Behind The Shot: Josh Bystrom

Generally speaking, I'm not inclined to superstitions or irrational beliefs, so I can only chalk up the WSL's timing of the Lexus Pipe Pro as bad luck. Nothing more, nothing less.

With Hawaii pumping since early December, including numerous mid-size west days perfect for Pipe and Backdoor, the storms suddenly stopped in late January. The North Pacific Jet Stream wobbled, weak mid-latitude systems began crossing Hawaii's swell window, making the waiting period for the Pipe Pro a test of patience - for the competitors at least.

For recreational surfers and surf photographers such as Josh Bystrom it was an opportunity to rest after a six-week swell bender. Relax tired muscles, fix boards and camera housings, eat good food and get set to do it all again.

"Then it started again like clockwork," says Josh of the way the swell hit hard from the west as soon as the waiting period finished. Pipe and Backdoor started firing and the Swell Bender, Part II, was back on.

On the afternoon of February 10th - two days after the Pipe Pro finished - Josh was sitting on the Backdoor side of the reef looking into the rights. That zone isn't without its dangers: there's no real channel so bigger sets will detonate in a few feet of water, but it's an angle he enjoys shooting.

"Some waves at Backdoor break a little bit deeper and a little further in," explains Josh of what he was looking for that afternoon, "they sneak under the best surfers like John John and Nathan Florence, all those guys. So you get guys positioned differently: they'll sit pretty deep and they'll sit a little bit further in."

A strategy that's also not without its dangers. "Yeah, they have to swing late when they come through," explains Josh.

With the wind backing off and the afternoon light angled just so, a set hit the reef at Backdoor and snuck under the big dogs. Josh was primed for what came next.

"He just swung on that one," says Josh of the fella in the viewfinder, "and as I shot it I remember there wasn't a drop of water out of place. I couldn't believe it."

Immediately afterwards, recalls Josh, "He paddled straight up to me and his eyes were really wide and he's like, 'Did you get that one?'"

 "Yeah I did," said Josh, who then showed him the photo off the back of his camera. The surfer's reaction..?

"Whoa...!"

Deep blue water pitching towards late-arvo land tones, and one lucky surfer under the bow - and one not-so-lucky one in the whitewater. (Josh Bystrom)

Back home on the Gold Coast, Josh works as a lifeguard while indulging his passion for surf photography on the side. Selling photos to stoked punters helps pay the bills, yet spelling out his surname to surfers high on adrenalin has proven tricky.

"No-one could ever find me online," laughs Josh.

These days he gets a a bundle of rubber wristbands made up with his details printed on them, stretches them around his pistol grip, then shucks one off if someone asks.

Which is exactly what he did to old mate in the photo above.

He told me he didn't have Instagram, says Josh, but he kept on saying, "You were in the spot. I really want to see the shot, man."

Josh was also keen for the guy to make contact just to find out who the unknown charger is.

Since then, however, there's been radio silence. Did the fella put the wrist band on? Did he put it in his boardshorts pocket and lose it?

With the mystery enduring, Josh submitted the photo to Swellnet's Wave Of The Day, hoping it may lead to an ID.

And it did, the surfer in the slot is Kirby Fukunaga. No-one at Swellnet has heard of Kirby and we have no way of contacting him.

We know almost nothing about Kirby Fukunaga...

...except he likes to sit tight to the reef at Backdoor and swing late without hesitation.