No Bad Tides Photography: Backstory — Dave Wassel at massive Pipeline (Via GrindTV)

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Backstory — Dave Wassel at massive Pipeline (Via GrindTV)

Dave Wassel at Pipeline on what photographer Scott Aichner calls “the biggest day I ever shot there.” Photo: Aichner

Dave Wassel at Pipeline, North Shore of Oahu
February, 2004
Photo by Scott Aichner
“This is Dave Wassel on the biggest wave at Pipeline I’ve ever shot. It was one of those epic, a-bit-too-big west swells back in February, 2004. I sat on the beach for an hour or so seeing if it was even doable. The first time around, I started the swim out and couldn’t make any headway. Bad timing. I had to turn tail and do the walk of shame with everyone watching [laughs]. The sets were bombing, but there were moments. … ‘Go!’ I said to myself. ‘Put your head down and go!’ This is back in the film days and I only had 36 frames, so I had to choose wisely,” says water photographer Scott Aichner.

Dave Wassel at Pipeline; photo Scott Aichner

“The afternoon glare was pretty bad. I’m not sure who was out; I think Jamie O’Brien, Kelly Slater, and a few more guys, but I was the only photographer out. The current was pretty swift, and I was drifting down the beach toward Gums when this wave came in with Liam MacNamara on it. I just snuck under… ‘The next one!’ I was tempted to just go under, ‘But, wait! I’m in the perfect spot. This thing is going to swing wide and focus on to Gums, and I’ve got six frames left!’ ‘Dave’s really deep, what the…’ Yeah, I was talking to myself out there. I had to really anchor myself so I wouldn’t get sucked over the falls. He was going so fast! It eventually closed out, and all I could think was, ‘Please, Dave, pop up out the back of the wave!’” adds Aichner.

Dave Wassel at Pipeline; photo Scott Aichner

“Dave had broken his back on a two-foot wave in Australia the year before, so I was worried. But there he was. ‘Thank you surf God!’ He said later that he whizzed by the reef really fast and got ejected out the back with his board. I looked down at my camera and saw one frame left. ‘Time for a selfie!’”