'MIND OVER MONSTER' SURF #62
James McKean: Conquering the Beast at Shipstern Bluff.
Tasmania, Australia
FREE POST WORLD WIDE*
SURF PHOTOGRAPHY
The 'Wave of Consequence' Series came about on a long haul flight headed for a remote Island on a search for an undiscovered surf break.
Story by Surf Photographer Ted Grambeau.
While cruising at 40,000 feet up in the air, I'd put together a selection of images to share on social media for the next couple of weeks and was searching for a title. The images I'd selected were all pointing me in one direction, they were all waves of destruction, and waves that would do you some serious harm, maim and instinctively kill. They were not a wave many in the world could surf or would ever want to surf, only the brave and extremely experienced have ventured onto the face of these monsters. When ignited, they literally explode. Cyclops and beyond, Chopes and Waimea just to name a few.
CONSEQUENCES
One of the greatest and most permanent consequences of our thoughts, choices and actions would be death. These waves are ridden by choice not chance, those who chase them, hunt them and ride them, all understand the consequences and choose to risk their lives.
“As part of my journey as a water and surf photographer, I’m privileged to have witnessed and documented some of the greatest swells surfing has ever seen. I’ve missed some, but those that I’ve managed to document have been epic.”
THE TALENTED AND THE BRAVE
The behind the scene crew from the (often questionably possessed) boat driver, the skilled and brave jet-ski rider and of course the unwaveringly talented and ridiculously brave surfer that charges down the face of some the greatest monsters of the ocean, know all too well the consequences that they may experience.
WAVE PRINT GALLERY
WAVES OF CONSEQUENCE
ENDANGERED - Surf Adventure (Iron Horse) “This was a journey. A real journey. And in my humble opinion, that ideal is endangered.”
POINT BREAK - HELL OR HIGH WATER - “The swell arrived and did not disappoint, conditions were flawless and the scene was set, local surfers continued to vi for waves as it was business as usual at the worlds most notorious left-hander.…”
MONSTER SURF - Nias “The usual suspects, the team of big wave surf nomads that circulate the globe, arrived at a similar time to myself, in time for an 8-10ft swell.”
EDGE OF OBLIVION - CODE RED - “Perched precariously on the back (stern) of George Riou’s boat, I am 100% focused on capturing whatever drama is about to unfold in front of me. A shiver runs up my spine as a…”
BIG WAVE SURFERS - Fiji “Fiji not only produced one of the biggest swells ever, but became a magnet for the world’s best big wave athlete’s, both tow and paddle.”
WILD OCEAN - DARK FUN - “Some surf locations need no introduction, however, if you're still unsure let me just say it's one of the wildest and most dangerous locations in the world for surfer and photographer. Great whites don't seem to mind the bitterly cold conditions.”
BEYOND LIMITS - SUPER HUMAN - “2015's year of Pro Surfing was beyond incredible and at the same time brutally punishing. The world's best surfers were absolutely pushed to the bloody edge…”
