Guest edited by Christa Funk
I’m currently in bed with the flu but still putting together an upcoming trip and answering emails. The surf has been good here on the North Shore in a few sneaky zones. Hopefully, I’ll be better enough tomorrow for a session.
SCREENING ROOM
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
I’ve been watching this movie throughout the entirety of my life. It edges out Blazing Saddles as my favorite Mel Brooks film by a hair. Refined, hilarious, piquant, just a little rancid, and guaranteed to pull you out of any funk.
FOLLOW ALONG
@nspoultryinmotion
@rileylaster
BETTER LISTENING
Lateralus
by Tool
The Fibonacci sequence is applied to the whole album in various ways. Specifically, the title track “Lateralus” incorporates it into the rhythm, meter, and syllabic song structure. The concept, coupled with a lyrically poetic dive into a relatable dark and uncomfortable state of consciousness, makes this record an absolute masterpiece.
PAPER & INK
Water Shots: Twenty Years, All Wet
by John Bilderback
John’s photos are fantastic, and the stories that he puts together for each section are gold. He’s about as honest as he can be, a refreshing voice in an age where everyone’s so easily offended. Reading it felt like looking into a window of his trips over the years. For the love of all things holy, buy the print version—you’re getting decades of work in one book, and it’s so much better to turn each page than scrolling on a screen.
Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives
by Adam J. Kurtz
This book lives on my nightstand. One of my best friends got it for me, and it has been a constant source of advice over the years. Kurtz covers success, failure, and everything in between. It’s a fast read, definitely not one of those long-winded self-help books that are more of a waste of time than actual help. For me, this book is a set of water wings whenever I’m floundering in the depths of I’m not creative, everything looks the same, what am I doing?
HEIRLOOM
My dad gave me a heart carved from a piece of dinosaur bone (which could be a rock, but that’s what he told me at the time). Since he gave it to me, it has lived in my photography gear bag. He passed in 2019, but having this keepsake is like I’m able to take him with me on my shoots.
REGRETS ONLY
A few years back, I decided to stop wearing my helmet on days that were 3-foot or smaller. I went out to shoot Rocky Point on a small day and swam into a rock. I hit my head right where my helmet would have been, and I was very fortunate I didn’t knock myself out. The cut was relatively small but it went down to the bone. Cheap lesson—now I wear my helmet all the time.
FAVORITE PHOTO
This photo of Carissa Moore is my favorite not because of any visual characteristic but for the person who was swimming next to me when I took it: the late Larry Haynes. Larry was someone I could always call to swim out and shoot Sunset with me. This afternoon was sheet glass, perfect conditions, and Larry’s animated stories between sets were the icing on the cake. He had me laughing so hard I almost didn’t get this shot. I miss him, especially when I’m shooting Sunset.
LAST WORDS
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.” —Georgia O’Keeffe
[To read previous editions of “The High Line,” click here]
FROM TSJ
To read and view “Eye of the Storm,” Funk’s portfolio with an introduction by author Ashtyn Douglas-Rosa, pick up a copy of our current issue by clicking here.
