One glance at Jake’s social media will tell you that he’s quite the globetrotter, sharing experiences from Canada to London, Austria, Spain, and Japan. However, it was his experiences in the beautifully isolated breaks of Norway, each bordered by mountains, pebbled beaches, and long stretches of green pastures, that had us particularly enthralled. The deep fjords and windswept coastlines of Scandinavia certainly sound like heavenly places to surf, at least for those that vibe with cold water, fires on the beach, thick wetsuits, harsh offshores, and the serene feeling of being alone with the ocean. Jake said he’s always had a weird obsession with going to Norway, and cracked up when he told us that it’s probably because he watched The Polar Express when he was young. “As soon as my girlfriend Bayley and I stepped off the plane, it was like we were in James Cameron’s Avatar. The surf scene over there is just so different, but still super respectful and honest. I think they like to keep their little paradise close to them. A beer at the beach is just not a thing – I paid for that one! “I love Ireland too. My dad is Irish, so there’s a family connection to the country for me, but I also like the people, the landscape, the Guinness, and the surf vibe, which is really sick. I’ve made some great friends over there now, and I can’t wait to go back. “For some downtime during our months away, Bayley and I loved Denmark. That place has got it all figured out. I heard you can also get waves there if you know where to look. If anyone has the opportunity, I would highly recommend going over to France too. That whole strip all the way across to Spain is just wild.” Understandably, surfing was always the priority for Jake after moving to the Sunshine Coast. That is, until he turned 17, caught the travel bug, and became increasingly frustrated when his underwhelming iPhone photos and desperate attempts at describing the picturesque backdrops of the waves he caught just didn’t cut it. As a result, Jake started shooting film on thrifted cameras, which then led to him investing in more serious, heavy-duty stuff. “I still don’t consider myself as much of a photographer, but I do love it. I think I get too surforiented to commit to photography, but when the waves are flat or I’m surfed out, it does become a fun way of capturing perfect moments. “I like to shoot all different things. Special moments really, and when people are least expecting it. I think it’s cool to capture people. I still get all artsy and stuff, but there’s always plenty of emotions in a photo, and they’re rad to look back on.” Of course, Jake is being a little humble here. His photos really are extraordinary, and capture everything from sick waves to the authentic moments that come with living as a nomadic surfer (such as carefully slotting a surfboard through a gap in a barbed wire fence). # 59 // smorgasboarder // 66 One glance at Jake’s social media will tell you that he’s quite the globetrotter, sharing experiences from Canada to London, Austria, Spain, and Japan.
interview # 59 // smorgasboarder // 67