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New York surf photographer Andrew Blauschild reportedly passed away earlier this week. Blauschild was a sixth-generation New Yorker and third-generation New York surfer, who was lauded for his exquisite photography and thoughtful documentation of the New York surfing community. He was also known for co-founding the brand Kookbox Surfboards with longboarder Joel Tudor in 2007.
According to a post in the Long Island Surfers Facebook group, Blauschild apparently suffered a heart attack after surfing in Montauk on Monday. However, there is no official word yet on the cause of Blauschild’s death.
Since his passing, tributes to the photographer have poured in on social media, including a heartfelt post from surfer and frequent collaborator Pat Schmidt.
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“The connection I got to form with Andrew since moving to the East End is unexplainable,” wrote Schmidt on Instagram, alongside a clip from a profile on the photographer in The Surfer’s Journal. “We always felt in sync. I felt like if he was on the beach I could surf a certain way that worked well with the way he wanted to capture images of surfing. I could see where he was moving on the rocks, know right away the shot he was trying to get and adjust my position accordingly. I’ve never had that before. I’ve never even wanted that before, but with Andrew it was different. I’m such a fan of his work that I wanted to do whatever I could to be a part of it. We had five days in a row earlier this summer that we passed each other on Nappegue meadow in the same exact spot, both with middle fingers held high followed by a phone call cracking up about it that would end up lasting hours. I will miss those times but am so grateful to experience them. Love you Andrew, thanks for taking me under your wing.”
