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.

Mike McCune Surfing a Cook Inlet winter storm as it breaks on an icy Ninilchik, Alaska beach.

Mike had been watching the weather, maybe a little too closely. The waves in Homer were suffering from a 30mph onshore wind but the buoys and weather stations had him thinking that something might be going on up the road 40 miles at the mouth of the Ninilchik River or Deep Creek. It was such a gnarly winter blizzarding day that I could not say no to this invite. With the conditions what they were it was a pretty easy decision to leave the wetsuit behind and bring the fur hat and camera bag instead.  Gart Curtis and I met Mike at his house and up the road through the blowing snow we went.

This trip, unlike some other recent wave hunts, did not disappoint. I could ramble on about the day for a while, but time is very short. My bags are packed and I’m heading to Prince William Sound for 5 days on a photo project. Of course I’ll keep an eye out for waves.

The photos are a bit ‘flat’. It was snowing hard, and blowing in circles limiting visibility pretty badly, the light was poor, but the subject was great.

 

Gart Curtis and Mike McCune walking a path through the ice to the waves on Cook Inlet, Alaska.

Mike McCune surfing a Cook Inlet winter wave in Ninilchik, Alaska.

Alaskan surfer Mike McCune trying to find his way amongst the chunks of ice on the beach in a snow storm.

Mike McCune sits on a chunk of ice as he waits for Gart to scramble his way up the icy beach.

Alaskan surfer, Gart Curtis, covers his face from the wind as he jumps between chunks of ice. Mike McCune can be seen in the field of snow ahead.

The surf was overhead, the snow was about knee high. Gart Curtis trudges back to the truck during a winter surf session in Alaska.

The surf session started at Deep Creek. Mike and Gart drifted north in the current about a quarter mile to the mouth of the creek. By the time we got back up to the ‘put-in’ the tide had risen several feet and the waves were crashing into the ice chunks. We decided to head for the Ninilchik River in hopes that the waves would be breaking at least a few feet off the beach.

Alaskan surfer, Mike McCune, scopes the break as Gart slips down the icy sloap into the surf.

Gart Curtis surfing an icy gray Cook Inlet, Alaska wave.

Mike McCune drops in on a set wave breaking just a few feet off the ice.

Alaska surf kayaker, Randy Kellar contemplating his chances of getting outside the break without getting crushed in the ice.

I was wondering what would happen when Mike and Gart decided to come back to land. The rising tide and increasing swell size had the waves crashing over the steep icy incline into the field of ice chunks. Here's Mike riding the ocean powered water slide up into an awaiting ice linebacker.

Despite losing a fin and finding a large hole in his board from the exit battle, Mike is all smiles and ice at the end of the session.

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.

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.

Gart Curtis runs towards some gnarly winter storm surf in Alaska.

BARREN ISLANDS AND KAMISHAK BAY WATERS
400 PM AKST SAT NOV 29 2008

...STORM WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...
.TONIGHT...W WIND 50 KT. SEAS 16 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY.
.SUN...NW WIND 50 KT. SEAS 16 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY.
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 40 KT DIMINISHING TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
14 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY.

We had some fun storm surf in Homer, Alaska today. Air temps were around 25F and it was blowing roughly 25mph onshore. That was all just fine and I was having a great surf until around 4pm when we started losing daylight fast the wind picked up even more and little icy precipitation started falling. The problem was the flying ice crystals were getting blown into our eyes making it painful to look offshore. Let me just say it wasn’t a good day to not be paying close attention to where you were at in the lineup.

According to the forecast something juicy is brewing up for tomorrow. Hopefully we won’t have so much wind locally.

I shot a bunch of photos today, but haven’t edited (or even downloaded) them yet. Stay tuned. The shot above is from January 2007 when the conditions were much like today.

NWS Marine Weather can be seen here