77 Surf Club with Ty Haft

[00:00:00] Tyler: The Swell Season podcast is recorded by the New Stand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by the Swell Season Surf Radio Network.

[00:00:53] Ty: Take it from a well known man, you can count all the fine [00:01:00] performances is And here they come Hello,

[00:01:11] Tyler: and welcome to the Swell Season Surf Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Brewer. Our latest guest is a director, cinematographer, and photographer. And any otherographer, really, if you think about it. Um, he's originally from Hermosa Beach, California, but moved to New York a few years ago, and has become a staple both in the lineup and on land.

[00:01:33] His work is layered with outdoor lifestyle, documentary adventures, and other contemporary fashion. Our guest, his name is Tyler Haft. A wonderful name, by the way, as, uh, as, uh, I can tell you it's worked out very well for me. Um, Tyler prefers to use the ocean as a muse offering unique contrast between [00:02:00] humans and nature.

[00:02:01] And he recently started a new Instagram page called 77 surf club. It's a space for him to document the local surfers in New York city. And capture all the characters that make up our lineup and on the beach. And I've just been a huge fan of Tyler's for a while. He's always out there in the lineup, shooting with water photography.

[00:02:21] And, and then when he gets on a board, he kind of fucking rips. So I felt like he'd be a really great fit and a great guest on the show. So, um, let's give, uh, Tyler or Ty, he goes by both. Uh, a warm welcome to Swell Season. Tyler, how's it going? Thanks for having me. This is exciting. I know. It's so weird though.

[00:02:44] I have difficulty saying Tyler. You know?

[00:02:47] Ty: I think that's better to call me Ty then because, you know, two Tylers is a lot. Yeah, you know, it's, it's worked out. Has the

[00:02:52] Tyler: name worked out well for you? Yeah. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Mom. It's, it's funny. So we were just [00:03:00] talking before we came on, like, how in doing research for you.

[00:03:06] It's funny like I see all your work and like I see all your titles, but there's nothing about you And I was just like scrambling to try to find Anything to kind of do research on you and I was like trying to reach out to people like hey You know like tell me a story and no one really got back to me but it was just it's just interesting how that kind of works out how you just behind the lens and just The credits and all the other information that doesn't come with it.

[00:03:33] Ty: Yeah, that's, honestly, I think it's um, When I got out of school, I did a lot of like more assisting work. And I think the culture was not really like around promoting yourself. It was like just putting out the time and work, and then letting the work sort of speak for itself.

[00:03:53] Tyler: Yeah.

[00:03:54] Ty: Um, that and I just was pretty, Pretty camera shy.

[00:03:58] I just wanted to like [00:04:00] document people and never really document myself. That's up, you know, occasionally I'd like have someone like take a picture of me, like somewhere being like, Hey, here's evidence. I was like doing this project, but I don't know. I think I just always wanted my work to be doing the talking and not necessarily me.

[00:04:19] Um, but I, I didn't really know that there's nothing on me.

[00:04:25] Tyler: Well, it, it, it, it's interesting. Cause I think that's a, it's a. I think it's a bit of a generational thing. Uh, and maybe, especially like growing up surfing, I think for both of us, uh, during this certain era, we, we might've grown up, although I'm a little older than you, but I think, I still think like that kind of carried over for a generation.

[00:04:47] You let your surfing do the talking. You, it was like considered kooky to kind of boast about yourself or post about yourself

[00:04:54] Ty: even. Definitely. The only people that were like posting were the pros. Like my [00:05:00] friends who surf much better than I do. I was never like confident enough to be like, here's a, picture of me surfing because my friends were just so much better and, you know, we're sponsored.

[00:05:10] So I was just like, if I just humble myself and if I get a cool, you know, wave or something and someone can be like, Hey, that was cool, but I'm never going to like post about it.

[00:05:21] Tyler: It's, it's funny. Like, I, I think it's just also like, we, I don't know about you, but like I ruffle under that. Yeah. That feeling of, Oh, I got to promote myself or whatever, which I'm super uncomfortable actually doing.

[00:05:34] Yeah. I could promote everyone else. No problem.

[00:05:38] Ty: I mean, I'm the same, which, but right now it's the opposite. It's like more about promoting yourself and it's all about, I mean, look at professional surfing now. It's like the, the brands are gone. Yeah. Surfer is a brand. Yeah. It's up to them to do their own marketing and, and like.

[00:05:55] and channels, which is like, it's a lot of work,

[00:05:59] Tyler: but not only [00:06:00] that, you have people. Who don't even surf that well, who are now able to make a living out of being a quote unquote pro surfer because They're so good at promoting themselves and shooting themselves.

[00:06:14] Ty: And they're relatable. Yeah professional surfers Sometimes they're not relatable because they're like, I can't surf that huge slab.

[00:06:22] I can't surf Jaws. Like I can surf that four foot wave. So that person might be relatable. So there's like a audience for them.

[00:06:29] Tyler: Well, look at like Yuri, right? With Skipper Surf. I mean, he has like almost 30, 000 followers or something. And like, he's not a great surfer. He's not bad. Like he's, he's improved tremendously.

[00:06:40] Yeah. It, it, it is funny, like he's just willing to put himself out there like that.

[00:06:44] Ty: And hats off to anyone that can make content every day. It's so much work. Yeah. I feel like I work on something for like weeks, put it out, and I'm like, okay, another few weeks and now the algorithm's like, no, no, you need to do this [00:07:00] every day.

[00:07:00] I'm like, I can't. It was way too much work. What does that do

[00:07:05] Tyler: then for like? Your, your career as a cinematographer and director and photographer, um, you know, what does that mean for you? Because like, We're so inundated now with content and and a lot of it is is pretty good like the equipment to the gear Everything's affordable You have AI now able to kind of edit and put stuff together for you.

[00:07:30] Like how do you navigate that then? That's

[00:07:34] Ty: a good question. I think my friends and I had talked about that all the time I know recently people have been trying to do more long form projects and bring back, like, in person screenings just because, like, online, you feel like you put so much work into it and it disappears in, like, a few hours.

[00:07:56] Yeah. And, You know, it's like originally [00:08:00] films and, and work, it's shown in like a gallery space or a festival. You like see people's reactions and, and it, it makes it such a more like overall personal experience. Where social media is great in the way you can connect with people across, you know, the world.

[00:08:20] But then it's also kind of harmful because, You're, you feel like you're just making material that just disappears, and you're like, does anyone even actually care, you know, like, you kind of have to do it for yourself.

[00:08:32] Tyler: Mm hmm.

[00:08:33] Ty: Um. But yeah, it's a really tricky time, but it's been cool seeing like a lot of different professional surfers putting their own like films out and screenings and tours just because they're like, you know, that's what you got to, yeah, they're like making clips for Instagram and daily.

[00:08:51] It's just not really fulfilling. So you're, I think you're going to see more people head more in that direction of like longer form. [00:09:00]

[00:09:00] Tyler: Let's, let's, let's dive into like your relationship with like professional surfers and shooting. Like how did that, how did that start and, and like, you know, how did that, you know, come about for you?

[00:09:11] Ty: Um, so in school, um, I was doing some advertising and then some photography. Um, I couldn't get all the internships that everyone wanted in, in L. A. And my best friend, still is my best friend, um, Dane Zahn is a professional surfer for, was for Hurley and Billabong. Grew up surfing with him my whole life and, you know, it got to the point in school where he was like, Hey, I need, you know, someone to start.

[00:09:41] photographing and filming, um, so I would do it like before class.

[00:09:45] Tyler: Nice.

[00:09:46] Ty: And then, you know, we started getting pretty good at it, and then his friends started hiring me, and then after school, you know, I really wanted to travel and do that whole thing, but I didn't really have the time. The money [00:10:00] to do it and Dane and some other friends, Mitch Cruz, Kaylee Moniz, they're all living together.

[00:10:05] Um, and they were like, hey, do you want to start traveling with us and documenting? I was like, yeah, that sounds like a great deal. Didn't even have to apply for the job. Um, I mean, I did, like I was putting in my time and they, they could trust me because it is a lot of work. Like, and it is like, people do fly you to these places and you cannot miss, You cannot miss the best stuff or else, like, you're canned.

