Snowboarder catching "thin air" at the summit of

Mauna Kea, Big Island of Hawaii (MR)

Christmas, 2001

When a thunderstorm hits the Big Island, it's common to get snow at the upper elevations of Mauna Kea Volcano.

Professional surfer Reno Maltese was up on the summit (13,796 ft) getting a workout with his snowboard, and agreed to let me try & capture the fun on film. I laid down in the snow with a wide angle lens & let him jump over the top of me using a snow ramp they had built for aerial maneuvers.

Where else on earth but the Big island can you ski and surf in the same day?