An Alaskan Adventure with Anna
Photos: Sarah Lee
The northwestern corner of Canada was our destination. Our largest state, Alaska, reaches out towards Russia with a handful of islands swimming distance to the Kamchatka Peninsula of eastern Russia. Some of those Islands have been explored for fishing, birding, military outposts and native people. Surfing, though, is relatively new in Alaskan waters, somewhat coinciding with the invention of good wetsuits. Funny how that works.
The first half of our week-long surf trip aboard Milo, a 58ft converted fishing vessel, we surfed waves that undoubtedly never been surfed before. Coming in February meant a decent amount of winter swell in the water, giving us ample opportunities to surf around every nook and cranny.
Nothing world class, but exceptionally cool getting to scope out surf spots from out at sea and name them whatever comes to mind. "Barabara" was a chunky right that breaks alongside a steep cliff. We named it after the tuft of high grass growing atop the cliffs that looked like the partially underground shelters built and named by the Aleut tribe who inhabited the Aleutian Islands.
Some spots were better than others. As we neared Seward, we scored some unbelievable waves. Cobblestone A-Frames that reminded us of the cold water cousin of Lowers. Left point breaks that'd give Malibu's mirror image a run for its money, etc.
All while aboard the most insane boat I'd ever been on. We slept below deck in the bunks just passed the engine room with a roaring noise that lulled us into deep sleep every night. Despite the bitter cold and the need to restock food and gas, it was one of those trips you never want to end. If I was captain, I might never have returned.
Thank you to Alaska Surf Guides for keeping us safe, stoked and scoring on this Alaskan Adventure.
Also in Bing Surfboards Blog
EXPRESSION SESSION
PURE STOKE
An Interview with Christian Marcher of Progressive Surf Academy
You’d be hard pressed to find someone more stoked on surfing than our friend and local ripper Christian Marcher. Big boards, small boards, soft tops, surf mats, hand planes, you name it and this guy rides them all at a very elite level. The best part about Christian is that he is always the nicest guy in the water and he pushes the boundaries of what you think is possible on a surfboard every time he paddles out.
With over 30 years of surfing experience, Christian has built Progressive Surf Academy into one of the most well-respected surf schools anywhere on the West Coast. He and his team use a very unique approach that dives deep into ocean safety, technique, and ethics in the lineup that you don’t see anywhere else. Christian delivers a premium surf experience for all ages and has been a part of the Bing family for a few years, so we sat down to chat and learn a bit more about the man and his love for the ocean.
