Surfing in Alaska we get to see a lot of unusual things. These waves in Anchor Point a few days ago were cool, really cool, almost frozen, like a salt slurpee. I was mesmerized, in a desperate effort to try and capture this sight, despite the flat light, I shot some video and photos:

Alaskan slush barrel

The slush layer was about 100ft wide, see the dark water outside.

The set waves were about thigh high.

Heavy slush with ice chunks

We thought about trying to surf these, but the size just didn’t look like it was enough to overcome the drag of moving through all that slush and we were actually having a good time just watching! Besides just being alien like, one fascinating thing about a slush layer is that even a 20mph onshore wind can’t disturb the waves underneath. I’m really looking forward to finding these conditions with a head high swell. Can’t wait to see someone surfing down a slush face or getting barreled in a slurpee, probably call that getting slurped I guess.

Iceman surfing a left during a mid-November session in Alaska.

It’s been blowing snow for the last couple days, 4 inches this morning alone. The storm surf was epic yesterday- So epic that none of us even tried to paddle out after watching a few set waves on the Homer Spit that were about 10ft on the face. If it wasn’t 23ºF and blowing snow at 35mph it might have been a bit more enticing.

This weather makes for a good morning to look through the photos from more favorable surfing circumstances a couple weeks ago. And maybe search online for some cyber-monday winter wetsuit sales!

Iceman surfing Kachemak Bay, Alaska during a cold winter sunrise.

It’s been a while – But that’s the way it always feels when we start surfing again after a summer of the doldrums at my hometown break – Homer, Alaska. After spending a couple cold hours standing on the beach photographing my buddies surfing over the last week I think my SurfAlaska.net stoke has started again.

To break the ice for the season, here is a shot from 10 days ago out on the spit in Homer. There were some inside crushing tubes that I’ll post later, but this offshore boomer with iceman holds the dream and essence of surfing Alaska to me.  Just one stoked surfer out there alone with the mountains and a swell on an unnamed break. Love it while you can, thirty minutes later that sand bar was almost out of the water with the ebbing tide. That’s fine though, iceman was probable ready for a soak in the hot tub, watching the swell, hoping it would stick around for another session before dark.

Stay tuned and keep your fire burning, it’s blowing NorthWest at Augustine Volcano and the tide is flooding the bars.

McFish slipping into the Petrof green room in the morning light.

I still haven’t even began editing the photos from our two recent trips to Petrof Glacier, but I can’t help but share a few of the images that keep catching my eye as when I take a moment to flip through the collection.

Alex Wilson heading out for a surf with the Kenai Mountain Range setting the scene.

Jake Beaudoin surfing a break near Petrof Glacier, Alaska.

Alex, Ty, and Bob walking back to camp after a surf session at Petrof Glacier, Alaska.

Surf Alaska!

Just a little something from the archive for a flat Sunday afternoon.