This shot was taken on one of the biggest and best days at Jaws in Maui, January 2016. Kai Lenny is a true waterman and stayed in the water all day long, exploring different boards and taking the waves to the next level. On this shot he was stand up paddling.
When he approached this wave, it was astonishing to see. I knew I was in good spot. I was using a jet ski as Kai approached during the critical moment. I kept my eye on the viewfinder and kept shooting until the last moment. Then it seemed he disappeared into a massive washing machine.
After following big wave surfing for more then a decade, this El Nino 2016 season has been the most exciting winter we had in the North Pacific. Our typical winters will give us only a couple of large swells, but we have had so many XXL swells, almost every week! Big wave surfing has been pushed to its most extreme limits and Kai Lenny is one of the exceptional leaders in the pack.