You a hear a lot of talk this time of year about the circus coming town, the Vans Triple CROWD, six weeks of hell, etc. Unless you’re a local business owner, you’re more than likely not welcoming the scene with open arms.
As a resident surf photographer, it’s easy to look past all that and see dollar signs. You’ve got the world’s best and their sponsors right in your backyard. There’s never been a better time to do work and make connections.
I’ve got no complaints about the extra-crowded lineup of pro surfers, the traffic or the “foreigners” (aren’t we all foreigners just passing through?) Sure, I’m not getting as many waves as I would early season or in the spring and I have to give out enough high fives at Club Foodland to catch a different strand of the flu each week, but it’s about taking the bad with the good.
For me, its not about the money or the photos or the networking. It’s about the relationships, the seasonal friends, the family and quality time spent with them. The big dinners and the big barrels. You see, living on the North Shore year round can get pretty slow. This place is an absolute ghost town in the summer. As much as I enjoy the down time of summer, I look forward to the friends new and old and that I’ll see each winter. The relationships I’ll build and the waves that I’ll share.
Sometimes you’re counting down the days ’til certain people leave, but for the most part, you’re bummed to see a lot of them go. Most of them are out of here by Christmas, but some will stay ’til the spring, and if you’re lucky, a good friend might ride it out ’til May or even June. A select few might fall in love with the place and decide to never leave. This may all sound like a nightmare to some, but to all my seasonal friends I’ve made each year here on the North Shore, welcome back. Beers are on me.
Check out more of Laserwolf’s photography at laserwolfphoto.com and on Instagram: @laserwolf_photo
