“You'll be hearing about my friend Andrew in the coming days. A phenomenal surf photog, he surfed in Montauk yesterday, got out of the water, and apparently suffered a heart attack, and that was his last session on this earth.
“The surf community at large is in shock.
“Andrew, by his own admission, started out as a greenhorn kook, and wound up being quite the opposite, like we all hope to do. I've rarely seen anyone with a greater amount of pure STOKE.
“He leaves behind a monumental body of artistic work that visually documents just about everything you can imagine regarding area surfing.”
Following the news, tributes from surfers who knew Blauschild poured in. Like from fellow Montauk, New York surfer Pat Schmidt, who wrote :
“The connection I got to form with Andrew since moving to the east end is unexplainable. We always felt in sync. I felt like if he was on the beach, I could surf a certain way that worked well with the way he wanted to capture images of surfing. I could see where he was moving on the rocks, know right away the shot he was trying to get and adjust my position accordingly. I’ve never had that before. I’ve never even wanted that before, but with Andrew it was different.
“I’m such a fan of his work that I wanted to do whatever I could to be a part of it. We had 5 days in a row earlier this summer that we passed each other on nappegue meadow in the same exact spot, both with middle fingers held high followed by a phone call cracking up about it that would end up lasting hours. I will miss those times but am so grateful to experience them. Love you Andrew, thanks for taking me under your wing.”
Speaking to SURFER directly, Schmidt added:
"How much can I fit in about this legend and how he brought together such a divided community. There are not enough words to describe Andrew Blauschild in a way that gives him the justice he deserves. Andrew was a pivotal member of our community. More so than most can comprehend. I’m not from this town, I moved here later in life. I moved here after having a pretty good understanding of how surfers work. How different groups can be territorial about their spots and how seeing a camera at those spots can trigger some tension.
"Andrew was well-aware of this and walked a fine line of capturing such an important era of surfing and this community while also preserving and embodying what makes this place so special. If somebody was upset with him being somewhere with a camera, he really took it to heart. More than the guys giving him shit knew. He really cared about keeping things the way they were while also documenting it all in the most beautiful way possible.
"I have only been really close friends with Andrew for the last 6 years. I feel so fortunate to have that time with him but going to his service really put it into perspective for me how important he was to so many different communities. To hit on a local Level, Drew’s passing even made @mikeydetemple and @nickboyatnight reconnect. Two people that personally told me they would never speak to each other again. Thank you drew."
And now, a paddleout/celebration of life will be held for Blauschild on Sunday, August 25th at 4pm at Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk, New York.
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