Editor’s Note: #tourthrowbacks is a weekly series in which ASP lead photographer Kirstin Scholtz shares a favorite photo from her extensive library documenting the ASP World Championship Tour, along with the story behind the shot.
This was my first year shooting Tahiti, and we had endured five straight lay days before Teahupo’o finally delivered one of the nicest days in apparently ten years. It was a playful four- to six-feet west-southwest swell, with not a drop of water out of place. If I remember correctly, this was the event we completed in three days with a few mammoth 21- and 25-heat days. Shooting that late in the afternoon was a bonus for me as I’m normally back in the office editing at this time. With the contest running until dark, I was able to shoot this image as the sun was setting and the waves looked like oil paintings reflecting the crazy colors in the sky. Taylor was always one of my favorite surfers to shoot when he was still on Tour. He has such a smooth yet powerful style that always looks good in a single frame.
To see more of Kirstin’s work, visit KirstinScholtz.com or her ASP page.
