Hurricane Lane could only postpone the inevitable. The Kailua Shorebreak Classic was back in full throttle on October 20th at Kalama Beach Park. Celebrating the lives of four legendary Kailua surfers and watermen, the free amateur surf competition represents much more than showcasing some crazy talented keiki. It is a day committed to community building, environmental stewardship, and (of course) friendly competition. My previous post provides a summary of the Shorebreak Classic and its core tenets.
A brown water advisory for the day meant that … well … the keiki were not dropping in on picturesque azure blue waves. A little Dirty Water, however, would not discourage these grommets from a day of sun and surf. Brown or blue, there were waves to conquer.
To photogenically avoid the Yoo-Hoo dilemma, I dusted off my black-and-white photography toolkit. While this is a seldom-used style for me, I hope that the images can uniquely capture the faces, emotions, and relationships of this vibrant surf culture.
Exuding a retro surf vibe, this photo essay is best paired with a few Dick Dale classics. So crank up the tunes and enjoy some Musings by the Surf at the 14th Annual Kailua Shorebreak Classic.
Photography can often convey emotion and invite reflection in ways that words cannot. Looking through the lens should always result in seeing life with greater clarity, and helping others to do the same. For these reasons, I offer the first in a series entitled Visual Musings that offers themed photo essays of place, purpose or narrative.
For me, no trip greater encompasses all of these components than my Cambodian sojourn in the summer of 2016. Emotion and thoughtful reflection were working overtime. Tremendous poverty and long-endured persecution were interspersed with joy and generosity that exemplified the incredible character and resilience of the Cambodian people. Engineering feats nearly a thousand years old demonstrated the limitless capacity of human innovation. And, of course, the stunning natural beauty of Southeast Asia. It is truly one of my favorite places on earth.
On the two-year anniversary of that trip, it is a fitting commencement to my Visual Musings.
