A lot of people don’t realize it, but a lot of shit needs to come together to capture an epic surf photo from the water. Photographers like Zak Noyle what we’re talking about. That’s why Contrast Magazine would like to congratulate Noyle for nailing his first Transworld Surf cover shot pictured above. It took a massive 20-foot swell, The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational and Mark Healey being a madman
“It was the first really good wave of the morning. One of the larger ones for sure. I saw that thing coming from far out, and to tell you the truth: I was a little scared of it closing out the channel,” says Zak Noyle of the cover shot and his shooting spot in the water at Waimea Bay. “Healey went on this absolute bomb. It was the heaviest thing I’ve ever seen because at the bottom he couldn’t hold on much longer and ended up just rolling in a gigantic barrel.”
Although this was a wipeout, it was still a gnarly image that deserved the honor of a cover. According to Transworld Surf’s Justin Cote, Noyle’s picture from The Eddie is everything that encapsulates the national surf publication.
“If defined exactly what we are; progressive (he was riding a quad) and willing to take chances,” said Cote of Noyle’s shot. “And, you couldn’t pick two better people to stoke out by getting the cover!”
Healey and Noyle hooked up on of the most memorable days of this past winter season and the fruits of their labor are proudly displayed on the March issue of Transworld Surf. Besides being one of the most talented up-and-coming shooters on the Transworld Surf masthead, Noyle is also the photo editor of Innov8 and Heavywater Magazine. While his resume is stacked like an Orange County MILF, it’s Noyle’s rapport with the proes and surf industry that guide his success.
“I’ve noticed he can walk into any team house on the North Shore and fit right in,” says Cote of Noyle’s work. “Access is a huge part of photography and Zak is ‘one of the boys’ nowadays. Aside from that, his water stuff just gets bigger and better.”
For ya’ll that don’t know, water photography at gnarly waves like Waimea Bay and Pipeline is heavy. Like, guys-have-died-doing-this-shit kind of heaviness. Despite the life threatening hazards at the workplace, Zak remains dedicated to his craft.
“Creatig a good surf image is something that is not easy to accomplish,” says Noyle. “But it is so rewarding to swim out, take 10-foot waves to the head, get pushed across the reef a couple of times and your wetsuit filled with sand all to get that one great photo.”
Pickup the Travel issue of Contrast Magazine to see Noyle’s work in a story about Rapa Nui. Pro surfer Sean Moody wrote it so you know that he rousted Noyle somewhere in the text.