[00:10:33] Tyler: Wow.

[00:10:33] Ty: So it's a lot of pressure, actually. People think it's just like, it's a fun thing, which it's really fun, but anyone that's a surf filmmaker knows that, like, you cannot miss that one clip because that's what people are spending all their money and time to do is, like, document it.

[00:10:50] Tyler: And they'll roast you on social if you do miss it, which I've seen a few surfers do.

[00:10:55] Yeah.

[00:10:56] Ty: I don't think I miss. Too much. [00:11:00] I'm gonna have to call them and, and ask. Well,

[00:11:02] Tyler: like, let's, let's walk through, like, what that process looks like when you, you have to go, like, on one of these trips, like, that must be pretty, it's gotta be fucking awesome on one level, but it's also, like, walk, because I imagine there's a lot of people who think, yeah, you're friends with them, and you get to shoot and, like, hang out and do all these things.

[00:11:24] And, like, I, I imagine it's a lot harder. then, then it obviously appears. And, and I, you know, can you walk us through that process? And then do you go into these things with a vision? Are you asking them for their vision? How does that all manifest?

[00:11:40] Ty: Yeah, that's, um, it depends on the surfer. Some, some surfers have, Uh, a really vision or like an aesthetic that they tried, you know, hired different filmers and then they can edit like Dane, Dane Reynolds can edit himself and Mikey February has his own aesthetic.

[00:11:59] Um, [00:12:00] there's other surfers that definitely rely on you to be like, Hey, like, I don't really know. Can you just make something that fits this project or this place that we're going to? Um, so it definitely depends on, on the surfer. The process is. Definitely a lot of work. I mean, you, you are traveling to like remote places that don't have camera shops.

[00:12:21] Yeah. So, first and foremost, like, You need to be really prepared, especially when I was doing this. I don't think there was like Amazon overnighting things either.

[00:12:34] Tyler: So, Hey, I'm in the middle of Morocco. Can you just like, yeah. Overnight this? No, you're like, you're on your own. There's

[00:12:41] Ty: no camera assistance and you know, um, but it is, it, it is very nerve wracking when my first trip, um, The Reef hired me on, I was staying with, um, you know, Mick Fanning and, like, my heroes.

[00:12:58] And there was only one [00:13:00] filmer, it was me. Holy shit, that's a lot of

[00:13:02] Tyler: pressure. That's a

[00:13:02] Ty: lot of pressure, and you had, I had to wake up in the dark every morning to film them before they're, they're practicing in Hostager, like, for their, for the competition. So I had to, you know, film them, come back, they were on, you know, competing, and then I would have to go film with all the free surfers, and then at lunchtime, then the longboarders wanted to go and travel.

[00:13:24] So I was, I think, from four in the morning to sunset every day, and, you know, you're like by yourself and you just have to manage everything, and, and they kind of roast you if you don't have your stuff together. Um. Um. So, it's definitely a job. Dude, I mean, if I had to shoot Nick

[00:13:44] Tyler: fanning, like, I'd be terrified of just getting, you know, like, I, I just feel like he'd be like, looking at the footage and be like, I don't like that angle.

[00:13:53] It makes me look fat. Throw it away. You know, like that would be,

[00:13:56] Ty: There are situations that the angle, what you think is an [00:14:00] artistic angle, sometimes a surfer will be like, No, my air, the air looks small. You need to be front in front of me. Yeah, you'll get in like arguments about, um, yeah, angles and, and well, what thing, one thing might be artistic to the surfer.

[00:14:15] You're like, no, that didn't do it justice.

[00:14:19] Tyler: Do you, have you ever seen or like heard of or did you even like direct surfers while surfing? Like, I, I would, I've heard stories of Jack McCoy kind of doing this and, and actually getting into some pretty epic battles with Sonny Garcia. But, uh, I, I've always imagined like, it'd be interesting to be like, All right.

[00:14:40] You're going to just go out. All you're doing is cutbacks this session. I just want cutbacks, no airs, just cutbacks, like, and I need you to do it with the torque and I need you to do this and that, like that would be, I don't know if you've ever heard of anyone doing that and directing the surfing actually, as opposed to just documenting it.

[00:14:58] Ty: Yeah. We've, I've worked on projects [00:15:00] where like we had enough of a certain type of wave and maybe we wanted to go and shoot something that was like really backlit and be like, I want you to only do really big airs and I'm going to silhouette it and it's going to be something that's a bit more artistic, right?

[00:15:17] So the whole session was for that one thing, right? I mean, I remember one time I was with, uh, Mitch Cruz, Mitch Colborne, Soli Bailey in Portugal and we were filming, uh, it's like a what youth project and I was debating with them about shooting in the water versus land.

[00:15:41] Tyler: Yeah.

[00:15:41] Ty: And luckily there was someone else there that wanted to just shoot land.

[00:15:45] But the guys were kind of giving me a hard time because I wanted to get in the water and they're like, you're gonna miss every clip No, I'm not gonna miss it. I swear and so I you know, they were just kind of a bit riding me off being like Oh, you're gonna get swept in [00:16:00] the current. You're gonna miss everything We end up getting the best shots of the trip in the water and Luckily, there was no current and I could like be in the spot.

[00:16:11] But You know, it made the piece a lot better. Yeah. Um, just kind of giving that perspective. So you definitely have battles with surfers of like, yeah, I want to, I want to shoot water for this and I'm like, no, don't shoot water. I want you to just be on land. Sometimes shooting on land is boring. And you're like, I want to be in the mix.

[00:16:29] Like, you know, it's skate filming. You're with the skaters. It's more like a collaborative, fun experience. You're high fiving in the water. It feels like that. Whereas. A lanyard, just like a mile away and just give someone a thumbs up if they see you, you know?

[00:16:46] Tyler: I, I remember, uh, I had to do, we did a, a shoot for the Dominican Republic in JetBlue for a film festival I was doing.

[00:16:54] And, and then, you know, we did like a whole short for it and I was surfing in it. And we're in the DR and my [00:17:00] friend is filming from the water and the current was brutal. And so he, every time I caught a wave, he wasn't in the right spot. Or when he was in the right spot, I would blow the wave and like, we surfed, I think for six hours straight to like, my armpits were bleeding and like, We were talking, we were like, oh, it's like, he was like demanding me.

[00:17:20] He's like, no, you gotta stay out. You have to get more waves. You have to get, do more cutbacks. And yeah, he was yelling at me and I'm like, I just wanna go in. Yeah, I know I'm done. And, and like it was just like, I felt like it was like kinsky and vernor, herzog like fighting, you know, .

[00:17:35] Ty: There's been fights.

[00:17:36] There's definitely times where, you know, if I was, you know, I think Dana and I would. Early days we'd go travel somewhere and he would come in and be like it sucks out there. I'm like, I don't know It looks pretty good. I think you should go back out and you know, we get in a fight So there's definitely been some like, you know head butting But [00:18:00] like in a good way productive way, you know,

[00:18:03] Tyler: I want to talk about your your 77 surf club Yeah, how how did this come about and why you got to blow up spots

[00:18:11] Ty: man?

[00:18:12] Oh, man I didn't tend to blow up the spot. I thought it was just gonna be this random number It came about I think, like, for years, I just, like, always wanted to just document the different people of New York, being from Southern California. Coming to New York, I was, you know, I was just really interested in the people.

[00:18:37] Um, And for years, I, like you just said, like, I didn't want to, like, blow up New York surfing, necessarily, you know, I was, like, respectful of all the locals, and then, um, you know, in recent years, it feels like everyone made an account, everyone's sort of, like, selling Rockaway out, and, you know, like, in a, you know, I get [00:19:00] it, like, there's, like, people come in to do commercials for the day.

[00:19:03] Yeah. And, and, although this is what surfing's all about here, I'm like, it's not, like, there's so many more layers to it. So, I just kind of wanted to, you know, make something that was dedicated towards the people. My personal hobby is still documenting surfing

[00:19:20] Tyler: yeah,

[00:19:20] Ty: because no one pays me to do it anymore I you know I have to go shoot toothpaste commercials to make money Surfing is just which is it's nice.

