UWOL to the rescue
 

I went to the shore to shoot kiteboarders yesterday. The wind was blowing angrily and the ocean looked like Devil's stew. I set the camera up right next to my van, using it as a shield. I tried my external monitor outdoors for the first time, using a really cool three section removable hood for it which I made out of flat gray plastic sheets that we had "laying around" in the house. Amazingly no one (Tracy) has noticed we no longer keep a gray plastic garbage pale under the sink.

I know nothing.


Anyway, after shooting for about two hours I was cross-eyed. No problem since most of the kiters were packing up anyway. But just before I did, I got a quiet tap on my shoulder. I lifted my head from the garbage can (monitor hood) and was greeted by an awkward feeling gentleman. He stood there like a two year old boy holding his special purpose while doing the pee pee dance - only this guy wasn't moving, or holding anything. When I asked what was up he reluctantly asked how far the camera could zoom. I answered, "About a quarter mile past ridiculous." He quickly answered "Oh thank God because those guys over there? They think someone's missing.."

"So you basically want me to pan the Pacific looking for him?" I asked.

"It's probably impossible, I know. I'll just tell them, whatever" he says.

"Hold on there for a minute. Let's see what we can do." As I snuck my head back into the garbage can I asked, "About how tall is the guy?" I got no response.

A lot of you guys run long lenses on your cameras, so you understand the struggle to find your subject IN the lens at times. And that's when you can see the subject with your naked eyes. You aught to try it when you can't. Then add to that struggle Johnny on the Spot standing behind you with one sneaker on top of the other while he makes moaning sounds, the thought of some poor guy barely clinging to life as you bounce to infinity focus and back again, then finally the site of a cold dark tumbling sea being ripped to the sky by blustery winds into a foggy salt water haze - all of which you're supposed to be searching through...

Talk about performance anxiety.

At about the five minute search and rescue mark, somehow remarkably from behind the crest of an ever so distant wave, there popped what looked like a head. A moment later there popped what looked like the nose of a board. I locked the tripod down and told Johnny, "We got em!"

Nine seconds later and the camera was surrounded by kiters. They sent a kiteboarder out after him, and a ground crew to where they hoped he'd land.

In the end he made it to shore - cold, tired, damaged, and beaten. I was so freaked out I never even realized the camera was still recording.


the moral of the story is, next time you get chewed out for a missing garbage pale? Remember, this is all for the better of man kind ;- )

Cool story Eric. Nice Job...!

Great work Eric! Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't been there.

Nice image too. The water looks really cold.

Eric - well done! I'm a kiteboarder myself (mainly land and snow, but sometimes on the water) and unfortunatley incidents like this do happen quite often around the world. Good on you for helping track this guy down.

Now, if you wanna see what can happen when things go REALLY wrong in kitesurfing, check this out ..

This is completely NOT a fake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE_LhbHNg2U

Eric, you are a hero. Probably saved the guys life. Good job. Bob

I really can't take any credit for the happy ending. The kiter managed most of that himself. It was just luck I was there and still had the gear set up. I think we saved the guys in the parking lot more than the kiter. They were falling apart.

I've been thinking to get into kiteboarding. But this guy lost at sea, and that guy flying in the video Rob? I think I'll get in carefully...

his "special purpose"?? never heard that one before...UWOL teaches me so many new things, i'm so grateful!

you're a good storyteller, eric, and i'm sure glad that one had a happy ending.

we are all just here by the grace of the mighty planet, and i'm glad to hear that the ocean coughed up another puny human to live another day.

Steve Martin, "The Jerk"

You'll have to rent it now ;- )

Eric, interesting story you are telling here! Even if you actually don't save that guy, I think your effort finding him in those huge wave helped a lot in saving his life!

Eric,

Great story,

what lens did you have on at the time???

I am sure the fellow was glad to have the help out there!!

Luckily I had the Nikon 300mm 2.8ED on cam at the time. Thing sees forever..

Without the monitor I doubt you would have been within a prayer of seeing this guy. Well done.

Never even thought of that Bob. Very good point. And think, that was the FIRST time I ever used it outdoors..

Eric,

I was curious just what monitor you arre using.

Hi Dale, I am using the Marshall VR-70P-HDA .