“Died of a Heart Attack”: American Sports World Mourns a Tragic Loss

Published 02/11/2023, 3:15 PM EST
The American sports world and the surfing community at large are mourning the passing of legendary surf cinematographer Larry Haynes. Tributes to the late cinematographer are pouring in from legendary surfers like kelly Slater to fans of the sport. Erik Logan, the CEO of the World Surfing League, wrote on Instagram that the Haynes has passed. He informed the fans that many might not know who Haynes was. Logan wrote many fans of the sport might not be familiar with Larry Hayens. However, he also wrote most fans had watched Hayne’s work.
Unlike those who film from the beach, the legendary cinematographer spent hours in the water with the surfers. Being in the water with the athletes allowed Haynes to capture incredible footage which would other be impossible to shoot from a distance. Among his famous works are Chasing Mavericks and Fluid Combustion.
Surfing fans on Twitter react to Hayenes’s death
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Surf fans posted about the tragic loss. “Surfing world mourns loss of iconic cinematographer Larry Haynes,” wrote a fan of the cinematographer. “Guy’s Breaking News: Larry Haynes, legendary surf photographer, has died,” wrote another fan.
“Surf cinematography legend Larry Haynes has reportedly died of a heart attack,” wrote one fan. “One of the greatest water cinematographers and legend in and out of the water has left us forever. RIP Larry Haynes,” posted another fan.
Surfers sometimes die trying to surf monstrous waves. However, according to news outlets like Hawaii News Now, Heynes didn’t meet with an accident and passed due to a heart attack in Laniakea, Hawaii.
Amidst the mourning, Kelly Slater celebrated Larry Haynes
As tributes poured in for the cinematographer, Kelly Slater shared a story on his Instagram profile. Slater shared a screenshot of a chat between him and surfer Shane Dorian. The 11-time World Surfing League winner posted a part of their conversation where Dorian shared a story about Larry Haynes. Sorian said Haynes once towed him out to surf some massive waves.
However, the surfer couldn’t keep his balance after the first wave and kicked out. “2 waves later was a 25-30ft teepee on my head. I barely swam through it, thought I was gonna die,” wrote Dorian.
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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Larry Haynes (@fluid_vision)
He then revealed the heroic rescue that Haynes pulled off. “Larry came and grabbed me before the next one just in time, the whitewater engulfed us completely and he was yelling ‘we f****en got this, hang on!’” wrote Dorian. The duo rode through the crushing wave and made it to safety. According to Dorian, they laughed for 20 minutes, and Haynes brought up the story every time he met the surfer.
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Were you familiar with the work of Larry Haynes? Let us know in the comments.