[00:19:29] I mean shooting surfing for the love of surfing I feel like it's more fun than

[00:19:33] Tyler: well. He gets tainted right like when you're When your livelihood depends on something you love or you're passionate about. And this is like a common theme that I have with a lot of people on the show and talking about, you know, like when you make your love your work, it's, it's a, it's a scary prospect because all of a sudden your release or your, your What was like your escape is now your, your prison almost.

[00:19:57] Yeah. And, and it's kind of nice to be able to [00:20:00] just do it without anyone else's input or expectations and you could just do it whatever you want and not worry about it.

[00:20:07] Ty: Yeah, I think that the best trips I've ever been on, recently, I did a trip with Mitch Cruz in, in, um, in Europe before COVID and it was the one trip where we weren't, like, filming for something.

[00:20:20] Tyler: Yeah.

[00:20:21] Ty: And it was like the most fun we ever had. Same thing with Dane Zong, we like, you know, went to El Salvador, no cameras and just surfed together. And, you know, he's working professionally in something else now. It's the most fun we ever had surfing. You know, we were like, no one's yelling at each other for missing clips.

[00:20:38] Um, we're like, oh, we're bringing the pureness of surfing back in our lives, which is, which is nice.

[00:20:44] Tyler: Is there an intention then with the 77 Surf Club? Do you, are you looking to make it into anything? Or are you just like trying to document, Yeah.

[00:20:57] Ty: No, I don't really have an intention [00:21:00] to like, you know, make, you know, I don't know, money off it or anything like that.

[00:21:05] It's more just to document people. And I'm working on a personal project, like a long term project about sort of East Coast surfing. That kind of stemmed from, um, people are always just curious about it. Whenever I traveled. And there's some, you know, there's some great films about it. I just kind of was like, I feel like this is something I need to do and document on my own.

[00:21:31] Um, and sort of document my friends and experiences for, you know, one day when I'm old and look back and have these crazy stories about winter surfing. Because it is, you know, It's, it's really special because, you know, in Southern California, you don't have hard winters. Like there's, the adventure is a little bit like, it's not gone, but like, you can, you know, you can go find your scary waves and places, but you [00:22:00] know, the whole like trudging through snow and that commitment that I saw from East Coast surfers, I was like really impressed by, and I was like, it'd be really cool to document this, um, you know, and tell my own little version of it.

[00:22:14] through the friends that I've made. Um, so yeah, it really is just like a, uh, a platform for me just to like show these different people. And

[00:22:24] Tyler: well, I, I have this theory that like West coast surfers are agricultural and East coast surfers are hunter gatherers, you know, it's feast or famine for us. We, we can't guarantee the wave.

[00:22:37] So we got a gorge while it's there and like be resourceful and be committed. Whereas West Coast, you can be like, you know, this is, this is a big storm down by New Zealand. It'll be here in a week on, uh, Monday at 8 AM. So I'm going to wait till then. And you can plan out your whole surfs and you know, like there's waves on tap almost [00:23:00] all the time.

[00:23:01] Yeah. You know, whereas here you're like, shit, it's going to be good only for an hour on Monday, you know? Yeah.

[00:23:08] Ty: Right. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, and if you miss it, you're like, Oh my God. I mean, I haven't, I don't think I've served in a month because I was out of town and the one day I was here, the next day it was good and I was gone and you know, that's it.

[00:23:21] Tyler: I thought I saw you though, get a wave like the last month.

[00:23:24] Ty: It was a month ago. Probably.

[00:23:27] Tyler: It was, uh, you know, at the spot I was, I was. One beach over, and I saw the crew. I saw you, Paul, and a few other people, and I, and you're all sitting on the peak there, and I was just like, and I just got a brand new board, and I was feeling kind of sluggish, and I was just like, I'm not gonna go there.

[00:23:46] I don't wanna, I don't wanna go there. I don't want to embarrass myself. And I don't want to, you know, ruin it for the boys. And so I was watching you get like barreled and a bunch, and Paul get barreled on a bunch. I was like, fuck, I should go to the waves are better, but I wanna, I [00:24:00]don't want to be a kook.

[00:24:01] I don't want to be the kook. No.

[00:24:03] Ty: Um, yeah, it's, it's, it is definitely hard to, To get the good days here. It is Feast or Famine, that's for sure. Which, I, I think people don't really realize that until they're here for like a long term. You know, because I was just talking to my buddy David the other day, I'm like, how was your winter?

[00:24:22] And he's like, pretty bad, I, There was good days, but I wasn't able to get to them. So if you are having that one day where you're getting barreled all day, you're like, I had the best winter ever. Yeah. If you're not, you're like, I haven't surfed in months. And, you know, I don't, I want to go somewhere where there's waves every day.

[00:24:41] Um, cause that is, that is a tricky part. Like, You know, being a working person in the world and surfing.

[00:24:48] Tyler: Well, what, what made you want to come to New York then? Like, what was that, I mean, obviously you're a photographer, New York is a place to be, but it feels like you can kind of do that in L. A. and you can do that in a few other [00:25:00] places.

[00:25:00] What was the draw for here? Yeah, um. And did you know about the surf coming here? Were you like, okay, there's surf there, I'll make it happen.

[00:25:08] Ty: Kind of. Like, I, I, I saw like, always Hurricane. Hurricane. Swell, you know, like stories on the surf line and um, they didn't know much about like I had some New Jersey buddies When I was shooting with Hurley, yeah, we'd one time did an East Coast tour and they're showing me pictures and I came out here I definitely was like the first time when the water I was like you guys are nuts.

[00:25:34] I was like, I don't know how you do this By going back to it Yeah, I was, you know, being born and raised in LA. I went to school there. I needed like a change. My sister was out here for like 20 years. I worked in, um, like fashion in Conde Nast and, and she was like, I think it'd be good for you to come try it for six months, summer, a year, whatever.

[00:25:59] So I [00:26:00] did and then, you know, now it's been eight years. You know, it kind of, it definitely is addicting and you meet your people and, you know, You know, work is, you know, is great here, so. And then if you can fit surfing into your life, because that's the big factor for any surfer. You're like, if I can't surf, then I can do the city temporarily, have some fun, and then, you know, go somewhere else.

[00:26:25] But you know, if you can figure out, um, you know, still keeping surfing your life, then you're like, this place has it all. And if you're a decent

[00:26:34] Tyler: surfer and you come to New York, I feel like. It's definitely like, you can, you can insert yourself higher up in the hierarchy quicker, you know, and it's not that hard, you know.

[00:26:46] I mean, it's just harder

[00:26:47] Ty: to get better at surfing here because you don't have this amount of days. California, you have so many days you can practice over here. It's like, you feel like you're cheating if you come from California to here. You're like, oh. Yeah, I got to surf every day. Thank you for that validation.[00:27:00]

[00:27:00] Tyler: Yeah, I would be so much better as a surfer if I

[00:27:03] Ty: could just. I talked to all my Rockaway local friends about it. I'm like, you guys are so good for being able to surf occasionally and then put on six mils. And it's also

[00:27:13] Tyler: close out a lot of time or really fast. So they're not like easy waves. Yeah,

[00:27:18] Ty: I will say that where I grew up surfing is.

[00:27:20] It was big scary closeouts when it was bigger that, you know, you'd see these guys make, like my friends would make barrels and they're closeouts and I would just go out there and feel like I was surviving. Um. But yeah, it's, it's really tough to learn here. That's for sure. What do

[00:27:37] Tyler: you, what do you think is like, you know, you, for someone who grew up kind of near like the surf industrial complex and, and around like a lot of people who, who were professional surfers and, or probably were in the industry.

[00:27:50] Um, you know, I'm curious, like, what do you see the difference between like, uh, like, uh, the surfers you grew up with and out in the West coast to, to compare [00:28:00] to here that makes it. Worthy of maybe a project or something besides them just going in the snow. Yeah. Um, do you think it's an attitude that's different mentality?

[00:28:13] Like, that's a good question.

[00:28:16] Ty: Um, I've got a

[00:28:17] Tyler: whole list of

[00:28:18] Ty: them. Yeah. The mentality is, is, is definitely different. I mean, also it depends, it depends on the surfer. Like there's, there's definitely some people in, you know, that I grew up with that were just absolute animals and they just wanted to go to the scariest Biggest waves, every swell, and it's a lot of work, and a lot of grit.

