Watch: Torren Martyn // Northern Reaches
A surf trip to the Arctic? In mid-winter..?
It lends itself to all manner of puns about social-distancing and isolation, but not from me, dear readers. For I resist the fibrous low-hanging fruit.
The footage was shot in February, just before the world went into lockdown, with many of the waves surfed involving long trduges across snow-blown headlands. Torren applies his pivot-then-drive approach, a style that's becoming synonomous with the long twin, to the icy, drawn out pointbreaks. We even see him putting all pivots aside in a slabby right.
Says needessentials founder and designer Ryan Scanlon:
As we move through these crazy and uncertain times it's a good opportunity to reflect and appreciate the beauty of nature and the importance of community. We send love and kindness out to everyone and hope you enjoy this short film.
Music: Headland, 'Bonney Upwelling'
Also, click here for a longer conversation with Torren about the trip to the Arctic.
Comments
Resist the low-hanging fruit do you?
So those WotD captions are written by some other Stu Nettle?
Beautiful clip though. Decent waves too. Is it the same spot Fanning surfed under the aurora (~0:50)?
By "resist" I mean I'm all out of material.
Music by Headland, tune 'bonney upwelling' (or the other way around?) - a homage to the indelible contributions of Warren Ellis.
Thanks for the heads up JS
Ta. Had wondered if dirty three
Thanks. Was going to say it sounded like Warren Ellis.
Perfect music for it. Inspiring clip.
I see zero enjoyment in that to travel so far in such cold and hostile conditions
for head high waves is just not worth the expense time and effort.
One giant slab of ice and snow falling and it could go from head high to 20ft quick. Nice place and adventure, didn't like that board though.
No that right hand point looked sick. Great fun.
It's interesting to watch but no matter how perfect and good the waves were i could never surf there, even just visiting such a cold place has no appeal to me, and just watching someone in a place like that gives me a weird trapped feeling.
wow, incredible scenery, and some fun waves, but what a mission. and if whites can handle water that cold, he is a brave man surfing there alone.
I don't think they can. Talking to Cornwall locals some years ago, they were only just beginning to get the odd sighting there, and in summer. This is waaay further north, and winter. More likely to see Orca.
That was unreal, again. That kind of scenery makes my heart soar, cold, crisp, free, alone.
Theres never been a white around Norway . I doubt they would be in the Arctic regardless of what country this is..
Makes me feel like snowboarding
Beautiful.
I've surfed enough -1C water to not seek it out again, but there's something absurdly appealing about a guy from Byron ripping in the Arctic.
Gotta love a mission. Remote wilderness location, hostile environment and climate, big scenery (when the weather allows views).
Vague promise of possibly worthwhile waves provides the pretext - but its always about the trip first, the surfing just the excuse to go for it!
I love it, I have always needed wilderness trips and have been lucky to survive and enjoy many.
I think I might start planning another trip, something to look towards as soon as circumstances allow!
that guy is living, no numerical score required to appreciate.
nice to watch but has zero appeal to me. makes me feel melancholic just watching
If I were young again, back when I had some fat on me I'd bet 100 bucks I wouldn't forget a day of such an adventure. Snowboarding included of coarse!
wow....is just loved that. Beautifully put together.
I’ve surfed in a few truly wild places. It’s always more about the adventure than the waves.
I have a firm contract with myself to never go anywhere colder than Tassie, so no appeal there. That said, these little clips of Torren's are my favorites of the last few years. He's a great surfer, but the filmmakers seem to get how beautiful those pulled back shots of a wave building and the surfer positioning themselves are. So much better than quick cut shots of hacks and turns and air reverses.
Would have loved to him go left at that slab at the end!!
Holy shit that was beautiful. Made me ache with longing to be out in nature.....curse you Covid-19....
I'm with you on that. This stay at home business is getting tough to handle. I'm going for bike rides and lifting some weights to keep my fitness up but I am sooooo hanging out for a surf.
That was an amazing clip. And really well shot too.
Fck me you seriously have to be super keen!!!
Can anyone read the board description at the end ? White print on white background
Morning of the earth Surfboards.
6'4" Twin
7'2" Twin
by Simon Jones.
Insane looking joint, super fun waves. Would love to venture out there. Though, maybe in the summer...
Absolutely stunning.
Couldn't do it myself though, even Tassie is too cold!
Life experienced. My favourite surfer To watch on the interweb.
Wow stunning ....cant see crowds being an issue there any time soon ...Brrr farkthat
Thanks for the waves & scenery.
Yes! Stu is 100% spot on again...& did well to refrain from comment! Salute!
tbb is ill & after The Bight & now with Corona it's hard to stomach any more of this.
Sorry! Can only see Oil Rigger on Oil Platform (Fresh is the flavour of Alpine Ad!)
Quite distressing that fellow surfers should ooze oil over Blue Planet's final frontier.
The Surfers toxins are sponged by Polar Plankton then eaten by Whales. (It's Cruel!)
Tides spread Multiplying Plankton & 1 surfer has just poisoned 1000 whales for life.
You all know the rest...offspring as well..1 session kills forever after yer gone.
No different from Sunscreen contaminating the Reefs. (Pure concentrated Evil!)
Not Essential ?
How could a surfer torture such majesty..Love it or leave it! Surfjustsurf forevermore.
Just showing the bigger picture...not a rant...just how it is!
[Disclaimer] tbb also rode boards, less about us... but preserving precious habitat.
Here's the matching video of end of the world banal pursuits
This is how tbb feels after watching such senseless destruction.
Rad adventure , TM on point . Great advert for Needs equipment . . .good product !
PS: tbb , are you all good mate ? Look after yourself , this covid-19 will eventually fade away .
Yes tbb is both physically & mentally ill & can spot a medicine man from a mile away.
PCS Peter Pan is right (Banned self therapy & relapsing under makeshift GP plan).
Eventually is too long when yer struggling yet others are worse...Best Wishes!
Whereas this here Poly-Chloroprene will keep on polluting the air & poisoning us!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/06/cancertown-chemicals-re…
That's the Green Elixir these Guys test on Arctic Critters...here, take a Sticker!
Cancer Alley & other strongholds that make this Surfer's brew have 50x the cancer rate.
Almost every household nearby has someone that has died of cancer.
Knocks out every organ in the body...imagine tiny Krill then imagine this shit in Whales.
Then to market Dr Moreau's big oil frequent flyer gig as some green elixir. (Stickerz!)
You'd think surfers would know better...maybe they do, but they just don't care!
Your 'Eco' Host speaks on Coronavirus.
"Natures probably rubbing it's hands together (Laughs!) Cause there's (Draws a Breath) a whole lot less planes flying around & things being shipped all over & the air is cleaner & the animals are happier!"
Gotta admire an Eco warrior that can laugh off his toxic crusade...get points for that.
Not buyin' it...says the man who is sick enough as it is thanx!
It would be better without the person interfering with the vista.