Today I went to the north shore to take random shots of the Volcom Pipe Pro surfing competition. You can get all the details; the dates, the rewards, the surfer’s information and everything else you may want to know at: http://volcompipepro.com. I’m an absolute kook when it comes to surfing and I don’t know anything about the competitors, but I do know that when the waves are big, watching the surfers is like watching dancers upon a stage.
The waves didn’t disappoint me (or anyone else, it seemed) as they crashed down the thundering rumble rolled in. The entire experience is thrilling to me. (Me in Hawaii? Watching and taking photographs of the world’s best, professional surfers? Perfectly fine with me.)
You would have loved everything about Pipeline today! The ocean, the warm sunshine on your skin with a few sprinkling from Mother Nature, just enough to create an occasional rainbow. A mountain ridge is to your left, with some palm trees lining a soft, sandy beach. Now, look straight out to the ocean. OMG! (I can hear the intake of your breath. C’mon, come up for air.) The waves are giants, crashing with fury, leaving heavy, foamy whitewater. Now, check out the color; Turquoise. Turquoise waves.
If you really want to know some scientific data about ocean colors, check out this NASA Earth Data site at: www.disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/additional/science-focus/ocean-color/oceanblue.shtml For local news, check out; http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/photos/mike-mcneace/surfing-north-shore-oahu If you would like surfing lessons at the north shore talk to www.jettybettysurfschool.com/ or on the south shore, go to; http://www.becausewesurf.com/.
The surfers certainly didn’t disappoint anyone (and hopefully not themselves). They
were amazing! (The little red, blue, yellow and white dots grouped together way out there, those are the competitors.) Watching them is captivating. You can almost feel the spray of the ocean, the tightening of your muscles, the adrenaline racing through your body and the thrill of the ride. If you pay very close attention you may see a surfer soul arch as he shoots out of the barrel. (Def. Soul Arch: Arching the back to demonstrate casual confidence when riding a wave) ~ I doubt if they would try this in a competition!
I couldn’t help but capture the spirit of the moment… over and over again. Enjoy the slideshow. I know it’s long, but I couldn’t help myself… each surfer, each wave wanted to share that powerful energy with me; and now with you.
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