[00:28:39] Um, there's definitely other people that are just like, I just want to go to Malibu and chill and look good. Um, no, the, the, the thing here is like the dedication. You know, I've been friends with like Pat Schmidt for a while. He used to stay like on our couch in L. A. when he was visiting.

[00:28:57] Tyler: Mm hmm.

[00:28:58] Ty: So I came out here [00:29:00] like watching him.

[00:29:01] Mm hmm. You know, I, I, I, I, I like, kind of joke to people, I'm like, on East Coast, you either need like a longboard or a gun. Or a mini gun, cause you're like, there's no in between fun days. And these guys will go out when it's like, 12 foot and 30 knot offshores. And I'm looking at it being like, there's no way with my best ability I can do that.

[00:29:23] And they're like, no practice, cause they haven't surfed in months.

[00:29:27] Tyler: Yeah.

[00:29:28] Ty: They like, go out and they, they're like, You know, rule it and I just, my like hats off to them because like, it's not like you get to practice doing it in LA or LA, LA, but like California you get so much practice. Yeah. Yeah. So that's the difference is if those guys can like go out on a day and get clips and you know, perform well after not surfing for a while, that's hard to do.

[00:29:56] Really hard to do.

[00:29:57] Tyler: It, it is. It's, and like. [00:30:00] I also, I, I just think maybe there's, um, I wonder if like, uh, it hasn't been as diluted surfing on the East coast, maybe as maybe it possibly has on the West these days.

[00:30:14] Ty: Yeah, it's becoming, I mean, it's definitely more popular now on the East coast. I've, I've seen a lot more people into it.

[00:30:22] Um, Yeah, I mean, California, there's, there's, there's so much talent there because it's just, there's.

[00:30:30] Tyler: But there's also just so many people, it's so, it's so accessible. That's the

[00:30:35] Ty: thing. Yeah. There's, there's, there's a bigger pool to choose from. And then, I mean, there's a lot of really good surfers that you don't know their names.

[00:30:43] I will say like when I go to, you know, Jersey or go to Lido on a day, you're like watching really, really technical surfing that you've never know, know these guys names or seen them and you're like, wow. Like that was. Pretty A plus textbook surfing. I've never [00:31:00] seen that guy before

[00:31:02] Tyler: how how do you make average surfers look good?

[00:31:08] Cuz you you shoot in Rockaway and like yeah, where are you the people you shoot? They're decent surfers, but they're not on on a pro level, but you're It feels like you're able to make them look pretty good. Uh, camera angles. No. Um. It all comes back to camera angles. Yeah.

[00:31:27] Ty: A part of it definitely is how you, how you shoot it.

[00:31:31] Yeah. Um, I think, you know, there's, there's ways of shooting a surface that looks like they're moving faster or, or, you know, in a way that the wave might look a little bit bigger. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Because it is really with. Angles and, and how you shoot something you can make you, I mean, I've seen footage of pros, someone sent me a clip and I'm like, you made that pro look like they're going slow or, you know, the way it looks small, even though it's not.

[00:31:58] And so it is a [00:32:00] really, um, sometimes a technical thing of like how to shoot it to make it look more realistic or, um, add, add weight to it. Yeah, exactly. I will say also shooting in the water helps with that too. I mean, um, I think any water clip will make like an average surfer. Look a little bit better because you're just right there and get to experience it with them

[00:32:28] Tyler: now You grew up like Hermosa Beach.

[00:32:32] Was that it? Manhattan and Hermosa Beach. Oh, man got to surf with Is it Chris Frohoff? And yeah a couple of those guys friend

[00:32:41] Ty: of mine. Yeah, I I was very lucky Yeah, it was like them, you know, it's a big Mecca of Surfing, you have so much history and, and surfboard shapers there. South

[00:32:53] Tyler: Bay, you know, the whole South Bay kind of thing.

[00:32:55] Ty: Best friend, John Mangeli, who I live with, his, you know, his dad owned a glass shop and did [00:33:00] Becker's boards. And before, you know, it was the same place that Greg Knoll was in there. And Hap Jacobs and all these guys you get to like, you know, learn from and. Absolutely. Um, yeah, it's pretty, it was a really cool place to grow up for sure.

[00:33:16] Tyler: Chris, I once, uh, probably freaked Chris Frohoff out. I was, uh, I was there for work and I'm sitting on the boardwalk waiting for someone and I see him and I'm like, Holy shit, it's fucking Chris Frohoff. No way, you know? And I went up to him, I'm like, are you Chris Frohoff? And he's like, yeah, and I'm like, I'm a huge fan.

[00:33:35] You know, and I'm a grown ass man. Yeah. Kind of like getting fully weak kneed and nerdy. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I'm like, man, you, you crushed it in the 87 pipe masters final, man. I really, really loved it. And he's like, cool, cool. And I was like, I run a podcast, you know, maybe we could do something. He's like, yeah, sure.

[00:33:51] I totally guarantee. I freaked him out. I think.

[00:33:55] Ty: Yeah. He's a humble, humble guy. I didn't know who he was. Like, I think I was like, I grew up surfing [00:34:00] like later than my friends. And so when we go out there, these, you know, these legendary guys, I'm like, who's that guy? And they're like. You know, my friend's up to sit me down and, and tell me the stories.

[00:34:10] Oh, man. Yeah.

[00:34:12] Tyler: He had the best. He had like this one great ad when, when it was like the whole, um, What was it? A Bo Jackson craze was on, and Bo knows, and like, Bo can do this and that, and so they did a Fro, Lip Blow, Power Pro, Ain't Bo, It's Fro, you know? So good. We gotta bring those back. So good. What was growing up out there like then, and how did you find your way into like cinematography and photography then?

[00:34:41] Ty: Um, growing up there was, was great. I mean, it definitely was still A smaller beach community and a lot of emphasis around, you know, the beach sports and surfing and our school had like the best volleyball team if you were, you know, everyone was like a giant at my [00:35:00]school. Yeah, I mean, it was a really, really, and honestly inspiring place just because so many amazing watermen and the life, we were friends all the like, you know, the lifeguards were like heroes to us, you know, it's a lot different culture than like lifeguarding on the East Coast versus West Coast.

[00:35:17] They're

[00:35:18] Tyler: like the FDNY for us, I think, you know? Yeah, they are, I mean, they're a part

[00:35:21] Ty: of, I mean, they are a part of the fire department in, in LA and, um, a lot of my friends are like permanent lifeguards and. So, it was cool being around, you know, the beach culture like that. Um, it's changed a lot for sure. I mean, there's definitely, um, a little less.

[00:35:38] I mean, there's still big surf culture there, but, um, unfortunately, we're, like, losing a lot of, like, the local shaping places due to rents. Gentrification and whatnot. Yeah, it happens, happens there too. Yeah. Um, and then, you know, I was always interested in, in photography and, and, uh, cinematography. And I never really thought [00:36:00] it was going to be something that I would actually be able to do.

[00:36:03] I just felt like it was like this experience. You know, kind of expensive thing that was like only for, I don't know, the, like, really artistic people. Like, I never actually thought it was like a way you can make a career out of it. Um, and then in college I really started becoming a bit more serious and really, like, fell in love with it a lot more.

[00:36:25] And then, you know, aside from shooting surfing with my friends, which was fun, I, you know, started working with different directors and production companies and really, you know, Being like on set and seeing what it's like and I was like, wow, really intimidated It's really like scary business when you're starting out.

[00:36:45] And again, I was like, I don't know if it's for me You know, I'm gonna I'm gonna continue to do like small things and then you know, eventually like I was like, okay I guess I'm doing this as a career now Like

[00:36:58] Tyler: what what is that moment? Like and [00:37:00] what do you remember when you were like, oh, this is This is my job.

[00:37:04] This is what I do. It's probably last year.

[00:37:09] Ty: Um, yeah, I think honestly would probably when I was moving to New York to do it. Yeah. Yeah. Cause in, in, in, in California I was still just like, all right, I was in early twenties and, you know, And, you know, still kind of figuring it out. But then when I moved to New York, I was like, all right, this is, this has to work because there's no one holding my hand here.

