HONOLULU – A dramatic image of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a sailing around the South African coast has earned Hawaiian Airlines’ in-flight magazine HanaHou! a prestigious gold prize from The American Advertising Awards (ADDY).
Monte Costa is the Hawai‘i-based photographer behind the stunning image of the Hōkūle‘a navigating choppy waters off Hout Bay as mountain ridges known as the Twelve Apostles soar above misty clouds in the background. The photo was taken shortly before the canoe sailed into Cape Town, about halfway into its three-year Mālama Honua (Care for the Earth) Worldwide Voyage Sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines.
After gracing the cover of HanaHou!’s June-July 2016 issue, the image took a local Pele Award before grabbing the attention of ADDY’s judges, who selected it as the winner in the contest’s color photography category. The top honor recognizes the highest level of creative excellence in the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition attracting over 40,000 entries each year.
Costa captured the moment from a zodiac chartered by a photographer friend and shared with two whale researchers.
“We knew when the Hōkūle‘a was going to be sailing by, it was way outside in the open ocean. It was very brisk and windy, beautiful. The sun was shining but it was biting cold,” recalled Costa, who sat patiently waiting for the right frame as the inflatable raft bobbed where the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. “The image communicates movement – that Hōkūle‘a is moving toward something special. That photo draws you in, it sucks you in as if you are moving with the Hōkūle‘a.”
"This image of Hokule’a approaching the Twelve Apostles near Cape Town, South Africa, seems to come from another world,” remarked HanaHou! publisher Chris Pearce. “You sense the forbidding power of the ocean and the ancient cliffs, and also the intrepid spirit of the voyagers. Among hundreds of photos submitted to the competition, this is the one that the judges couldn’t forget and it’s not hard to see why.”
The ADDY award also acknowledged the work of HanaHou! Photo Editor Matt Mallams and Design Director Kunio Hayashi.
The Hōkūle‘a returned home to Hawai‘i on June 17 after a 40,000-nautical mile journey that included stops at 150 ports and 18 nations. As the title sponsor of The Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, Hawaiian Airlines provided more than 54 million air miles for crew travel, as well as cargo support.
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