Miles of beaches line the shore of this barrier island. Today tourists and locals use them to enjoy surfing in the Atlantic Ocean. On the other hand, over the years this coastline has borne the brunt of nature’s fury. At least six Confederate blockade-runners were shipwrecked off these shores during the Civil War. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo flooded much of the island. It’s northeastern end, home to private community of Wild Dunes, has endured a severe erosion crisis. Rising waters all over the world are threatening beaches everywhere. In this image, I try to balance the pleasures of recreation against the threat of nature’s awesome power. I layer the foreground with vulnerable dunes, then move to a group of visitors towing their boards along the edge of the sea, and fill the background with the churning power of the ocean itself.