SuperGirls

 

This year’s Paul Mitchell/Nissan Supergirl Surf Contest (2020) at the Oceanside Pier, Oceanside, CA, was a bit subdued because of COVID-19.  The contest was hardly publicized so as not to attract a large crowd.  But those that attended were certainly awarded with first-class female surfing. 

 On Saturday, a few locals began to line the pier which of course made everyone nervous, so a curtain was put up for about a third of the pier to dissuade people from watching the meet from that lofty location. 

 The waves on Sunday were really crashing, so to speak.  The surf line was charging north right into the wooden pylons of the Oceanside Pier.  And that made for an exciting background for photographing the surfers as they careened remarkably close to the dangerous pylons. 

 The women came from all over the world to compete for standings in the Supergirl Contests.  And they didn’t disappoint in their skills and bravery.  The waves were heavy and rolling, not for the faint of heart.  Here are some of the images!

A Bit Unusual

Are you always looking around you... looking for the unusual?  If not, you may be missing something nearby.  I was photographing surfers at Beacons, a local surf spot in Leucadia, a beach community located in the coastal city of Encinitas, California, when I saw a large lump of something down the beach.  So I moved down along the beach and saw this large female sea lion enjoying the spring summer warmth and sunshine.  The sea lion are sea mammals characterized by external ear flaps,  long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short, thick hair.

Soon, she became the object of the curious.  As surfers emerged from the water, they couldn't help but check her out.  One young lady decided to lay down and emulate the movements of the large beast.  I noticed that when a male passed by she would rear up and "bark."  Not so with the female human; she tended to ignore them.

So eventually, after taking lots of pictures because I've never seen a sea lion up in this area, I ignored her and hoped she would find peace among the humans sharing her natural habitat.

A Gracious Heart

This is Melissa.  I met her several years ago when she was involved in feeding the homeless at a local shelter on Tuesday nights.  Melissa is from Hawaii and living in SoCal; she hasn't forgotten her surf past, as she heads out when she has time to catch a wave.

The thing is, Melissa has a gracious heart.  I've watch her show concern and compassion for those less fortunate than she.  She has a smile for all.  Yet, she too has had a difficult life trying to make ends meet, launching a beauty product business, caring for children of a busy family and all.

So I was happy to do some life-style photos for her to use on her website.  You go girl!

Mouth Hanger

So I do a lot of surf photography; I have a super big lens which allows me to reach out there.  I am a land photographer... meaning I don't get out into the water.  Not that I don't get wet!  When the high tides are in, sometimes you just can't get away from one of those rouge waves.  And besides, the water is cold.

But I digress:  the other day, while at Swami Reef in Encinitas, CA, I see these young guys heading out on their boards:  groms, they call them (skilled young guys who love to rip on their boards!).  I noticed that one of the guys had a funny thing in his mouth so when he came ashore I approached to see the set up.  He had a mouth fixture to hold his GoPro Hero+3.  It didn't look really comfortable, chomping on it like a bit in a horse's mouth.

The guys were from Portugal and were enjoying the high surf.  Extremely friendly, enthusiastic,  but they were a bit out of their element with the high surf.  But they tried. So he posed for me with a promise that I would post it for him.

GoPro cameras are awesome.  The footage you can get with them, think POV (point-of-view), is incredible.  I have a couple and use them for various projects for added value to the assignment.  If you don't have one, check them out.  They can be fun for the creative.

Tech details:  Fuji x100s; ISO 200; f5.6; 1/640 sec.  Natural light.  Processed in Adobe CS6
©2016 James David Phenicie   All Rights Reserved.

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