It probably isn\'t, but this shot reminds me of Chicago\'s lake shore. It\'s really good how you caught the wave splash, and I can hear the water, wind, and the gulls. The border bothers me a bit, and there\'s a slight discolouration right around the edge of the picture and by the horizon. The picture almost looks like it might have been sharpened a bit too much. Good job. ~7
Nice wave/spray of water. Too bad you couldn't get a more tightly-focussed shot of it, since there's all this empty space between you and it that ends up detracting a bit. In terms of topic, yes, very evocative, but then, I grew up next to this big wet thing.
Yes, this meets the challenge in my opinion. Not only the waves, but the sounds of the birds flying overhead. There is just something about this photo that doesn't seem make me say WOW though. Perhaps a closer crop and a little boost in the saturation to make the waves more dramatic and bring more color out. Just a thought. Good luck in the challenge.