A little boy from Finland, far away from the world of surfing and waves, left school earlier than most and began working in a repro house. He then asked his dad to lend him a Nikon F camera and started photographing his snowboarder friends. And, the very first roll of film he ever shot landed him a double spread in a snow magazine! That man went on to be one of the most elite surf photographers in the world and had the opportunity to work with veterans like Kelly Slater. But now, it’s been a week since all stand in a state of collective shock.

Timo Jarvenin, the master behind the camera lens in the water, passed away last week from thyroid cancer. He was always the Nikon guy. “Black lenses” were his thing. He wasn’t just passionate. He was tireless. When it came to catching that one perfect wave, Jarvenin could swim in the water for six hours straight. What is behind his connection with Kelly Slater? Jarvenin was a passionate individual with his camera off as well. Not every moment could be turned into content, and he knew that. No wonder, Slater’s struck by the news. He’s struck hard.

On May 19, Kelly Slater took to his Instagram story and penned a difficult message for his late friend. “Hit me hard last week to learn of the passing of my longtime and dear friend, Timo Jarvinen,” Slater added, remembering him. Reflecting on their many shared adventures, he even said, “We spent many trips together.” It was a given that their bond went beyond surf and snapshots. No wonder Slater wrote, “In recent years, he was very open about his challenges to be a better man for the woman he fell in love with. Being a travelling guy on his own schedule, it was a huge but welcome transition for him.”  

Kelly Slater went on to say, “I’ll always miss this man.” He even went on to share a charming anecdote that encapsulates who Timo was at his core. Once a female friend asked Timo, “Hey Timo, what fruit would you be if you were one?”  The man answered, “I’d be a coconut…cause I am hard on the outside and soft on the inside.” Slater describes it as the “perfect description.”

And not just Kelly Slater, many iconic surfers have come together in the past few days to praise the late photographer. Mick Fanning, Leonardo Fioravanti, Sean Doherty, and more have mourned his loss. After all, Timo Jarvenin was one of Europe’s best in the business. His ability to capture surfers like Slater in high-impact zones like Teahupo, La Graviere, etc shows that he was best at capturing action amid chaos. We are sure, the more you know about him, the more you’ll realise the intensity of the surfing community’s loss today.

Not just Kelly Slater, Timo’s skills were known far and wide

If keeping up the family legacy was actually a thing, Timo Jarvenin was someone who aced it. His father and grandfather were both skilled photographers. And that’s how he learned the craft. But Timo had his own style. At first, he wasn’t a fan of digital photography, he preferred the feel of film. But over time, he adapted.

Also, Timo wasn’t really into the cinematic, static surf photos you see all over Instagram. What excited him was when peak action was captured on the camera. Like that one day in 2007 when he had put multiple hours in the water at Teahupoo. It was getting dark, and all the boats and surfers had left, including his crew. But Timo stayed there, in neck-deep water, in the dark, to get that one set. That was his level of dedication. And now, all that is behind is his work.