You do the Dew. Or in Scott’s case, you make it possible by organizing remote surf locations with stellar waves, transportation for the athletes and crew, and all the little in between details so the Dew can do what it does best.

Mick Fanning on a boat based surf adventure in Alaska aboard the m/v Milo.

Once upon a Milo surf boat trip. It was late fall 2014 and McFish and I were eager to get out and surf some Gulf of Alaska goodness. We rounded up a couple willing compadres and headed out for what became a trip we’ll never forget. Good waves, big waves, hollow waves and a few that were all three. Taylor Paul joined us on this blessed trip – his first real Alaskan surf experience. As a well travelled surfer he knows good waves when he stumbles across them. When we hugged our good byes at the dock it wasn’t a whisper that we heard – “I’ll be back soon!”

The return of Taylor Paul to the M/V Milo in Alaska.

So I held him to it, and in 2015 when I was looking for a crew to join me on a surf trip for Mtn Dew I called on Taylor Paul. I knew he could surf well and wouldn’t be afraid of the camera. And secretly I thought maybe he had good luck and I wanted him on the boat for this trip too . . . I learned a couple things –  he might not have great luck with airplanes, he’s perhaps ok with helicopters? And, definitely has good luck with boat based surf trips! Check out the video from that trip here: Surfing Alaska for Mtn Dew.

2016 He says he wants to come back. This time with a crew from Rip Curl who is breathing some new life into their ‘The Search’ campaign. What better place to search for waves than Alaska!? After a couple months of emails and confusion we loaded the boat up and headed out of town to meet the crew in another port. I still wasn’t sure if they were coming, and if so, who was included. I figured Taylor wouldn’t miss a trip so if she showed up alone we’d still have some fun.

Turns out they sent the A team – Mick Fanning and Mason Ho were standing there on the dock with Taylor and a few production related folks.

Below are some favorite photos I took during the trip. Hope you enjoy.

Mick Fanning getting his gear ready on a boat based surf adventure in Alaska aboard the m/v Milo.

Mick Fanning  jumping into some chilly dawn patrol while on a boat based surf adventure in Alaska aboard the m/v Milo.

Mick Fanning – a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting.

Mason Ho on a boat based surf adventrue in Alaska aboard the m/v Milo.

Mason Ho – The Search.

Mick Fanning on a boat based surf adventure in Alaska aboard the m/v Milo.

Mick Fanning on a boat based surf adventure in Alaska aboard the m/v Milo.

Even Mason Ho thought this wave was a little scary. I was happy to be standing on dry land watching this show. . .

Mick Fanning on a boat based surf adventure in Alaska aboard the m/v Milo.

Mason Ho and Mick Fanning getting used to some excessive rubber aboard the m/v Milo on a surf adventure in Alaska.

Local bald eagles keeping an eye on us surfing this point wave in Alaska.

The m/v Milo on a boat based surf adventure in Alaska.

The dark stormy days of winter make for good times to reminisce on surf trips past. Here’s a fun one I stumbled across in the archive. It was a late winter trip with a good group of surf buddies aboard a commercial fishing boat owned and operated by one of our local crew. 

The boat and her crew were in port making a delivery between fishing trips and it seemed like a good opportunity to ‘waste’ a couple days searching for surf. This particular fishing boat, the F/V Kilkenny was captained by Tom Hogan who has always had an interest in adventure. One time he got a little hankering for a boat trip and left Alaska for the winter heading south. He decided New Zealand was far enough and spent some time exploring down under before motoring all the way back to Alaska. Last I heard of him he was cruising down the coast of Chile. Surfing some nice lefts no doubt.

Just like a crab pot – the quickest way to get a surf kayak launched from a fishing boat.

Most board bags available are not designed with our typical Alaskan surf trip in mind. There are two major issues we’ve encountered with many of our board bags.

If the bag has a plasticized fabric these often fracture in extreme cold temperatures. The material becomes brittle and breaks like a sheet of ice – strange and disappointing!

The second common issue is zippers seizing up entirely or just becoming very difficult to move. This usually results from dirt and especially saltwater buildup on the zippers. It would be easily remedied by constant cleaning and zipper care, but realistically that’s just not going to happen. The worst thing for the zippers has to be sitting on the back deck of the m/v Milo on a 5 week surf adventure with frequent saltwater spray and then extended sunny/windy periods.

Chris Edwards, owner/founder of Wayward Stock Co contacted me recently to ask that I try out his new bag design and provide some feedback. When I checked out the design online I was excited to give it a try since it appeared to address two of our most common board bag issues. I explained that we were just getting ready to head out on a 5 week boat based surfing adventure and it would be a good opportunity to test the bag out.

When the package arrived I was immediately impressed with how small the box was. The bag certainly packs down more than the average surfboard bag. The presentation was very nice with stylish product tags and a note card.

Here’s the basic specs for the Roll Top Board Bag from the Wayward Stock website:

• Variable Length Roll Top Closure (Fits boards up to 6’8″)
• 600D DWR Coated Magnatuff Polyester Shell
• 200D Nylon Oxford Cloth Lining
• Padded Interior Walls
• Carry Handle and Adjustable Nylon Shoulder Strap
• Velcro Side Stash Pocket
• Made in WA

Two of the boards I was taking on the trip each fit nicely into the bag (one at a time, not both together). Unlike some other board bags I’ve used, this one does not have an expansion feature around the fin area. Which, in my case, was unnecessary and lacking the extra zipper and material helps keep it light and simple. One of the main goals behind the product design. I have since tried a few different boards in the bag and been pleasantly surprised at what a large range it will fit while not seeming absurdly large for a small shortboard either.

