Surf photography retro 80s by simone reddingius

My surf photography started in 1976, when I moved to Santa Barbara and lived near Rincon beach (the quality of the images was pretty bad so I won't post them). I loved to surf there, so after surfing or if it was too big for me, I would set up my tripod near the rocks and shoot whoever looked good on a wave.
In the early 80s, I started working at camera stores so I was able to buy better equipment. I even bought a used Scott Preiss water housing from a friend and experimented with water shots. One of them was eventually published in Surfing Magazine.
I would take pictures of my favorite surfers, they included Tommy Curren, Kim Mearig, Shaun Tomson and Andy Neumann.

I will never forget this wave, Tommy Curren got covered up on the take-off and he just wiggled out of it and did a big bottom turn and then hit the lip. 

Andy Neumann was (and still is) the stylemaster on a longboard. This was taken during a Surf 'N' Wear  Rincon Classic surf contest.

Shaun Tomson. This was black and white film that got damaged over the years of storage. Taken with the Scott Preiss waterhousing on a gray day.

Kim Mearig was always fun to shoot and watch. She was the most stylish woman surfer anywhere.

This is one of my favorite shots and it got published in Surfing Magazine, almost a center spread.
This is Tim Smally who was one of the hot young rippers at Rincon. 

The Golden 80s

The golden 80s. Golden for me as I was young and blossoming into the surfer I always wanted to be. Even though I lived closer to the beach, I still drove for miles to look for surf. My brother had given me his old camera and telephoto lens and someone at a local camera store put it on all the settings I needed to take pictures of surfing. 

When I eventually started working at the camera store that helped me, I was able to buy better equipment and take better pictures. I joined the WISA (Women’s International Surfing Association) and surfed competitavely. That took me all over California from Santa Cruz to Del Mar, I even went to Hawaii to compete in the 1980 US Amatuer Championships. 

 As my surf photography improved, a friend of mine introduced me to Larry Moore at Surfing Magazine, he took me under his wing and gave me a lot of coaching and press passes to shoot at OP Pro events in Huntington Beach. My work was published in Surfing Magazine and a couple of times in Surfer Magazine. My parents had given me their camper truck they called “Happy Red” so that was my home away from home. 

It was fun exploring different surf spots up and down the coast of California. 

My favorite place to surf and shoot though was Rincon. A perfect peeling right hand point wave that you can ride for a long time. 

I moved to Maui in 1993 and continued surfing and surf photography. The waves are much bigger here, and I enjoy shooting at Jaws (Peahi) and Hookipa on the north shore. This large surf washes up some beautiful treasures that I like to turn into jewelry.

This is me in a nutshell and my next blogs will be about the stuff I am and have been creating.

Aloha

Did a little bit of modeling for a California based agency.

Waiting for my heat to start. 

Taking pictures at Rincon

Aleeda wetsuit ad.

My Magic Bus. It took me quite a few places. I was sad to let it go.

Modeling a new style of swim suit. I still have my old tan lines.