[00:37:34] Yeah. I don't really know anybody and, and there's no surfing here to pay me to shoot. So I'm going to really figure this out, um, or leave, which is what a lot of New York people do. Um, and then I got lucky and I met some really amazing people that like helped me out and brought me on jobs and got me jobs and, um, very like.

[00:37:56] Indebted to them and grateful because you have to do everything on [00:38:00] your own There's no way like you have to have someone help you. It's all about

[00:38:02] Tyler: the network and all about the people who can give you the access you know that really yeah, it's super important to have that and New York like That's, that's how you get it done is by your network of friends, you know, and that's where art movements come from and all of that sort of stuff.

[00:38:18] It's like all through just that, you know, social interaction, you know, and it's not just your work that does the talking.

[00:38:25] Ty: Oh, yeah. I have to do so much social interaction here. It's a lot.

[00:38:31] Tyler: If you're not social, forget about it. Were you, uh, were you a social person or is, or did New York kind of bring you out of that?

[00:38:39] Ty: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I definitely. I definitely have always been social and, um, you know, when I was first going on trips, you know, professional surf trips, I was like, always want to go out and meet people and, and sometimes had a bit too much fun and, but you [00:39:00] got

[00:39:00] Tyler: to keep up with the Australians that you travel with.

[00:39:02] It is.

[00:39:03] Ty: Yeah. Hard. It is tough. They're, uh, they're fun, but yeah, you, you'll go out with them and, and speaking is going back to the hard work of. You, you go out and you wake up hungover and then you have to go and film another 12 hours and they're, and they're surfing really well hungover. Jeez. And I can like barely, you know, keep my eyes open on the beach.

[00:39:25] So, yeah, they're, they're animals.

[00:39:28] Tyler: Do you, what do your parents think? Like, were they supportive of your decision to kind of go into this line of work? Were they, like, encouraging of it? And particularly like at the beginning when you were probably going on surf trips, it must have been like,

[00:39:41] Ty: Yeah, um, no, they're supportive of it.

[00:39:45] I think my dad was, when I was like, shooting with the Roxy girls, he was like, You needed me to come hold the bounce for you, you know? Like, um, no, they're supportive of it. Like, they know that it's It's not a traditional path, [00:40:00] um, but they've always been really cool about it. Are they creative as well, or? Uh, my mom, yeah, my mom actually, um, is really creative.

[00:40:09] Yeah. My dad's not so much, but. What does she do, then? Uh, she used to make, um, costumes in Hollywood. Yeah. No way. And then she, uh, quit because it was too many months on the road. Yeah. Having two kids, and then. She got into, like, designing, interior design, and just contracting.

[00:40:31] Tyler: Dude, that's awesome. Costume

[00:40:33] Ty: design stuff.

[00:40:34] She probably has some awesome stories. She's got some great stories. She'd be better to put on the podcast than I

[00:40:39] Tyler: am. What is, like, do you think there's a career still for being, like, a surf cinematographer these days? Or do you think it's just Now like a launching off point instead.

[00:40:54] Ty: That's a good question.

[00:40:54] I'd have to ask, I should ask, um, I've got friends with Dylan Roberts, [00:41:00] who shoots a lot of stabs work. Um, which I think is, and Will Stiles, who also lives in, um, the South Bay, he shoots for a stab. And they're doing it more full time because Stab is, you know, they're doing a really good job of paying their filmers.

[00:41:17] Um, other than that, it's, it's tough. I mean, I think a lot more Australian filmmakers, because maybe there's a bit more money there. Um, or it's taken a bit more seriously. Um, here it's really hard. I mean, especially, you know, East Coast, I don't really know anyone that's doing it like full time. You have to do other, other stuff.

[00:41:42] You have to do other things. Um, I hope that it becomes more of like a full time position because there's other sports where, you know, they get paid really well.

[00:41:53] Tyler: Yeah.

[00:41:53] Ty: Um, But, yeah, I'd have to ask some of those guys, but

[00:41:59] Tyler: It's like, [00:42:00] it's not like you can be an art brewer these days, or, or anything like that.

[00:42:04] You almost have to have a patron, you know, like, uh, like Kelly Slater does with, um, what's his name? Killing me now. Todd Glasser? Yeah, Todd Glasser. You know, like, you almost have to have like a pro surfer patron to, or Blake Cuny with uh, JonJon, right? I think

[00:42:22] Ty: now it's Eric. Yeah, I think Blake's doing his own thing, but yeah, JonJon has, I mean, they have his own production company that he basically has them on salary, I believe, and you know, shoots everything for him.

[00:42:34] And then, um, His brand Florence. Yeah. Um, which is one way, but it's, you know, what's percentage of people can do that? It's like you then have to be lucky if if and he's really I mean Eric is extremely talented and his works amazing There's only so many people that can get those like sort of staff Positions to to shoot surf

[00:42:58] Tyler: you got to be good and you got [00:43:00] to be you know, have a Surf friend, you know or Yeah Or, you know, grow up with someone who just happens to become like a really substantial surfer, you know Like I look at like Rory Pringle And then like, was it the Coffin Brothers had their own person for a while like everyone kind of Pitton Grows up with someone and then that person kind of graduates into it.

[00:43:22] Ty: Right? Yeah, that was I mean, I think Evan Geiselman, I used to travel with him and his filmer then went on to go work for Vice and you know Yeah, but yeah, in, in terms of making it, um, full time, it's, it's really challenging.

[00:43:41] Tyler: Who did you look to for, like, inspiration, influence, who's influenced your work? For, for sure?

[00:43:48] No, just in general. In general?

[00:43:50] Ty: Like, who do you look to? Um, for, like, cinematography work, definitely, like, you know, Van Hoytema and Roger [00:44:00] Deakins and Describe their work for me, because I am unfamiliar with them. You probably would be familiar. I mean, um. Hoyt just, he shot the Oppenheimer, and he's done like the James Bond Skyfall, or no, I think Deacon said Skyfall.

[00:44:17] Um, I mean they've shot some of the most iconic movies where their style is not necessarily, doesn't feel like big Hollywood. Like you watch their movies, and like Deacon shot No Country for Old Men, right? It's one of my favorite movies. Um, you watch their work, and it's not like screaming at you. Like, look at this shot, but then if you really look at it and digest it, you're like, wow, this is extremely beautiful.

[00:44:44] And again, it's like, it's not making a distraction where you're thinking about who shot it.

[00:44:50] Tyler: Yeah.

[00:44:50] Ty: It just, you, you just feel a lot of emotions while watching it.

[00:44:54] Tyler: It's interesting like I was watching like a lot of your shorter clips, you know, and it's [00:45:00] like years I can see that you know, like I there's you you have what I would call like a lot of negative space in there what what I mean by that is like When you look at, it's not cluttered, it's not overstimulating, there's like a serenity to a lot of your shots that I've seen, like, um, I think it was the, um, was it, uh, the middle American that you shot.

[00:45:26] Ty: Oh, you watched that one. Yeah, I thought it was great.

[00:45:29] Tyler: Oh, no, man, I do my research, you know. I loved it, it was just like, There's this quiet simpleness to it. Um, listeners, like, uh, go check them out. I highly recommend. But they're, they're on Vimeo. Uh, but it's like, yeah, like I could see, especially when you mentioned like No Country for Old Men, there were like these, these scenes where it just kind of lingers almost and it's like not much happening, but.

[00:45:54] Um, it's saying a lot because of that and I felt like, yeah, I saw that in, in, in mid [00:46:00]middle American and also in, even in Bruna and a couple of the others that you shot. Like there, there's this, like your, your Iceland, uh, one also, but maybe that's because your, your DP screwed up and didn't not, not, not DP, but your, your audio person screwed up.

[00:46:14] We were talking about that.

[00:46:16] Ty: Um, I appreciate that. Yeah. I, maybe it's a reflection of personality is I don't. really like things super complicated and I always Prefer like less is more and sometimes if you're way too much going on it's distracting like I like I watch You know, sometimes it's hard to keep up with like trends of what clients want because there's so much happening.

