 yards off the beach.  The rest of the surfers from the inner circle made their way out through the surf to the final celebration of life.  Once they arrived and the circle was reformed the group started cheering and splashing the water.  Iron’s family then arrived aboard a Polynesian boat and dispersed Andy’s ashes into the ocean where he had lived his life.  As the ashes were being spread a helicopter circling over the surfers dropping flowers and petals onto the ocean and the surfers below as thousands others watched and cheered from the beach.  Once the copter left the circle slowly broke and the surfers and the paddle boarders came back to the beach through an ever increasing surf one set at a time.

Originally, I was just going to take a few photos of the scene but the emotional outpouring changed my mind.  I’ve done a lot of documentary work before so my instincts took over.  I wanted to show the environment, the diversity of the people and the the sense of loss that the surfing community suffered.

A collection of the images can be found at: http://zwinkftp.com/aimemorialhtml/

ANDY IRONS, RIP…….