Every now and then, Ocean Beach in San Francisco comes alive with such awesome power and beauty that it stops everyone in their tracks. I was on my way up to a secret big wave spot on this particular day, but I never made it past the city. It was simply THAT good. Before paddling out, however, I had to capture it on film. At the time, Greg "Mighty Dog" Brunson had a place right on Great Highway with a third floor balcony, and luckily he was home. I snapped a bunch of keeper images that day during the (long) hour that I spent shooting before I could bring myself to surf.

This image is one of my personal favorites from that day, obviously due to the presence of the stoplights in the foreground, which I think captures the essence of the "city-meets-wilderness" feeling that one gets at Ocean Beach. I only wish that when this wave had been breaking, the lights had been green!

This print will be available for purchase at Life is a Wave THIS FRIDAY NIGHT June 14, the annual benefit for Save The Waves Coalition in San Francisco, at 111 Minna Street. This is without a doubt one of the most fun events of the year, so get your tickets before it sells out. See you all there!