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Dave Sanford Shares Story Behind Winning Photo

Dave Sanford, Quality Manager for Team 1 Plastics, a plastic injection molding company for the transportation industry, recently shared the story behind his prize-winning photo, Kalalau Beach. The photo was the grand prize winner in the company’s 2018 Team Members Photo Contest.

“The picture was taken at sunset on October 15, 2016, at Kalalau Beach in Kauai (Hawaii),” said Sanford. “It’s a beach that you’re only able to get to after you hike the Kalalau Trail, which is an 11-mile trail along the Napali Coast in Kauai.”

Part of the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, the Kalalau Trail was rated in 2008 by backpacker.com as one of the 10 most dangerous hikes in the United States. According to the online magazine, “The trail bed is narrow and crumbly … many people have either fallen off the trail or seen it happen. The footing is twice as treacherous after the island’s abundant rainfall turns the track into a greasy slip ‘n slide–not amusing when you’re edging along a 300-foot cliff that spills straight into a rocky surf.”

This was a hike that Sanford said he had never planned on taking. “I had never planned on doing this hike. It was a place that I hadn’t planned on visiting.” But, he had a friend who had visited the island before. “He convinced me that I really needed to see this beach and do this hike.” So, Sanford and his friend headed for Kauai.

It is a full day’s hike to the beach, and Sanford, who is an avid outdoorsman, said that he was tested on the hike. “I’ve been on other hikes but none this epic and demanding.”

The two friends camped at the beach for two nights, during which Sanford captured the prize winning photo, using just his iPhone.

Sanford said he tries to capture pictures of all the places he visits. He uses the pictures to capture the memories of the trips and, in cases like Kalalau Beach, “to try to convince some of my other friends to go with me on another trip to Kauai.”

It was his fellow Team Members at Team 1 Plastics who convinced Sanford to submit his pictures into the photo contest. “A few people at work had seen these pictures. They wanted me to put them in the contest, so I picked a few and submitted them. It was just by chance that they happened to get selected as first and second place.”

Sanford is a two-time winner. Not only did he win first and second place in the 2018 contest – the second-place picture was also from his Kauai trip – his photo, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, was the first place winner in the 2016 contest.

Reflecting on the win, he said, “Winning first and second place was surprising because there were a lot great pictures submitted. I didn’t plan to submit any pictures in either one of the contests. I guess I’m just fortunate enough to be able to visit some really unique places [like Kalalau Beach] and capture them for others to see.”

Thinking about his hike to Kalalau Beach, “It was well worth it. I’d go back anytime. It was by far one of the coolest trips that I’ve ever done.”