No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to present our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.
Kinsey Beck, our neighbor this week, juggles a remarkable array of roles while raising his daughter in the Keys. He’s a seasoned captain, leading snorkel, dive and charter trips, alongside providing essential boat and dock maintenance. Beyond that, he’s a lifelong photographer and videographer, and even lends his expertise as a technology consultant, creating special effects for Netflix.
KINSEY BECK
Captain, Captain Hook’s
How long have you been in the Keys and what brought you here? I have lived here for four years this June. I was working for “The Price is Right,” but that transitioned to a permanent work-from-home gig because of COVID. At the time, my daughter’s mother lived down the street from me, so I asked her if she wanted to jointly move to the Keys, and she said yes, so here I am.
What do you do for fun in the Keys and why do you love living here? This will seem very strange, but I love going to Publix. I grew up in Hollywood, California, so I’ve never lived in a small town before. Nine times out of 10, when I go to Publix, I run into people I know, and that’s oddly a really fun thing for me. Sometimes I’ll run into multiple people I know in a single visit. It doesn’t get old. I love living in a small town.
I grew up on the ocean and I can’t think of a better place to raise my daughter than in a place surrounded by the ocean and all this nature. I used to live in Jamaica, and I always thought if I could find something like Jamaica in the United States, I would live there. The Keys are exactly like Jamaica. It’s a Caribbean island life with a rebel-like culture all unto its own.
What is one food you are amazing at cooking? Describe to us why you are so amazing at it. I am very good at smoking steaks. Cooking steaks, in general, is fairly easy to get good at, but it’s also something that if you really work at, you can get into the nuance of what makes a truly great steak. I spent years learning to craft the perfect ribeye, which is many people’s favorite cut, but the last couple of years I’ve fallen in love with the chuck-eye steak. It’s not a commonly-known cut, but it’s perfect for me and very affordable.
If you could be one part of a camera, which part would you be and why? The lens. It’s the part of the camera that defines every good part of the final product. A great lens can make a bad photographer really good.
What is the most amazing photograph you’ve ever taken? Where were you? That is a hard question to answer. Being a photographer, all my photos are like children to me; I love them all (except for the bad ones, obviously). I guess if I had to pick one, it would be a photo I took in 2004 at the World Cup playoffs in Kingston, Jamaica. I was in the cheap seats and I turned around and captured the faces of the people on the bleachers. They were all so extremely focused on the game. I took the shot and the whole photo is a sea of faces all intensely looking in one direction. It’s pretty cool.
Describe the color orange without using its name: The only edible item’s name is its color. It’s the color that is directly opposite of blue. The RGB code for this color is 255, 165, 0. The Hex code for this color is: #FFA500. Additionally, pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes, the flesh of cantaloupe and apricots all have this color. Also, the sun, some marigolds, some lilies and tulips have this color.
If you were given $500,000, what would you do with the money? I would pay my tithes on it, pay off 50% of my debt, then take the remaining $300 and get new eyeglasses.
Where is one place you want to visit that you still haven’t been to? I’ve been blessed enough to have experienced a very full and rich life. I’ve spent a couple decades traveling and exploring the world and I’ve gone to all the amazing places I’ve ever wanted to go. Now my life revolves around my raising my daughter in the Keys.
What’s one thing people don’t know about you? I’ve been poor, then rich, then poor again, then rich again, now poor. I like them both for different reasons.
Know someone who would be a good “Neighbor of the Week?” Email: keysweeklyjen@gmail.com
