On the 13th of October it was finally time for the Dutch Championships Big Air Kiteboarding hosted by Space-X in Zandvoort, The Netherlands. During the day the wind was forecasted to increase to an average of 50 knots. Good for a proper big air show. Due to the high level of riding in The Netherlands, there were some big names on the ladder like Cohan van Dijk, Jamie Overbeek and Zara Hogenraad. I was ready for action!

One little issue though, being in a wheelchair I couldn’t go on the beach and I was forced to watch the action from inside a club building. Nice and dry, without sand creaping into my eyes and ears. Literally 50 square meter to move around. Jason Broderick, my friend, asked me if I really wanted to come. Although I wasn’t quite sure, I took it as a challenge and decided to embrace my limitations. That’s an unconventional thing to say. But I wanted to see what I could come up with, sparkle my creativity within these boundaries and show this event from my perspective. To make it even harder for myself, I decided to stick to a 50mm lens on my Leica Monochrome camera. A beautiful little camera that only shoots in black and white. A minimalist approach is key for me these days. In fact I really enjoy the proces, being emerged into the moment. The end result became second priority.

In the end it was a day with mixed feelings. A few times I asked myself the question what I was doing here. But I also witnessed some beautiful moments, that, if you are out in the field often miss. I was able to capture some special moments and create some images that my opinion hold greater value than any of my finest action shots. Photos that show emotions and last a lifetime.