Watch: Larry Haynes’ Final Ride

Standout North Shore filmer and beloved waterman Larry Haynes unexpectedly died on Oahu last week, and a touching outpouring of grief and gratitude for Larry soon followed. 

This week friends and family released footage of Larry’s last session, a standup paddleboard fiesta at Laniakea. His friend and fellow lensman Brian Bielmann collected the footage from Larry’s GoPro after his death. What he saw on Larry’s face was something we all can relate to regardless of surf craft: the pure joy of a stellar ride.

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Jim Valvano, the legendary American collegiate basketball coach, once said, “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

By all accounts, Larry led a full and special life. In the days before his passing, he documented the Pipe CT, Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, and the Eddie from the water. Keep in mind both Pipe and Waimea were big enough to break bones and send people to the emergency room. And there was Larry, swimming the whole time. 

“He had this incredible life right up to the end,” Brian told KHON. “He couldn’t have filled any more into his life than he already did.” 

True to form, Larry was shooting Pipeline hours before his last moments at Laniakea. Larry reportedly collapsed in the parking lot from a heart attack minutes after turning off his GoPro. Looking through his footage, Brian reflected on his friend’s unwavering commitment to his craft for 35 years. After a couple of misses, Larry scratched into a bomb, flew down the line, and kicked out in the channel.

“Finally he caught this beautiful wave and rode it for a long time,” Brian said. “By the end of it, we were cheering and yelling and then crying.” 

A full life indeed.