Wake Up

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I am a snowboarder. I started ripping it up in the mountains as a scrawny eight-year-old girl, and now I'm in my 30s. You do the math! In my head, surfing seems a lot like snowboarding, except that it’s free and you don't have to drive four hours in sketchy conditions to jump on a board. The folks I photographed for this series don't even have to get in a car. They cross the Great Highway and the ocean is their playground.

The incredible people I encountered in the Outerlands all share one common thread – an organic, almost spiritual love for the ocean. Pam took me out to the beach for a little surfing with Henrique. I met Alex of Surf For Life, who takes kids on surf/work trips to Costa Rica. I got to know Sarah and Alex of Alex Martins' Surfboard Repair, who fix boards (usually broken in half). I then befriended James at Sunset Shapers, who builds custom boards for people from scratch.

Finally, I photographed Aleks, the owner of Aqua Surf Shop, and became acquainted with his dog, who stole the show.

My overall take on the surf crowd? Every person I met was incredibly fit, happy, positive, and mellow. If that's what happens when you're one with the ocean – a full-on cleanse of the body and mind – then I want to be a part of it. Looks like I'm going to have to get my first wetsuit soon. The water is calling!


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Head out to the ocean past the Great Highway in the Outerlands for some surf! New to the sport? You can get a board at Aqua Surf Shop out on Sloat and suit up to hit the waves.

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Published on April 8, 2011, 2011

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