Big wave surfing has always fascinated me. As a filmmaker, it’s one of my favorite subjects to point my camera at.
So what is it about monstrous waves that leaves us mere mortals both terrified and strangely intrigued? Risk, danger, the fact that strong surf is physically challenging – or is it the fearlessness that surfers show, and how they dance with the raw power of a wave? All of this can be witnessed when the surf gets larger than normal.
For me, I can’t put a finger on whether it’s the courage and fearlessness of surfers, or if I just really enjoy wipeouts? When I look at the forecast and I see that special swell, the biggest you’ve seen in a while, even as a filmmaker, I get nervous. The evening before that big swell is a sleepless one. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Is it not going to show up? Is the weather not going to cooperate? Is the tide going to be wrong?
And then boom, you wake up and get the first peek of the ocean and you see these huge swells rolling through. This is it, this is what we’ve all been waiting for. It’s a great feeling and something that all surfers understand. In just under five minutes during the edit above, I try to pinpoint exactly why I’m so enthralled by big surf.
Find more from Brad Jacobson on his YouTube channel.
