When you purchase gear through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. Here’s why you can trust our tests and our affiliate partner.
Brands usually have to arrange photoshoots weeks if not months ahead of time. But sometimes last-minute plans can work out just as well. Florida-based Chris Bobryk and photographer Nicole Laiben met up for a few days of impromptu photoshoots in some unusual locations south of Miami, roping in a couple of talented locals for the ride.
While driving through Miami recently, I hit up Chris Bobryk to see if he wanted to do a photoshoot while I was in town. He owns Efoil Miami and said he actually needed some content for his products, so the timing was perfect. eFoiling is a great way to deal with windless days, but after shooting over a couple of those, we were getting anxious to kite.
The forecast was looking good in the Keys, so without a concrete plan, we decided to go down there to Horseshoe and see what we could come up with. Chris called all the local gurus, one of them being Matt Sexton. Matt suggested two spots that he thought would be great for the forecast wind direction. One of those spots happened to be on Pigeon Key Island. Pigeon Key is a historical island that used to house the men working on the Key West Extension. The local non-profit organization’s mission is to protect the history of the island through education and research. They continually work to restore and maintain the buildings and grounds that used to house the workers. Now these buildings will be home to students eager to learn about the ocean.
“We even found an abandoned ‘feature’ that ended up being the star of the show…”
Despite not being a conventional kite spot, Matt managed to secure permission that same day for us to launch from the island, granting us a unique sunset session. The session unfolded on both sides of the island. Matt and Chris pumped up on the north side of the island and were able to jump up and say hi to the people walking by on the bridge. Once we decided to go to the other side, the guys had to hug the island to avoid obstacles, with the added excitement of a nearby tank housing sharks for research purposes. The water was clear, the kites had to be kept high, and the view was incredible. I couldn’t have asked for a better spur-of-the-moment sunset session. With a limited timeframe to capture the desired shots, I found myself darting from one side of the island to the other, hastily swapping into fins to chase the fading sunlight.
After the sun went down, we stayed to have a barbecue and feed the sharks; they have to eat too. When we finally finished up for the night, we headed back to Grassy Flats Resort and crashed, knowing we had some great content. The next day we met up with Cody Walsh, who can no longer be considered a ‘grom’. Cody has created his own style and just shreds. He took us to some flat-water spots that were perfect for freestyle. We even found an abandoned “feature” that ended up being the star of the show. Watching Chris and Cody feed off each other’s energy was incredibly entertaining. They pushed each other to try new things and bring back tricks that hadn’t been done in a while.
Overall it was an awesome few days, and I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have had a trip this entertaining if we had tried to plan it…
You can get the latest goodness from the world of kiteboarding by subscribing to our print edition. You'll get 5 packed issues, plus a free tee and free digital access. And you'll be directly helping with our sustainability efforts too!
Check it out now
