The North Shore: An Aesthetic Spectacle

Koa Matsuoka

Photographer/Environmentalist/Surfer

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A north swell batters the sea cliffs; they’ve been shaping for millions of years.

Corduroy lines from Alaska making land fall on Oahu’s north shore.

Sloppy and Heavy shore break pounding the shoreline at Ke iki’s.

Sailfish. Backlit backwash and a North Shore sunset.

Backwash explosion off three-thousand-feet sea cliffs.

Aerial view of an A-frame on the North Shore.

Apollo Fleming on a tricky mutant barrel at Pipeline.

North Shore lifeguards getting caught on the inside at Pipeline.

Backlit gem at Pipe.

Evan Valiere scoring at Pipeline.

A surfer shooting a kamehameha blast while diving a wave.

Kaoli Kahokuloa getting airtime at Off the Wall.

Unknown digging out at pipe.

A surfer cruising in the blue room.

A surfer bails out as another drops in in front of spectators and drones.

Two surfers sharing the thrill of getting barreled at pipe.

Large mutant wave wedging at Pipeline.

This photo series seeks to portray the energy and excitement that exudes from the north shores of Hawaii when it comes to life every winter. The raw power of the ocean is something that we grew up to respect but enjoy at the same time. My goal was to capture those moments when the raw power of water, light and people collide to produce an aesthetic spectacle for the human eye to enjoy.

For more of Koa’s work visit his Instagram or Facebook.

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The North Shore: An Aesthetic Spectacle

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