July 2009 - These photos are from a trip I made this spring when I went on a hiking/surf adventure on an isolated coast in the Southern Hemisphere.

Like I do every spring, when our breaks go dormant, and south swells start up, I think of a particular stretch of coast down south, one that I’ve visited over the years where there’s always something to ride and plenty of elbow room.

Being on a cold, pristine coastline in the Deep South, in a place like Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa or Chile heightens your senses and daily life becomes stripped to a more pure existence. Down there, away from the hustle and bustle you begin to take notice of subtleties that go unnoticed at home, like the sound trees make in the wind and the changing light and shadows.

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It had been five years since my last trip south, when I went with a couple Australian friends, including Neal Purchase, Jr. When remembering the last time I spoke with Neal, he said that he wanted to go back to check out a potential right point setup that required a long walk, deep into the bush. I realized the timing for such a trip couldn’t have been better. At home, it was the tail end of our worst winter ever, the locals were getting testy and I really needed some exercise. On this trip, I wanted to rough it, to get off the grid, to exert myself and ultimately spend the trip in the sticks.

So in early March Neal and I, along with Chris Del Moro and Todd Glaser of San Diego, began planning our hiking trip.

…to be continued.