For over three decades I have called myself a surfer in one context or another. In all that time I have only ever entertained the theory of me longboarding [I have always shortboarded and the notion of 'starting again' seems odd] a few times. Although it frustrates the heck out of me it also puts a smile on my face when I just glide along a tiny wave that I would never look twice at if I just had my shortboards in the van.

The shot was taken for my second book, 'SALT+WAX', and I captured it very early one cold winter's morning. It is of a friend Dan Crockett [although this was the first time we would meet] and it seems to sum up surfing for me - the calmness and the escape from day to day stresses. In the four year's worth of contents I shot for the book this might well be my favourite shot.