THE WEDGE
For some it is just another day at the beach, to others it is a pilgrimage to one of the most strangest waves in the world. To see it in action is a very special thing.
I guess The Wedge at Newport Beach hasn't been around forever. It has existed since the jetty of rocks was built and in place since 1936. What happens here is that this jetty pushes the wave sideways against the original wave forming two waves and ramping it up into the most crazy-gnarly beach break in the world. To just go there and see it pumping is something that is awe-inspiring. It is almost something you shouldn't spectate, as if you should watch it through the gaps between your fingers, it is absolutely mad. Like Roman gladiators savaged by the lions or Evel Knievel hitting the 13th bus and crashing and burning. It is there for our morbid curiosity.
All this happens in real time and 20 metres in front of the spectator. It’s not 200 metres out at sea like most waves but almost too short for my cameras long surf lens to be of any use. The action is fully in your face.
It is weird how we can elevate a pile of sand and a bunch of rocks into something legendary, as I said earlier, for some Californians it is just another day at the beach, jogging, beach combing and sunbathing. For me, the surf tourist from England it was a crusade.
I rocked up on a Wednesday in early October around mid morning and couldn’t assemble my camera and monopod quick enough. To my left was a ramped up beach break pumping and barrelling as it challenged a large group of bodyboarders and surfers alike. To my right about 100 meters down the beach was a 7 to 8ft right hand barrel that ended in knee high waters or dumped the rider on the beach like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. I half expected the lifeguard hut to be giving out neck braces and spinal boards.
The action was fast and frenetic and an assault on my senses. The crashing noise that I love, the airborne spray blowing back, the anticipation and the smell of death!
Shooting all the action here was like being at a tennis match switching and swivelling from left to right. My photo count was high at over 500 for the day and 100 plus in thirty minutes. Standing on the spot taking it all in, I was getting sunburnt except for my left eye pressed against the rubber viewfinder cover. That eye remained white, I looked like a negative pirate with a pale eyepatch!
Around this time after 30 or 40 minutes a surfer came in and walked past me in a stand out red and yellow short suit. Instantly recognisable with full tattoos, a board with evil scratch graphics and a haircut like Gary Oldman in the 5th Element, it was Christian Fletcher, he said Hi and I kept calm and didn’t fan-out with a “Hi How you doin? ” retort. He passed by and lit a post surf sopping wet ciggie. I quickly checked back through my shots and realised I had just photographed surfing royalty and hadn’t even realised.
Better was to come as Christian’s son arrived and got ready to go in.
Greyson is one of the best of a new breed of pro skateboarders and has the best ollie one foot in the business. You must of heard of the Fletcher family?? C’mon! Father Herbie was a surf pioneer and was one of the first pool riders, he invented Astrodek which turned surfboard grip on its head. His wife Bibi is an established artist and Christian’s brother Nathan rode one of the best waves ever photographed and made it onto multiple magazine covers at once. I had to pinch myself but I guess everybody has to surf somewhere and to many it was just another day at the beach.
Greyson Fletcher is as good a surfer as he is a skateboarder, even trying ollie one-foots in the water. I trained my lens on him for a good portion of the morning and chatted with him when he came out for a few minutes to change board and swap the clip-in fins from one board to another. I must admit I fanboy’d out a bit at this meeting and garbled on a bit too much as Greyson soon hurried off back into the line up.
Most of the other surfers were super rad too. I captured the actions of Jordan Robinson, Andrew Beaulieu (in from Connecticut) Sage Burke and Shane Borlan.
The Wedge has had bigger days but walking back to my rental car I had a massive grin on my face. I try hard at wave photography and I am in it for the long run but this day was epic. It boosted my camera confidence and my surf stock seemed on the rise. I guess you cannot take a bad photo at The Wedge.
If you ever get half a chance to witness The Wedge when it is pumping, grab it. It is an extraordinary event to view first hand. For this pale Englishman abroad it was astonishing, breathtaking and awe- inspiring.
To others it was just another day at the beach.
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| Local crumple car. Model T |
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| Car of the day Chevy Luv. owner said his wife would sell it to me! |
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