Waves Between Us

Big Bay, Cape Town

The wind was clean, the waves had that familiar Cape Town bite, and Carl was out there – flowing through each turn, perfectly in sync with the ocean. I stood on the sand with my camera, but my thoughts drifted elsewhere. This was the same beach where my brother, Graham, last kited. The same place he’d soared during King of the Air. The same ocean that, not long ago, took him – doing what he loved most.

So when I lifted my camera to photograph Carl, it wasn’t just another shoot. It was something deeper. Carl and Graham were close – they shared countless sessions together – and watching Carl ride that day felt like catching glimpses of my brother in motion again.

The Thread of Wind and Water

Kiteboarding was everything to Graham. It was his work, his escape, his identity. In his own words: “Kiting to me? Kiting to me is fun, but it’s a little bit of everything, all at once. I guess it’s my career, my work, my escape from all the crazy things. Yeah, it’s something I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember.”

And that was true. When I turned 21, I bought my first camera, packed my bags, and flew to the Dominican Republic to visit him. He’d already done his IKO course, taught in Dubai and New Zealand, and was now living in the Caribbean teaching kiting. I stayed with him for a couple of months and watched him become the Graham everyone came to know – stylish, powerful, always smiling, always chasing wind.

Back then, he rode with boots – throwing big wake-style tricks, powered raleys, and tantrums – until a knee injury changed everything. That setback pushed him toward his real passion: wave riding.

The Surfer’s Soul

Growing up in Johannesburg, Graham was always a frustrated surfer at heart. The ocean was miles away, but the longing never left him. When he blew his ACL, he couldn’t chase Big Air for a while, so he turned to waves – and that’s where he found something pure again.

Wave riding became his outlet. His peace. His way to reconnect with the reason he started kiting in the first place. Over time, as he moved past the pressure of competition, he found joy again in the simple rhythm of wind and water.

That’s why photographing Carl meant so much to me. Watching him ride those waves at Big Bay – the same spot my brother loved – felt both painful and beautiful. It was as if Graham’s spirit was right there, dancing on the water alongside him.