[00:46:41] It's so fast It's it's every image is so distracting that I'm like, I don't even know what I just watched

[00:46:47] Tyler: right?

[00:46:48] Ty: Which is not a bad thing. A lot of people like that but my personal style is just not it's more leaning towards like And if you could tell a story [00:47:00] in, you know, with fewer things in the image or, you know, linger on something longer, then I think that's, that's great.

[00:47:06] For me, um, the goal. Well, I think like what

[00:47:10] Tyler: that does is it allows the important, the thing you're trying to really tell those stories, right? Like, you know, if you have too much going on, the main story, the real draw is watered down or you can't tell. But if you can have like these quiet moments. And then have, like, the one key piece and it doesn't even have to say a lot or, or show even that person a whole lot, you know, like, like in, in middle American, like you hardly see the girl you're, you're interviewing or covering, you're, you're showing more of the other exposition.

[00:47:46] And it goes really nicely with the narrative too. Appreciate it.

[00:47:49] Ty: Yeah. You know, for that one, it's more about the. Environment right? Yeah, so it's a little bit less about her and more about the environment[00:48:00]

[00:48:01] Yeah, it's uh, I don't know. I feel like everyone's taste is different, you know That's like that's what's what's cool about it is like everyone It's so subjective like I you people talk about Oscars and I'm like every movie is so One person you love a movie another person could hate it Talk to my friends about that all the time who have our amazing creatives and our resumes You You know a lot longer than I do and we talk about movies and they all argue about it.

[00:48:29] I'm like everyone's got a different opinion

[00:48:32] Tyler: Do you? Like, what would you like to be doing in, like, 10, 15 years work wise? Like, what sort of projects are, like, the things that you would really covet and look after, look, look for?

[00:48:44] Ty: Yeah, I, um, I think shooting narrative films, like feature length narrative has always been a goal.

[00:48:51] I was doing documentaries, like I did a few. Um, uh, feature length documentaries, um, [00:49:00] which are great and they're really fulfilling. They're really taxing and hard to sustain, um, just the amount of time and, um, you know, monetary is, is, is complicated. But, um, I would love to shoot, like, narrative feature films.

[00:49:16] Tyler: Do you, do you write? Or do you, like, do anything of that nature? No. Is that a desire?

[00:49:22] Ty: I don't write. I should write. I, I, um, I get in my head about, like, I don't know, would anyone want to listen to this story that I'm going to write? I think it's probably why I like to document real, when I do my own projects, I usually try to follow real people and tell their story.

[00:49:42] Um, instead of making up a story, um, yeah, personal reasons. I would rather shoot someone else's narrative vision than,

[00:49:51] Tyler: than, than have to come up with up all the pressure and everything. .

[00:49:56] Ty: Maybe, maybe one, honestly, maybe one day if it feels right. [00:50:00] Yeah. You know, it's, it's hard,

[00:50:02] Tyler: like, uh, it's funny, like. There are so many, uh, incredible people, filmmakers, cinematographers particularly who've come out of surfing and, you know, some have attempted narrative styles and, and sometimes it's just, it doesn't always correlate or, or it doesn't translate, I think, like, it's, it's hard, I think it's really hard to kind of do the narrative and the storytelling proper, like, I look at some people, like, Who are incredibly, incredible vision tellers, but can't get the script right.

[00:50:38] Ty: I mean, it's a really challenging, script writing is very hard. I mean, there's a reason why everyone has different departments. So, if I ever see a movie where someone wrote, directed, and acted in it, I'm like, that person is so talented. Because it's so hard to do. Um, But yeah, I mean, there's a lot of people, you know, helping you along the way and, you [00:51:00] know, script supervisors and people that, multiple writers in a room, um, and, and it's something you learn.

[00:51:07] Like, I'm sure if I wanted to really focus on script writing, I'd have to go and relearn it. Yeah.

[00:51:14] Tyler: You know. Do you, do you want to be directing or do you want to, you like being more in the, the cinematography side of things?

[00:51:22] Ty: Yeah, I prefer being in more of the cinematography side. Um. I like to occasionally direct, like this project that I'm doing, more for fun.

[00:51:34] Um, you know, it's just a way for me to be in control of something and to have fun doing it. Um, directing is a really challenging job to do full time. Yeah. Not like every job's challenging, but, um, yeah, on a large scale it is, I don't know if it's something that I would do well with. Um. You know, uh, [00:52:00] hats off to, you know, every director out there I've worked with.

[00:52:03] It's, it's a ton of work, but um, no, I do still find that more enjoyment out of cinematography. Um. Did, um,

[00:52:13] Tyler: do you, like, I guess the thing I want to ask then is like, do you think, um, how are you, how do you navigate all the changes that are happening, I guess, now within this, this world? I mean, we've.

[00:52:31] Effectively got AI now, like, where you can make like a whole freaking, you can make movies almost out of it and it looks somewhat realistic and you have, uh, the gear has become so much easier and so the bar of entry is lower. How do you navigate all of this stuff? How are you navigating? Yeah, I was going to say it's an ongoing thing.

[00:52:48] Yeah. Okay. And do you guys, do you and your colleagues talk about this and what

[00:52:54] Ty: do

[00:52:54] Tyler: you guys

[00:52:54] Ty: talk about? We definitely talk about it. And I, and I try to ask, get advice from, from [00:53:00] DPs that have done a lot bigger work than I have. But, um, yeah, it's, it's, it's extremely challenging. Um, I think we definitely have to adapt.

[00:53:10] I think, you know, productions are getting smaller. You know, things are going for just, you know, Tok or web. So you're having to downsize and, or, you know, maybe temporarily take rates or lower, you know, it's a bit more competitive, but still your, your eye on the end goal, like you're still like, okay, like I'm going to do these things for money and just adapt to it.

[00:53:36] And then, you know, try to do one or two projects a year that I'm really gonna like pull in all the favors and, and make this thing. As, you know, to my standards, the way I want it. And then hopefully that gets you to like the next level of, you know, where you're trying to go. But it's been really, really challenging to navigate from a lot of [00:54:00] friends perspectives too.

[00:54:02] Tyler: How do you, how do you communicate with like the director then? Like how do you, like what goes on in that interaction to, to get their vision across but also have your style, right? Like, that's a thing I've always wondered about, like. You know, you, you're a director, you have a certain vision, but then you're bringing on like a director of photography and cinematographer and you're, obviously you have to communicate with them what you want and they got to give you what you want, but also you got to find your creative meaning in it and you have to find your own style or apply your own style to it.

[00:54:37] Ty: Yeah, it's, it's, it can be really tricky, especially if you haven't worked with the director before. You'll see a lot of. Um, you know, big movies, and the director will work with that same cinematographer a lot because they, it becomes, it's a relationship, and it's like, I don't even want to have to worry about that person.

[00:54:56] Right. But when you're first starting out, you definitely have to do your [00:55:00]research, um, and make sure that your styles are, you know, consistent. Similar, which isn't always the case, especially like a commercial, it's sort of just kind of getting the job done for the client, it's more what the client wants, um, but if you're shooting something like more documentary or narrative, you know, your conversations are even just like, do you want this whole film shot handheld or very like static or do you want tons of movement or, you know, it's, there's a lot of different conversations about it.

[00:55:34] So. mood, you know, lighting, um, you know, framing, there's so much that goes into it. And you have to have those conversations beforehand because you're also, you're going to get in trouble if you're just doing your own thing.

[00:55:49] Tyler: So, so that, so be shooting pro surfers is a really good practice then for working with directors, right?

[00:55:56] Yeah. The pro surfers are the directors. They're paying you. I [00:56:00] was wondering, like, what do you think? Like, surfing has given you an advantage, or do you think it gives you a different voice or perspective than some of your other colleagues maybe who don't? Like, I'm curious, like, I've always been curious, like, with surfers, surfers in the wild, I guess you call them or whatever, like, surfers who are in their field and whether they, you know, that's, I don't know, maybe I place too much importance on surfing and, and, yeah, we're too, we're special, but I don't know, like, I wonder if, like, it does give you, because you, you are in the environment, you're actually in the environment a lot of the time, and so it gives you maybe a different perspective.

