2008 ended in style for a few Alaskan surfers who spent the last moments of daylight riding glassy waist to chest high waves in slushy salt water. It was a true classic Alaskan surf session with a gorgeous winter sunset over the snow covered mountains, ice covering the beaches and floating by in the lineup, and just a few friends out enjoying the waves together. The spray from the lips of the waves was a strange chunky slushy mixture and after sunset the relatively warm water started to steam as the air temperature plummeted. Enjoy the photos.

Alaskan surfers Jake Beaudoin and Kyle Kornelis sit amongst ice waiting for a set to roll in.

Jake Beaudoin surfing the face of a steaming cold wave in Alaska.

Paul Bacher trying to bring some life back into his cold hands. The 3mm gloves just didn't cut it.

Jake Beaudoin reaching for the nose at twilight surfing in Alaska.

Alaskan surfer, Jake Beaudoin's ice covered back.

Alaskan surer Kyle Kornelis looking the part.

Surfer Jake Beaudoin walking out of the slushy water onto a frozen beach in Homer, Alaska.

The air temperature reading 4ºF on my way home.

The swell that started the day after Christmas turned out to be one of those gifts that just keep giving, and just gets better with age! Of the 209 photos I kept from this day, below are 15 that I could not resist. The surfers reading (or are you all surfers?) can appreciate the empty wave shots: “ooohhh,  put me there!”

Enjoy.

Alaskan surfer, Ty Gates, walking out of a winter scene.

Jake Beaudoin surfing Alaska.

Richard surfing Alaska

Alaskan surfer Jake Bell runs in place on a snow covered beach to warm up his frozen feet mid session.

A perfect pair

Jake Beaudoin sufing Alaska.

Alaskan surfer, Jake Bowler, walks pas blocks of ice littering the beach.

Jake Beaudoin surfing Alaska.

Kyle Kornelis surfing an Alaskan sunset session.

Chunks of ice lay on the beach as the sun sets over the snow covered mountains. Kyle Kornelis patiently waits for one more wave. No, make that two, ok three

Tim Bowler settled in and cruising after sunset.

A flock of crows, a set of waves, a mountain range, and the pink sky of a winter evening.

Two days after christmas the real holiday fun got started. The little bit of available light left during this session wasn’t good for photos, but the surfing waves were beautiful and the boys were getting after it. We’ve turned the corner on winter finally and it’s not much yet, but we are gaining daylight each day. Tomorrow morning we are expecting waves in Homer so there’s plans for a dawn patrol, dark and early at 8:30am.  Forecasted temperatures? 10 below (fahrenheit) brrr.

I checked this spot earlier in the day. The surf was perfection, but with the rising tide it wasn't going to last long.

Jake Beaudoin pointing it as one reels across the bar.

Click the photo to enlarge, and look close, you'll see a surfer (Jake Bell I think) lined up on this section.

Jake Bell winter surfing Alaska

Jake Beaudoin lining up for a chance at a barrel. I think it was a wet one.

Jake Bell trying to get in there.

Jake Beaudoin stoked on the new board he found on the beach, little heavy though he said.

Jake Bell, a true Alaskan surfer, posing on the beach with a 300lb square tail fish.

Surf wave with Augustine Volcano in the distance.

Look close and you'll see Jake Beaudoin surfing this mid-winter Alaskan beach break.

As predicted, we had a pretty strong surf swell in Homer, Alaska on the day after Christmas. It was actually a bit oversized for our normal breaks so we surfed a kind of funky beach break. Turned out to be some great drops, and a few nice walls to ride between heavy poundings.  It was a big day for me, after shooting a few quick photos I jumped in and scored what I think might stand as my biggest drop so far. I’ve surfed bigger faces before, but this particular wave jacked up to about double overhead and sent me flying off the lip straight to the bottom, somehow landing on my board I just pointed it down the line with a big grin wondering how I managed to stay on my feet. The current was ripping down the beach so we would hike up a ways, take a few quick paddle strokes out and drift down the to the ‘lineup’.  If you didn’t get on a wave within about 5 minutes it was best to just wash up on the beach and hike back up for another drift.

The few days after this one were even better, I’ll try and post more soon. Till then, here’s a few snap shots from the 26th of December.

Miriah Phelps waxing her board before and Alaska surf session.

Alaskan surfer, Jake Beaudoin, walks the snowy beach for another drift down current.

Late December Alaskan beach break