For a film that focused on the unlikelyhood, uncertainty and joy of finding good waves in cold water, the right-hand slab at the conclusion of Creatures of Habit perfectly symbolized its ethos. Even for director Nate Laverty and cinematographer Marcus Paladino, two men who have proven doctorate degrees in finding waves on Canada’s forested shores, this peak off Vancouver Island was a gamble.
“This specific wave, we’d only heard whispers about,” Marcus said. “The only clips of photos I’d seen were on iPhones. Maybe you could boogieboard or tow into it, is what I heard.”
And yet, the die was cast, and the surfers cashed in. Their session is relived in the video above with Nate and North Of The Border Creative productions. The lengths they went to underscore one of those funny things that sets surfing apart from. Traveling to a fickle, shifting, difficult wave and attempting to navigate it in gloves, boots and a hood is the opposite of easy. There are so many more accessible waves in the world. Vancouver Island probably has a few nearby. But the allure of the new thing keeps the wheels spinning.
Related: Gallery: Frigid Perfection on Canada’s Western Shores
“Honestly, it’s still probably one of the best days of my life,” Marcus said. “I have a handful of memories in my life I would consider ‘best day ever,’ and that was one of them for me.”
The Creatures of Habit film features a mix of entrenched Canadian surfers and USA East Coast visitors: Pete Devries, Reed Platenius, Mathea and Sanoa Olin in the former division with Cam Richards, Andrew Jacobson, Ryan Huckabee and Dimitri Polous in the latter. You can check out more in its entirety at the link below.
Related: Orcas, 0°C Water Temps, Slabs and Canada’s Frozen Frontier (Full-Length Surf Film)