I grew up 200 miles from the nearest beach surrounded by Pine trees. There was also an abundance of Sage, Juniper, Manzanita and more, but the Pines, Ponderosa to be specific, were the grandest of all. Their fallen cones kept me company as I kicked them on the way home from the school bus and also used them as kindling during our long, snowy winters. One of the biggest pines around was in my front yard. It has since come down as it posed a serious threat to the wellbeing of our home should it decide to come down from strong winds or lightning, but I remember it well. I remember how it towered overhead and dropped what seemed like millions of needles every fall. Pines are an evergreen, but they still shed like a wet dog. So each autumn I would be responsible for raking up the mess our beloved pine produced. I always loathed mowing the lawn or taking out the trash or the myriad of other chores bestowed upon yours truly, but I didn’t mind raking up the pine needles. I have always loved something about those trees. And I always will.
Fast-forward 20-something years and I live at the beach, 200 something miles from the nearest pine. I am now surrounded by Douglas Fir, Hemlock and Cedar. They are majestic in their year round green, but I miss my pines. I miss their spicy scent after a spring rain and their makeshift soccer ball cones. I never associate the beach with pines. And why would I? I have to drive over 3 hours to scratch bark of my favorite tree. So you can imagine my astonishment when I was sent on location to Chile in order to document the country’s plethora of long left point-breaks and right there, butted up to the beach, in the Big Sur-esque landscape, were pines on pines on pines. To me, it was the most perfect landscape in surfing. Not only were the lefts long and heavy, but the roads, twisty and narrow, meandered through groves of my orange barked friends. It felt like home, but with flawless, cold, waves. I was instantly in love.
Alongside me on this South American journey were surfers Noah Wegrich, Hank Gaskell, Cam Richards and filmmaker, Matt Kleiner. I put this crew together because I knew they all had a penchant for good waves and were comfortable in 5mm wetsuits. And, without fail, tubes were made, turns were completed and airs were stomped. I could go on and on about the blow tails, the slobs, the hacks, the spitting tubes, but when you have quality waves and even better surfers, that stuff is a given. What really stood out to me about this trip was the luck we had along the way. Hank’s idol is Ramon Navarro and we were able to meet Ramon and hang out with him for a couple days near his home in Pichilemu. Ramon and his entire program is next level. From the location of his house to the waves he continues to discover, his life is an inspiration to all of us and it was an honor to get to know him a bit better. Furthermore, my friend and all around legend, Jesse Faen, rented us his oceanfront house for the duration of our stay. Not only was the house beyond what any of us had imagined, but it was full of Ozzy Wright artwork, Ryan Burch surfboards and a guestbook signed by everybody from Taylor Steele to Rob Machado to Derek Hynd. I knew Jesse had shared his abode with numerous high-caliber industry insiders, but after reading those names and thinking about who had come before us, I was instantaneously humbled and in awe of our good fortune. For a guy from Oregon, I was tripping out thinking about how many of my heroes had passed through this very special zone. How did I get there? Luck, I tell ya. And a lot of hard work.
And beyond the waves and the surfing and the long drives and the hectic storms, I remember the camaraderie on this trip. I remember the chess games more than the blow tails, the sharing of endless ceviche more than the big alley-oops, and the crackling fireplace more than the tall-standing tubes. The location and the crew made this trip what it was. It could have been flat and I would still have a lifelong adoration for this portion of South America. And I am eagerly awaiting my next trip to the land of long, cold, lefts surrounded by the perfectly postured pines.
Words by Mark McInnis for Damaged Goods Zine
Red Bull asked me to be the first featured photographer for their Red Bull TV series, Chasing the Shot. Our first of three trips for this project took us to the mythical land of lefts and my oh my was it a dream come true. Pine trees, perfect lefts and nary a soul in sight.
Surfers: Hank Gaskell, Noah Wegrich, Cam Richards
Placement: Assets from this trip were used alongside Matt Kleiner’s video on Red Bull’s website. You can see episode 1 HERE and episode 2 HERE. Commercial imagery was acquired for Patagonia’s wetsuit catalog and website. Editorally, this trip ran as a full feature in Tracks Magazine and Damaged Goods Zine.
