Montauk & Thoughts on the Beginning

First trip of the film done, 4 more to go.

I've been treading water with camera in hand for an hour and a half and I can't feel my fingers. However, I'm smiling because I found myself doing something I'd always wanted to do. Having grown up in California, I spent most of my life counting myself out of extreme winter sports and calling myself a wimp when it came to the cold. I even ruled out living in certain states or countries because I thought I couldn’t handle the chill. I dreamed of surfing in places like Norway, Nova Scotia, and Alaska, but always wondered if it was just a silly pipe dream. When it came down to it, would I really be able to handle it? Did I have the same grit I saw in the people who took on these conditions? For a long time, I thought, “Maybe I’m only built for warm sun and easy surf.”

I’ve found the opposite to be true; turns out I love the winter. The cold air makes me feel more alert and awake. Spending hours in freezing water adds a thrill to surfing I didn’t know existed. It’s exhilarating and leaves you with a deep confidence in your abilities— a new level of feeling alive. Now that I know the cold won’t turn me away, a whole new world has opened up to me. A new path for both work and play has been forged.

When someone asked me how I was spending these freezing winter days in New York City this week, it felt a little funny to respond with, “I’m only getting colder,” instead of hibernating away like I thought I would.

Last weekend Shea and I started filming for our documentary.