[00:56:39] Ty: Yeah, definitely. I mean, certain projects, I feel like it is helped me and honed in skills of being more reactionary because especially when you're filming, like if you're doing documentaries, like you're not setting things up. So it is a lot of reactionary to, um, to capture the more important parts. So [00:57:00] of the story.

[00:57:01] So it definitely helps you in that way. Um, other ways, maybe not so much as sometimes on like a bigger scale, they want you to be. Sort of camera trained from the from the ground up and don't really care that you did anything surf related or Sometimes it can hurt you or pigeonhole you when I first moved to New York I had to like hide the fact that I shot surfing because

[00:57:25] Tyler: I was gonna ask.

[00:57:25] Yeah

[00:57:26] Ty: Yeah, that was kind of, I mean, it's, it's funny cause it's like cooler now and everyone kind of does it or has tried it, but when I was first here, it was, um, yeah, I was kind of like pigeonholed and people are like, Oh, if I have like a water thing, I'll let you know. And I'm like, well, that's never going to happen out here, like maybe in summer.

[00:57:48] So I actually had to like take all of my surf work off my website. Wow. I'll start over. And then if something came up or someone referred me, then I could pull [00:58:00] up work and be like, Oh, you want to do this adventure thing? Or if there's water involved or a surfer, I have the work, but I definitely have been like in a little bit of trouble because I did too much of it.

[00:58:13] Tyler: It's, it's interesting, right? Like, Uh, Bill Finnegan used to hide the fact that he surfed because you want to be taken seriously by the non surfers because there's one, we've had a stigma for years, um, but two, it's like, I'm beyond that. You're, you know, you want to show you can do more than that breath and it's easy to kind of be typecasted, I guess.

[00:58:35] Ty: Yeah. I, yeah, when I read that book, I, I was like, I mean, he's, he said it perfectly. Um, and then I think recently he was like, You know, if he says, Oh, I'm going to go surf, people get it because it's like yoga now, I'm going to do my yoga class for an hour. Except we're gone for six hours. Six hours of your

[00:58:55] Tyler: commuting

[00:58:56] Ty: too.

[00:58:57] It's going to be hurricane as well. I'm just going to just [00:59:00] turn my phone off for the day. Um, yeah.

[00:59:03] Tyler: Who, who were, who were like some of your favorite surfers to shoot when you were shooting more of the surf related stuff? Um. Like, who, who was the easiest or most enjoyable? The most enjoyable?

[00:59:19] Ty: Probably, probably the girls.

[00:59:22] Yeah, like, Kaylea Moniz, Bruna Schmidz, Monica Holygram, and, um, They were just like, so loose, and, to be honest, didn't really care about the clips. They did, like, they, you know, like, there were days where they were just like, Ah, we're just gonna have fun, and then, and then, you know, Kaylea and I did a couple trips together, You know, I was kind of pushing her like, I think you could, you know.

[00:59:47] I'm not like a lawn mower, but like I think you could Dude X, Y, and Z a little bit better. Oh, are you the one that talked her into surfing

[00:59:53] Tyler: Chopu? Is that it? On the longboard? No, no, no, that was not me. But,

[00:59:56] Ty: um, she was riding my friend's board on [01:00:00] that, who was shaped, he, John shaped her that board for Malibu and she took it to Chopu.

[01:00:06] We looked at the footage, we're like, Why did you ride that board?

[01:00:11] Tyler: I thought, I thought they would work really well

[01:00:13] Ty: with the, you know. I mean, she was, she was, She's so talented, she can ride any board. She kinda made it work. I

[01:00:18] Tyler: mean, she had a couple good doughnuts, too. Yeah.

[01:00:21] Ty: But yeah, the girls were really fun to shoot.

[01:00:24] It was a little, like, less serious about like the best clips and it's more of like a camaraderie when we're all like filming and

[01:00:33] Tyler: Why do you think that is? Why are like the guys like so Self serious, right? Yeah I

[01:00:41] Ty: think I don't know. Maybe it's a little less now I feel like you watch like clips and the guys are more involved in in group like surf Films instead of it just being like solo Cause you, cause the web clips when it was just solo it was a lot like more competition.

[01:00:56] Yeah. Um, I don't know, I don't, I'd [01:01:00] have to ask a psychologist about that. Um, but no, shooting with Dane Zahn was so much fun. Mitch Cruz, those two guys were like my best friends for years filming and had very different styles. And, and, Um, and Ola, Ola Elegram probably, cause he would come over occasionally and just like add the, the best spirit and just charge the biggest waves on, like, not even second guessing and just have the biggest smile on his face if he, like, had the worst wipeout or, you know.

[01:01:36] And I like watching him surf, I was always like, mind blown his style and, um, yeah, those guys were, were really, really fun to see.

[01:01:46] Tyler: Do you, do you, when you shoot in the water, like, do you, would you prefer to be shooting in the water than online, do you think? And, and how, what is like, Some of the heaviest, uh, situations you've been in for, [01:02:00] for swimming and shooting from the water.

[01:02:02] Ty: I definitely prefer to shoot in the water. I, I, I hit a limit of like what I was comfortable in.

[01:02:09] Tyler: Yeah.

[01:02:10] Ty: Um, some of the guys that learned from this guy, Ricky Lesser in the South Bay, who's like one of the best. Most underground photographers, in my mind, like, would swim a huge pipeline and I just was like, I can't get to that point.

[01:02:26] Yeah. Um, which was cool. Like, I was, I was fine with that. I was like, I, you know, I want something to prove to myself, but I don't want to, I don't want to die over it. Yeah. Because it is pretty dangerous. Um, but situat I think, I think it was in Fiji. And it was really, it was big. It was, and there wasn't really a channel.

[01:02:48] Um, it was probably like 15 feet or some bigger ones. And I think the one time I got like sucked over falls and like holding my housing, it like hit the [01:03:00] reef and like was getting dragged along the bottom for a long time and came up and I was like wearing like a wetsuit, spring suit and came up, like it didn't hit my head or anything.

[01:03:13] And. And my friends were all like doing the signal, like, are you okay? And I'm like, surprisingly, I'm okay. But definitely thought I was going to be going to the hospital, um, on that one. But yeah, I, uh, it's definitely more fun to be in the water, but you have to calculate the risks a lot more and you don't really know, especially going to like new spots.

[01:03:35] You're like, I don't know where there's submerged rocks or currents and you know, like surfing is one thing, like, obviously it's a lot more dangerous if you're, you know. Uh, you know, surfing pipe or something as opposed to swimming. Um, but the only thing in swimming is you can't move fast. Yeah. You're not like getting out of danger really quick.

[01:03:58] You're just kind of sitting there with a big [01:04:00] housing and you're like, Oh, I'm going to move like one mile an hour out of the way. And housing doesn't make it easy. No, the big housing especially, they're um, they're pretty heavy and they actually are really positive buoyant So you get sucked over easier.

[01:04:17] Yeah.

[01:04:18] Tyler: Have you ever shot with like a proper like water housing on film camera?

[01:04:22] Ty: Yeah, I've shot, like, just like a Bolex, not like a big 35mm, like, the guys that used to shoot, like, um, Pipe and Jaws, those big 35mm cameras are insane. Can you imagine that? Those housings and the camera weigh, like, 50 pounds and they're, like, swimming around.

[01:04:41] Um, there's not enough respect for those. Yeah. For sure. And girls. Yeah. And girls. There's a lot of, there's a lot of really, really talented female photographers in, in DP's swimming now, especially like in Hawaii, I'm like looking at some of these girls [01:05:00] work and I'm like, wow, they're putting themselves in scary situations that I never would imagine.

[01:05:04] do and, you know, yeah,

[01:05:08] Tyler: it's, it's crazy, you know, just anyone, anyone mad respect for, especially people who put in their time at pipe or something.

[01:05:15] Ty: Yeah. It's kind of nuts. Yeah. There, there was one situation I had to say. No to it. I think it was in, it was on that reef trip and it was with Mick and Joel Parkinson and Josh Kerr and those guys in there.

[01:05:30] I think they're doing step offs Yeah And Hossiger and it was really big and my friend Shea Perkins who like runs the whole team He's like, you should get in the water and I was like Like, no on no skis? Yeah, I'm like, dude, I would die. Honestly. It's like, no channel. There's no channel. It's all random. It was really big.

