Surfing Action – Northern California Coastal Art Print

Description

My first trip to California was also my first exposure to the sport of surfing. Of course, I’ve seen people surfing on TV all my life, but I think it really is something you have to see in person to fully appreciate.

I had initially stopped along the coast near Santa Cruz to see the ocean and the beautiful rocky coastline, but then I spotted a group of surfers out on the waves. And I was instantly captivated. I sat there for hours without even realizing that time had passed. It seemed like I had been there just a short time. Part of that time I simply watched them in action, paddling out and surfing back in. But it wasn’t long before I started capturing some of the action. I wanted to frame some of that magic for myself.

As is often the case, there’s a bit of serendipity in this print. I spent hours taking pictures of various surfers who came close enough to shore for me to capture. But finding that right blend of a surfer near enough and on a good wave was a bit of luck. I could just as easily have been following another guy on a different wave that wouldn’t have looked as powerful as this print.

This was the surfing print that made those many attempts worthwhile. Granted I would have been happy having just sat there and watched. I did find surfing just that engaging. But also having a great print was frosting on the cake. Catching this surfer breaking across the top of a wave and bathed in sunlight was a fun reward. I couldn’t have been happier when I captured this moment. I lost track of how long this print was in my cube at work after I returned from California. I guess it was my proverbial happy place.

Since that trip to California, I have only had fleeting moments to see surfers in person. But I have been in love with the zen of surfing every since the happy accident of discovering them on the coast that morning.