Roll it up

and click the buckle

I’ll admit I was a little skeptical on the roll top concept but after using the bag a few times I really like it. One of my biggest frustrations with board bags lately as been trying to get my board in and out of them while strapped into a stack of boards/bags on a rack. The challenge starts with trying to get the zipper undone enough, fumbling around trying to pull on a zipper with 5mm lobster gloves on is not very enjoyable, especially when it’s under two other boards and straps. It also seems that  I always try and get the board out without opening the zipper far enough so it turns into an extended battle of pulling on the zipper, pulling on the board, pulling the zipper some more and often ends with giving up and disassembling the whole stack of boards to get mine out. Which is not always easy since the boat is rolling in the swell and the wind is often blowing. With the roll top feature it’s heaps easier – just loosen the straps on the pile a little, unbuckle and unroll the bag and slide your board out. I’d go ahead and call it revolutionary.

The full width open tail design makes it very easy to slip your board in and out of a stack of boards without having to move them all. Much appreciated feature!

In general use the bags streamlined and simple design is really nice. There’s less stuff to get hung up on things when walking by trees, through doors, or climbing up and down ladders. It also plays well with other boards and bags nicely on the rack taking up the least amount of space while still protecting your board. Simple is light, no extra zippers or handles adding weight, this would definitely be my first choice of bags to access a hike in surf spot with.

Final thoughts – Great work Chris and Wayward Stock. Board bags are often an afterthought for us on our surf trips with so many other major logistics to work out so it’s particularly nice when the bag you are using is reliable, simple, and an actual pleasure to use. This bag design gets out of your way so you can get surfing quicker and put your stuff away easier when you are done. The padding seems adequate but not overdone. Several other surfers tried it out on the trip also and like the design as well. The colors and material are low key and fit our Alaskan aesthetic nicely. Muted earthy colors,  and a tough feeling canvas that was made for the Pacific Northwest more than a tropical island. The construction of the bag looks durable and I expect this bag will be enjoyed on many more Alaskan surf adventures in the future. I know which bag I’m taking for our next fly-out surf trip.

With Scott as captain of the M/V Milo, TALENT and production support he was in heaven to also be able to have his friends join him for the epic week.

Alaska really delivered with conditions and a building swell over this week. We are proud to have this video to share a slice of us living our dream surfing in Alaska.

It was a great crew, old friends and new:

Why do you surf in Alaska?!

In my search for some better way of answering this question I came across a San Francisco State University study that seemed applicable. Surfing in Alaska is not cheap, easy, or normal, but we love it and without a doubt, it makes us happy. Look at Mike in the photo above. He’s not just smiling because he was handed a cold beer after surfing in the snow for a couple hours. And he’s not laughing because he had to sell his house to buy the #MiloSurfBoat so he could surf better waves in Alaska. He’s stoked because he feels alive and his ‘higher order needs’ are being met. Seriously – check this out:

The study demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased well-being because they satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality — a feeling of being alive. –  San Francisco State University study

What could make you feel more alive than surfing in a snowstorm? Just don’t stay out too long or you might pass over into a different kind of feeling. . .

So what are you waiting for? Pull out that credit card and go surfing in Alaska (if only it was that easy!)

With so many mysterious miles of coastline in Alaska how and where do you even begin searching for good surf set-ups? Our favorite tool – a helicopter with an externally mounted cineflex camera. The best tool, definitely not the cheapest.  Fortunately in Scott’s work with ZatzWorks as a camera operator he spends endless hours flying around Alaska. When he’s not on the job shooting for clients he keeps himself busy looking for the next big wave discovery.

Here are a few spots Scott was checking out on a recent ferry flight home from a job. It’s not the most action packed edit but I think you surfers will enjoy peering down on these waves peeling in the Alaskan wilderness.

Scott Dickerson Photography captured a lot of great images for them, here are just a few:

We are heading back out west this fall. The trips are coming together quick for this spring and fall, so if surfing with us is a New Year’s Resolution you plan to keep, get in touch.

It’s been a strange and busy winter here in Alaska. We had a nice little summer vacation in January. It was so warm in Homer that I was doing yard projects on a lawn of green grass. The 7mm mittens seemed way overkill and everyone was coming to visit the beach.  Well, that’s over now. Resume normal programming of winter storms. Fortunately for us this included some waves in Homer and a quick return of the brain freeze experience.

As a part of Scott Dickerson Photography I have been training to operate the cineflex, a stabilized aerial video system (think Planet Earth and Art of Flight). Last week the constantly innovating crew at ZatzWorks, whom I work with, was ready to test fly their latest invention. They have hacked the guts of their Cineflex allowing us to swap out cameras from the original sony HD camera to the incredible 4K slow motion shooting beast known as the RED EPIC. The universe conspired in our favor, and on the day of the test flight Mike McCune and a few friends where out surfing on the Homer Spit. This was my kind of test subject! Check out the video below.

It’s been an incredible winter of surfing here in Alaska. The storms just keep coming and somehow we keep being in the right spot at the right time. I’ve been busy gathering the stories and action for our upcoming Surf Alaska video series. I was hoping to have the first episode together by the new year, but with so much time spent out there exploring and surfing there just hasn’t been much time to spend behind the computer. No complaining!

In the last couple months we have spent three weeks aboard the m/v Milo scoring great waves in the wilderness coastline of Alaska. Snow, sunshine, hail, thunder, storms and glassy waters. Point waves, river mouths, lefts, rights, long peelers, short thumpers. It’s just been one thrilling discovery after another.

I’m looking forward to sharing more soon. For now, here is a quick little glimpse of one particularly beautiful morning last week. For more micro updates follow us on Facebook and Instagram – @ScottDickerson