Believe it or not, I don't follow the World Tour to watch or shoot surf contests. I go for the moments in between the competition surfing; the moments that aren't often shown on the webcast or in the galleries on surf media. This past week in Jeffrey's Bay during the J-Bay Open 2014 was a trip filled with many such moments. When I look back on the week, I won't be thinking about Mick Fanning having won the title or the mass crowds on the beach; instead, I'll be remembering the insanely beautiful sunrises that greeted us on all four consecutive lay days; the lone longboarder who enjoyed a small dawn-lit surf in an empty supertubes line-up; the anticipation of standing in the dark waiting for first light to see what the day would offer; waves booming down the point in perfect synchronicity against the backdrop of sunlit wind turbines on the horizon; hundreds of dolphins surfing 6-8ft sets at Supertubes as current world number 1 Gabriel Medina paddled out; and the endless sunrise boosts performed by Kolohe Andino every single morning no matter how big or small the surf. Here are 15 of my personal highlights from the past week. Thanks for the memories J-Bay. Until next time...
P.S. Check out my instagram feed for more pics from the week (@clairebutlerphoto)
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