Events

Chang W. Lee, Photographer, New York Times

The day before Hurricane Irene showed up, I was trying to close up the store and was planning to head out & catch some pre-hurricane surf. Chang W. Lee, Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times Photographer came into the store & ask me if I was planning to evacuate Corolla due to the on-coming storm. My response was, “No, I'm going surfing”. Chang was on assignment for the New York Times shotting the Outer Banks just before Irene came ashore. He asked me where was I planning to go out surfing? I answered, “My home break, just north of the Lighthouse Ramp Road”. I closed up the Corolla Surf Shop, headed home and got my board. Chang was already on the beach when I got there. I paddled out. The swell was coming in from the ESE with a strong side shore current running South to North. Despite the sections being pushed over by the wind, I managed to catch some rights. But the side shore current sent me down to the beach, so after a couple of rides I would walk back up the beach in order to stay in front of Chang. My heart was about to come out of my chest because I knew that this was a once in “life-time opportunity”. After my third trip down the beach, I asked Chang if he had gotten some good action shots. Chang said, “Yes”. My friend, Ed Zigo and his son where watching the action & confirmed that I had made some decent drops complimented by a dramatic wipe out. Mission accomplished, I thought. Chang has some great surf pics. That night I got a call from my good friend, Elan Blutinger. “You made the Times. Your picture is already on-line.” I pulled the picture up only to find that the editor had decided to print a picture of me dragging my butt up the beach to get in position for Chang. Once again, I escaped the pressures of fame. Luckily, Laurie (my wonderful wife) came out and actually caught some pics of me riding waves Click:NY Times, Hurricane Irene