Beauty and the Beast

I’ve never sat down to write something in a more beautiful place. The water around me is a thousand shades of blue. Black tip reef sharks are patrolling the shallows and the soundtrack is the roar of a thousand giant palm trees. I’m on a boat in the middle of the ocean, hooked to a mooring off an atoll following a couple days of incredible surfing in the middle of nowhere featuring 12 of the world’s best surfers. Dreamy, right?

Well, I’d love to sit here and tell you what I can about the historic achievement for both the Natural Selection Tour and surfing culture (we’re onto something!), but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fires happening in Southern California. Back home my family is safe aside from the ash and smoke, but not everything is okay for many.

I’m actually sitting here at the table in this picturesque place watching long time friend and legendary water cinematographer Darren Crawford (you definitely know his body of work) file an insurance claim on the Pacific Palisades home he had just been raving to me about 4 days ago. He had "found his place,” he told me. It's now completely gone, burned in the Palisades fire. Photo archive gone. Extensive record collection. Gone. Nothing spared.

There is no one like “Dazza” though. Not only did he continue to swim and document every day while his home burned, he carried on with optimism…partaking in maybe a few more than his usual “Magic 4” beers to numb the pain, but he’s still moving, still swimming in fact, right now, diving in the cerulean lagoon, shooting for this project, doing what he does despite his universe being completely ripped out from under him.

Last night he even DJj’d the after party for the Natural Selection event. Of course he did. He is still very much “Dazza” and that can’t change. We’ll need to help him and a lot of our friends and family over the next few days, weeks, months and years. I’m devastated to hear and see what’s happening at home. And I know there are so many of you impacted by this it’s hard to know where to start. Sending anyone and everyone going through this love and strength. See you soon.—Travis Ferré

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