EXTREME SURF IS BEAUTIFUL NOW
THE CRADLE OF STORMS
Surfing is a sport that definitely attracts quite a few extremists, constantly in search of ever bigger monster waves to ride. Competitions proliferate, as surfers aim to best each other and break records at every crest. But one trio of surfing buddies took extremes to further extremes.
Alex Gray, Josh Mulcoy, and Pete Devries set out to surf the frigid rough wild waters of the far reaches of Alaska, accompanied by renowned surf photographer Chris Burkard.
They headed to the remote Aleutian Arc of Alaska, the birthplace of storm systems, the primordial place, where swells begin.
Just getting there was an extreme sport of sorts, braving wicked weather on flimsy prop planes, eating seal meat along the way because that’s all they had.
In search of the ultimate cold-water slabs, the extreme surfing trio documented their wild expedition in full-length documentary, The Cradle of Storms.
Everything about this adventure was extreme as the team hunted down the sources of swell in remote bays of this remote Aleutian Island, to places never before surfed.
From the extreme snow-topped volcano hulking in the background to the vast swaths of pristine tundra, to the frigid primordial sea, this is extreme beauty deluxe.
They lived for 2 weeks in a rough cabin as they searched and watched for the big kahuna. And then one morning, the big ones came rolling in with an impending storm.
They were rewarded with record-breaking heights and barrels.
Perfect tubes and incredible slabs kept the guys surfing in the freezing cold for 5 hours, as huge chunks of ice rained down on them. They were in such bliss, they didn’t care about their bodies, only their extreme beautiful thrill.
Check out the trailer for The Cradle of Storms here. And see Chris Burkhard’s earlier extreme surfing film Russia.
Read more about Beautiful Extremes, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.
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IMAGE CREDITS:
All images: by Chris Burkard.
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