Verde

Surfing can be like a sanctuary-- a safe place you can go to and forget everything else that is going on. For some people surfing becomes their whole life and they choose to spend all there time looking for the perfect wave. For me surfing has always been something that I do alongside all the other things that are going on in my life. It helps me calm down, inspires my work and how I relate to other people and most importantly it makes me happy. When I put together a clip I connect to the feeling that I get from surfing and try to express it in a way that others can relate to. Enjoy!

Off the Grid

The first thing you realise when you get off the boat on the Mentawai Islands is that your phone has lost any kind of connection to the outside world. The first few days you may nervously wonder around the island with your smartphone in hope for at least one bar of reception so that you can tell your family that you are still alive, but except if you have one of these old (and really powerful) Nokias you are lost! It usually takes about 3 days until all facebook/instagram checking compulsions cease, but once you've gone through the initial withdrawal period the experience is liberating. Finally you get to read that book you've been procrastinating and you actually get to know the people around you. Surfing the perfect turquoise waves on one of the countless islands adds the final ingredient to the exhilarating experience of being in the present moment. Enjoy!

Frühaufsteher

Frühaufsteher is the german word for 'early riser'. Being both a surfer and photographer makes it is pretty much essential to be able to get up before the sun rises any time the swell charts look good. It's not hard because at night I dream of swimming in the ocean, then I briefly wake up just to drive to the beach and continue those pleasant thoughts and movements with my eyes wide open.

Stepping out

Surfing, climbing, shooting or whatever helps you to step out for a moment

Rubber Hoods

Fall is one of the most amazing times in the Northeast of England. The forests and meadows create a colorful carpet that stretches across the rolling hillsides and the first bigger swells light up the perfect limestone reefs all along the coast. For this clip I did some filming along the Harian's Wall where parts of the movie 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' was filmed hence the title. Enjoy!

Purely Belta!

It's been eight month since I moved to Newcastle and I am slowly getting accustomed to the 'Geordie' dialect. One of the phrases that I've recently learned is 'purely belta' or simple 'beltas', which is a generic proclamation of joy. Although, most Geordies would probably be using this phrase in the context of partying like "The Toon were purely belta on Saturday, like!", for me it relates to the joy of surfing and exploring the beautiful countryside around the North East. Enjoy!

Barreled Before Breakfast

The winter is over and on the North Sea coast of England that means many flat days. I filmed this clip when there were still some last spring swells around and it was worth getting up early in the morning to catch that barrel before breakfast. BBB-Enjoy!

Barreled Before Breakfast from Sebastian Potthoff on Vimeo.