For
the Love of Surf - Valentine's Day Swell
of 2010 -
Photos by Chris Grant and Don Ansell
JettyGirl
Art, Photography & Culture
California
has had such an amazing run of surf over
the past few months that it's all starting
to blend together. With the four-day President's
holiday weekend coinciding with Valentine's
Day this year, it seemed like a perfect
time to shoot with surfers who might otherwise
be spending two of those days in school.
First up was a down-south session at Darlene
Conolly's local spot in San Diego County.
We met up with Chloe Buckley and Sara Taylor
who had promised me she'd clean her wax
this time around. She did clean her wax,
then proceeded to forget both the board
and her wetsuit somewhere along the way.
Luckily for her, Darlene had some spares.
When we arrived at the beach we were greeted
with no less than five other surf photographers
and video guys so what you see in this gallery
may very well show up in a half-dozen other
media outlets. The extreme high tide hitting
that particular reef made for less than
spectacular conditions, but the girls took
the place apart anyway. It was a great start
to the weekend.
The rest of the weekend was spent at a
not-so-secret spot that requires a long
walk to get to. The hike in is really no
big deal ...unless you happen to be carrying
50 pounds of camera gear on your back which
is the position I found myself in. I walked
down with local surfer Marissa Shaw and
the moment we hit the sand, we both knew
that this was the spot. To my dismay though,
when we made it to the water's edge we discovered
that recent rains had pushed the river through
...leaving me on the "wrong" side
of the morning light, in essence shooting
right into the glare of the sun. Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!
With my camera bag hoisted back onto my
back, I had to retrace my steps and take
a different path to the south side of the
riverbank.
My next trips in would be a bit more risky
but definitely less of a walk. On these
occasions I packed some trash bags and while
under the watchful eye of the half-dozen
other photographers stuck on the north bank,
I bagged up my gear and floated it across
the river. While I didn't necessarily relish
standing on the beach in a wetsuit all day,
at least I was on the good side of the morning
light and I was indeed thankful that my
venture hadn't resulted in unexpected sunken
treasure. Long story short, the mission
to this spot was well worth it... the girls
were firing out there. From Marissa Shaw's
frontside airs to Taylor Pitz' blistering
snaps, it was a fantastic way to spend Valentine's
Day this year. --Chris Grant
Photo Gallery
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1. USA Surf
Team member Taylor Pitz threw these hooks down on almost
every wave. Against the grain surfing at its finest.
2. An ultra high tide kept things slow until Chloe Buckley
caught a left and exploded with three crisp snaps.
3. The waves were overhead anyway but as a pint-sized
10-year-old, they were WAY overhead. Meah Collins. Photo:
Don Ansell
4. Marissa Shaw gives an unsuspecting bird some company
as she soars higher and higher with each new punt.
5. Even though she forgot to bring virtually everything
but her board, Sara Taylor never forgets how to attack
the inside sandbar.
6. Judging by everyone I've seen ripping on CI Biscuits,
it's obviously a valid design. Darlene Conolly in full
color at her homebreak.
7. Lulu Erkeneff, fifteen minutes south of her local
spot and about seven turns from the end of this long
right.
8. It was fun watching Taylor Pitz wind up and whip
these turns all the way down the point.
9. Looking down the line at a 100 yard wall, Meah Collins
considers the possibilities ahead of her. Photo: Don
Ansell
10. This was the first time I ever saw Frankie Harrer
surf. She rips and has such an amazing style!
11. Every once in a while, it just seems right to hit
the eject button. Unidentified local girl in flight.
12. It's not the longest walk in the world but when
your feet finally hit the sand at Trestles, it sure
feels nice. Jenny Quam.
13. Where would we be without the floater? Jenny Quam
with speed to burn as she floats effortlessly over the
section.
14. Danielle Wyman is another surfer I had never seen
before. She obliterated this long right with a half-dozen
committed turns.
15. Chloe Buckley puts her little Rusty through its
paces with a quick hit on the inside closeout section.
16. Despite the super high tide, Darlene Conolly managed
to pick one off the outside reef and was rewarded with
a nice lined up face.
17. Wearing a borrowed wetsuit and riding someone else's
board, Sara Taylor looks completely at home as she flies
over the transition.
18. Along with frontside airs, throwing buckets is a
large part of Marissa Shaw's surf repertoire.
19. What a pleasant surprise it was to see an old friend
out. One of the best surfing moms on the planet, Marii
Sugiura Bakker.
20. Marii Sugiura Bakker calls it a day and wraps up
one of the best Valentine's Day swells in recent memory.
California
has had such an amazing run of surf over
the past few months that it's all starting
to blend together. With the four-day President's
holiday weekend coinciding with Valentine's
Day this year, it seemed like a perfect
time to shoot with surfers who might otherwise
be spending two of those days in school.
