What does it take to surf one swell, from Mexico to Alaska, in eight days? Four men decided to see if it could be done. And naturally, they made a movie documenting their whirl-wind trip across four countries.
Surfing Life recently interviewed Craig Anderson, one of four men who took the cross-country trek who described it as an "awesome experience" but one he "wouldn't do it again."
Anderson says surfer Taylor Steele had the original idea; he had been watching weather patterns for a few years before pitching the idea to others who would make up the crew. Once the right swell was chosen, the team would have only a few days to act, so Anderson says he was "on call."
Three or four months later, the weather was right and they had their chance. In eight days, they traveled from California, down to Tahiti and Mexico, then back up through California and to Alaska. With "hiccups" along the way, including a mudslide in Mexico and an injury in Alaska, the team successfully surfed the same swell up the Pacific coastline.
When they got to Alaska, Anderson says, "I've never surfed in that cold of water." There were a few other people surfing the same swell. "I was tripped out that they surfed up there," he says.
Check out the trailer for their movie: