This series of portraits grew out of a simple instinct: to document the people I shared the water with. Between 2008 and 2010, I photographed kitesurfers along the Great Lakes of Michigan—always on film, always on location, and almost always moments after they stepped out of the water. Using only natural light, I aimed to capture them as they truly were in those in-between moments: grounded, exhilarated, and still carrying the energy of the wind and waves.

These portraits are more than a record of riders; they’re a reflection of a specific time in my life and a community bound by joy, grit, and a deep love for the sport. It was incredible to share the water and waves with each of these individuals, and an honor to photograph them. This body of work is a tribute to the people who shaped that chapter—friends, strangers, and fellow riders whose passion helped define my own.