Editor’s Note: Details for the premiere of A Wedge to Remember are available at the bottom of this post. The images from the gallery above are screenshots from the hour-long film.
“You really missed it!” That’s the line every surfer and photographer hates to hear. On Wednesday, August 27, it was the best day for surfing along the Southern California coast in 25 years. Many factors have to come into play in just the right way to make a special swell, which is why it so rarely happens. And with numerous surf spots going off like they hadn’t in a quarter of a century, for a photographer like me, it was a nightmare. No matter where I was, I was missing something big happening somewhere else. The night before, I had promised myself I would score the best footage of that epic swell. Boy, was I wrong.
Let’s go back to the night before the swell. I was at home checking the forecast sites and watching the news, looking for clues that would point to the best place to be in the morning. “Good evening, waves are smashing the coastline tonight,” the newscaster said, his voice booming with excitement.
This caught my attention. I turned up the volume.
“Lifeguards say they have not seen conditions like this in twenty-five years.” Now my full attention was cast on the screen, its glow of possibility emanating.
A Newport Beach lifeguard filled the screen, his eyes round: “The surf is overwhelming with riptides and high surf. Please stay out of the water for your own safety.”
The weatherman chimed in next, describing in great detail the hurricane that was causing the massive swell headed toward Southern California:“Tropical Storm Marie is churning in the Pacific. The monster storm is generating incredible waves. Marie is currently west of the southern tip of Baja, throwing up a big south swell in our area; some of the highest wave conditions we have seen in years.”
The news continued to hype the swell. Pictures of Hurricane Marie flashed across the screen — and it was gigantic. It was then that I knew the Wedge would be going off. And I didn’t want to miss it.
On Wednesday, August 27, I got to the Wedge at 5 a.m. It was still dark but there were already at least a hundred people on the sand, waiting. The ocean air was heavy with anticipation. Five news trucks with satellite feeds hovered behind us. This swell was such a huge news story for the public.
I set up my camera on the beach in the dark and waited along with the rest, knowing when the sun came up, it would shine on the biggest Wedge in 25 years! I was shooting next to veteran photographer Dan Merkel, who has filmed every swell in the area for the last 40 years. If I was next to Dan, I was in the right spot.
By the end of the day, I had filmed some great rides and even bigger wipeouts. I knew I had scored, but I also felt like I really missed it! Everyone was talking about Newport Point — Jaime O’Brien, Kolohe Andino, Jordy Smith, Rob Machado. And everybody kept saying it was Pipeline in California. I was so bummed out I missed it, and I was only a mile away the whole time. Then I heard about Sandspit in Santa Barbara. Even people at The Wedge were saying it was all-time!
I realized Big Wednesday would make a great subject for a documentary. So I started rounding up the best footage and the best filmers. I interviewed each one about how they happened to score their amazing footage. Finally, I tracked down legendary Wedge surfer Danny Kwok.
The interviews and the surf footage all came together to form A Wedge to Remember.
I am excited to have the world premiere in Newport Beach. It’s going to be amazing to hear the stories and see the surf from Hurricane Marie on the big screen — some of the filmers will even be there for a question and answer after the screenings, along with mega giveaways and raffles.
To watch the film in its entirety, be sure to attend the world premiere in Newport Beach at the Lido Theater this coming Saturday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Tickets available now at JoshPomerFilms.com or JoshPomer.eventbrite.com.
More shows to follow including:
Encinitas at La Paloma Theatre, November 5, 8:00 p.m.
San Diego at Balboa Park – Veteran’s Museum, November 6, 7:30 p.m.
Santa Barbara at Veteran’s Hall, November 7, 7:30 p.m.
Santa Cruz at Rio Theatre, November 15, 8:00 p.m.
