Larry Haynes was a legendary North Shore cinematographer whose death- defying work over the past 30 years captured and elevated the best of the surfing world.

Following Haynes’ unexpected death Feb. 9, the surfing community will show its appreciation with a paddle-out at Sunset Beach on Feb. 26, followed by a memorial service at the beach park.

“It’s so hard to believe he’s gone,” said friend and fellow surf photographer Brian Bielmann. “He was such a big personality.”

Haynes, 61, died after collapsing from a heart attack near his car at Laniakea. He had just filmed what would be his final ride with a GoPro camera mounted on his stand-up paddleboard.

Three weeks earlier he was in the gigantic surf filming the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay.

Bielmann said he “was really hammered” by the news of his friend’s sudden death. When he got a call from a friend asking him to return Haynes’ board to his family, Bielmann was told there was a video camera attached and wondered, “Could it possibly show his last ride?”

“There must have been 30 to 40 clips, and we went through them all one by one. At the end we finally found a wave that he caught. And we were cheering and joyful, with a lot of tears,” he said.

Haynes, originally from Central California, moved to Hawaii more than 30 years ago before becoming a pioneer in surf cinematography and a water videographer for professional surf contests and action sports.

He freelanced for the biggest names in the surf industry, and his award-winning footage was featured in scores of films and commercials, including 2012’s “Chasing Mavericks” and the “Fluid Combustion” series in the 1990s.

He founded his own production company, Fluid Vision Productions, in 2015.

Haynes was known for his ingenuity. Through the years he developed a variety of state-of-the-art surf photography equipment and videography techniques, including a helmet cam, Jet Ski cam, board cam and water housing design.

Haynes lived on the North Shore during the big-wave winter months and traveled around the world in search of the best filming locations. Bielmann traveled with Haynes on numerous trips.

“He had such a good heart and was always filled with positive vibrations,” he said. “We went on so many fun trips together, and he got so excited while telling a story.”

In the water Haynes was fearless, willing to go anywhere.

Bielmann recalled the time he was on a personal watercraft shooting the Eddie in 2016 and the waves were monstrous and scary. He looked down into a massive breaking wave and saw Haynes filming.

“I told the Jet Ski driver, wherever he’s going, we’re not,” he said. “Larry would go anywhere to get a shot.”

Following news of Haynes’ death, social media tributes from the surf community poured in, including from the likes of Kelly Slater and Kai Lenny.

“I am in disbelief and still processing the loss of Larry Haynes,” Lenny wrote last week. “Words can’t begin to express how much Larry meant to myself, my family and so many others. He was a close friend and a irreplaceable part of our lives. He is the GOAT of water cinematography!”

On Facebook, North Shore photographer John Bilderback called Haynes the most dominant cinematographer in the ocean.

“He constantly set the standard for hard work, fearless positioning and an unshakable attitude. I told him recently what an inspiration he is, still totally charging at our age. I’m so glad I did. Now he’s on his way again, somewhere else.”

North Shore writer and educator Richard Anton St. Onge added: “Larry Haynes was one of those few authentic people who can be described as larger than life, as well as fearless. He was both.

“Larry was also a creative visionary who not only imagined what was possible, but actualized his vision in ways that basically revolutionized water cinematography. He was at the vanguard of what could be accomplished in heavy-water big waves like no one else. His act will be a hard one to follow.”

The paddle-out ceremony at Sunset Beach will start at 11 a.m. and is open to the public.

A GoFundMe page has been established in support of Haynes’ daughter, Lilly, at gofund.me/5622aba6.