Not many places on earth can create an image like this. The Outer Banks can. Photographer Patrick Ruddy took advantage and captured a timeless photo while on assignment for SURFER with Zach Weisberg in 2008. Photo: Patrick Ruddy.
I grew up surfing in the Outer Banks. As a kid, I spent every summer working at Lisa’s Pizzeria in Rodanthe, North Carolina. First, I washed dishes. Then I moved up to prep chef – grating cheese, tossing pizzas, and trying not to mess up the intricately designed homemade pizza sauce. After a few years under my belt and relentless badgering to the endlessly patient owners (thank you, Briggs and Dave!), I got promoted to the front of the house as a waiter. That’s whereI could generate savings for a new surfboard purchase. After a shocker of a debut weekend where I mistakenly delivered a small Supreme Pizza to two bikers expecting a large Supreme Pizza (I’ll never forget that mistake), I was relegated back to the kitchen. Then, with a bit of persistence for a second shot out front, I made the most of it, and I was able to cement a summer spot on the wait staff.
I’ll never forget a bit of advice I received from our front of house manager, Sara, about a week into the gig. She told me to yuck it up. Be OVERLY friendly. Smile big to customers. Deliver positive energy with that hand-tossed pizza and see what it did to my tips. If a family came in with a baby, she’d kiss that baby and make that family feel like they were home. Up to that point, I was following a different school of thought my friend Alan had impressed upon me: “The best server is the one you don’t know exists.” Made sense to me. So I was trying to make myself scarce between refills and calzone drop-offs. But with Sara’s updated approach – high-fiving customers, finding little commonalities to chit-chat about, making sure glasses stayed full…my income nearly doubled. Alan was wrong. Sara was right. And I couldn’t un-learn that lesson. Leading with positive energy pays. Literally.
All that is to say that we’re super excited to host the third event of The Inertia‘s HOMETOWN HYPE presented by White Claw on 8/30 at the Outer Banks Brewing Station to celebrate the rich surf culture and community in the Outer Banks for a number of reasons. Some close to my heart – others generally relevant to surfers the world over. In addition to the world premiere of the short film, HOMETOWN HYPE: Outer Banks, directed by Abyss Films , we’re excited to host The Inertia‘s Outer Banks Surf Photo Challenge to celebrate all the photographers who have been capturing amazing imagery over the years. We’ll be displaying the finalists at the premiere and have a team of photo editors and staff reviewing all entries to announce the winner.
To enter, submit your best Outer Banks surf photos to info@theinertia.com with the subject: Outer Banks Surf Photo Challenge. It’s a quick window to participate. Entry period ends 8/19. Lineups, shots from water, and aerial images that capture the essence of Outer Banks surfing are all welcome. We look forward to seeing your entries.
We’ll be making prints to display the finalists at Outer Banks Brewing Station and announcing the winner (and a bunch of goodies from our partners and bragging rights) before the film premiere on 8/30! Excited to see you there.
