Once upon a time,
Before the global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 AD and the shelter-in-place orders that followed, there was a humble gathering of friends brought together by their passion for surfing and for one man’s unique take on the bachelor party.
Erik, a relatively wholesome man with a heart of gold coral, opted out of the traditional drunken titty tassel debauchery usually associated with this type of occasion. Instead, being an avid near-daily surfer himself, Erik decided to round up his closest surf bros that would be willing and able to join him on an adventure down the coast for a 3 night surf trip in Big Sur. The guys arrived to camp at different times, but eventually, tents spread out and they claimed their place under the stars for the duration of the trip. The energy was high, and so were some of us.
Photo: Richie Beck/CTRL D MEDIA
I was invited to document the trip and I did my best to capture everything I could while stumbling around with new gear and a penchant for trial by fire. I had a lot of fun watching everybody surf as I attempted to keep up with the random nature of waves, and the seven guys vying for their chance to ride them. I learned a lot about my new gear, and I learned a lot about surfing while sitting by the fire and listening to all the stories from the day, and lessons from past surfs. I learned the term ‘wave intelligence’. After spending hours at the shore following bodies and surfboards bobbing in and out of densely textured 3-D space through my cheap-o 75-300mm canon lens, I learned that I have none of that.
Photo: Erik Weinstein
Looking back, it feels like some strange and distant paradise of unrestricted mobility, where dude-hugs and faux-jabs were given freely, and high fives were flying like the ravens and hawks that would come to reclaim the sky after various counties cascaded into lockdown. A last hurrah before the novel coronavirus caused an abrupt shift toward uncertainty in the welfare and stability of society. The contrast is extreme. Yet, for as bittersweet as that contrast is, the potency of the freedom on display from those that braved the waves of the wild Big Sur coast, along with the rugged unforgiving terrain of the region itself, left a lasting imprint on my being. It opened up a space inside myself; a place and experience to revisit when the walls are compacting during these times of self-isolation and social distancing. So, thank you to Erik, and to all the dudes for welcoming me in and letting me be free in capturing this adventure.
-Richie
Photo: Richie Beck/CTRL D MEDIA