[01:05:50] I mean, those guys are doing step offs. And, and, which, if anyone doesn't know what step offs are, they're stepping off a jet ski. Towing into these waves. Uh, I [01:06:00] happily shot from land that day.

[01:06:02] Tyler: We've got some great stuff. Well, sometimes in France, at least those waves can break right on shore too. So it's not like, yeah, you can get just as close while you're filming on the beach.

[01:06:13] Ty: Yeah. This day was, um, I looked at it and I was like, there's no way I can stay in position or if I don't have someone actually rescuing me, that's not, that's a no go.

[01:06:25] Tyler: So, so now. You know, you're, do you, do you feel like, this is something I'm always curious about with people who, who come to New York for career and whatever they're chasing and they end up finding surf here as well.

[01:06:40] Do you, do you foresee yourself staying in New York long term? Is that, do you, do you feel like, I'm a New Yorker? Or do you feel like, I'm still here for a certain amount of time and then eventually I will go.

[01:06:56] It's always like something I, I, you know, I've been surfing here my whole [01:07:00] life and I've seen people come and go and it's great. Like, it's like always nice. Like you have new energy infused in the community and everything. But I'm always like curious, like, okay, what, what are people's intentions here? And when they make this their home and utilize it too, to, to, for their creative inspiration.

[01:07:16] Yeah.

[01:07:17] Ty: Yeah, um, it's something my girlfriend and I talk about all the time. Oh, yeah? Yeah, she's, she's been in here for 10 years and her family's here. So, you know, we, we always talk about, okay, like, are we going to make this home forever? You know, California is great. Like, I love California. I mean, being real, it's gotten really expensive.

[01:07:39] I mean, it's expensive here, but like, to, to move back to the beach or, you know, have like a future there is extremely difficult. Yeah. Yeah, being a surfer is expensive. Coastlines

[01:07:51] Tyler: are not cheap anymore. You know, it used to be blue collar, and now it's like Yeah. You know, you need all this money for access to just the [01:08:00] beach.

[01:08:00] Ty: Yeah. No, I can definitely see myself staying. Um, you know, I'm almost at ten years. Um, I don't think I could do the city. Yeah. I think it would be like, you know, commuting in, but I can, I can definitely see it happening.

[01:08:17] Tyler: Yeah. Um. As a regular foot? Imagine you're there. Yeah.

[01:08:20] Ty: Unfortunately, getting old, surfing Jersey in the winter would be like, not, if anyone knows surfing Jersey in the wintertime is like one of the most challenging places.

[01:08:31] Terrifying. Um, yeah, but no, I could definitely see it happening longterm. Mount Rockway, move to Rockway. Yeah. Yeah. Still. somewhat affordable while it's above water. Um, yeah, I guess we got like 20 more years, right? Yeah. Yeah. 20 more years. 20 more good ones. And then the Santa bars will be on the apartment.

[01:08:52] Tyler: Yeah. Um, where can our listeners find you if, uh, you know, want to check out your work or your beat, your surf [01:09:00] 77, where, where can they all find you?

[01:09:02] Ty: Um, Yeah, I still have a website, um, it's just my name, tylerhaft. com, and then, um You need an about section, by the way, on that, just saying. I do. This is a really good, um, eye opener that there's nothing about me, especially in a world where it's all You're

[01:09:18] Tyler: like, void on the internet.

[01:09:20] There's, there's Tyler Haft on all these things, but you yourself are not

[01:09:24] Ty: there. It's everything you've shot. And I think my Instagram is tyhaft because I think someone else had Tyler Haft, so I was like, alright, we'll Um, yeah, so, uh, Instagram's a good place, but, um, Yeah, with 77 Surf Club, I'm gonna try to continue just to make this a Continuous personal project about people and people that reach out and want to do, like, stories.

[01:09:45] And, uh, and try to make this, this, bit of this doc, little mini doc, or, you know, however long I figure out how to make it. You know, I think right now I'm at, like, like, Hours and hours of footage. So

[01:09:58] Tyler: you're going to need hours and hours [01:10:00] more to make it look good. At least a lot of probably subpar stuff in there.

[01:10:05] There's some subpar, not that you shot the surfer,

[01:10:09] Ty: but that's actually kind of part of the story, uh, is that it it's, there's so much right now online. That's, uh, everything is like edited down so that it looks like you're missing out, which is not what East coast. Surfing is it's it's showing like all of the bad parts like this is the angle This is this is sort of the angle what my friend, you know, my friend David Cortez is a photographer We always like make fun of when you like log on and see that it's just only perfect and someone will post a picture from like a swell three months ago and You're like You know, we have pictures of ourselves, like, ourselves showing up at the beach, waiting for a swell.

[01:10:51] It's like, flat and on shore, and we're just like, on the beach, like, depressed. And, alright, let's go get a coffee, and What you gotta

[01:10:58] Tyler: show is the shit where [01:11:00] everything is there. The tide is right, the wind is right, there's swell, the sun is out. And it's fucking closing out, but it looks perfect. And everyone goes out and gets frustrated.

[01:11:10] Yeah. Like all the time I see on social, like look better than it was. Yeah.

[01:11:16] Ty: I mean, all the most hype days I usually find are the worst. And then you'll have like these random days that no one was expecting to be good. And you're like, I have the best. Best two hours I've had all winter, and it was supposed to be pretty mediocre today.

[01:11:30] Um, which all the like, real locals have taught me. You know, oh, certain swells, if, you know, some forecast hypes it up, it's gonna be bad, or, or leave, or go somewhere, but Yeah, it's definitely more about showing the, the, the realness of it, so I actually embrace the, the, the letdowns and the bad days, and You know, I was shooting some friends in the snow on like terrible little tiny days because you're like, ah, just some desperate and yeah, you know, or you miss the big [01:12:00]Jersey monstrous Monday.

[01:12:03] All right. Friends at home, they're like, Oh, do you surf that day? And I'm like, couldn't even if I wanted to, that was like the most insane day. Surf I've ever seen on beach break and it's, you're wearing a five mil and it's cold as fuck out. The wind is like 30 miles per hour. People are like, Oh yeah, it looked perfect on Instagram.

[01:12:21] You're like, yeah, far from it.

[01:12:24] Tyler: Well, that's the whole thing. Like, you know, I think that's the angle I would, I would go with because I've had so many sessions where I've just probably put too much pressure because everything looks perfect and you're like, Oh, it should be easy. And it ends up not being a good session for whatever reason.

[01:12:43] You're like, is it me? Is it the way?

[01:12:45] Ty: Yeah. I'm learning my, I'm learning to have a bit more, uh, patience and to have lower expectations. Yeah. Uh, yeah, I think the best session I've ever had on the East Coast, I think my buddy and I just had no expectations, [01:13:00] went down there and looked at it and we're like, is that a perfect wave?

[01:13:04] Or is that me? And we went out for eight hours. And, you know, and then all the days that we expect it to be good, we're like, we had a terrible time.

[01:13:12] Tyler: Well, Ty, uh, I'm super stoked that we were able to get you on here and get your story out there and help promote you. I appreciate it. Now there's something on you out there, but You know, uh, and like, I've, I've always, you know, I've been a big admirer of you, like you're surfing and, and I really enjoy your work and I'm like, just, you know, you're always like a pleasure to see out in the lineup.

[01:13:35] So I was just really psyched that you could come in here, man. So thank you.

[01:13:38] Ty: Yeah. Thanks for having me. This is so much fun at the Rockefeller center. Oh, people thought I was famous walking by. I'm like, sorry, I'm not. It's

[01:13:45] Tyler: like when you were a kid on first class flights, right?

[01:13:48] Ty: Yeah. Well, you had to tell the listeners because my family was, uh, Flight attendant.

[01:13:52] Yes. I've been buying first class flights. And everyone thought you were important though. Yeah.

[01:13:58] Tyler: Well, Ty, I [01:14:00] really appreciate it. And, uh, listeners, uh, we are recorded at the new stand studio here at Rockefeller Center. And we've got to give a shout out to Joe, our engineer, who is the bomb. And, uh, you know, and, uh, don't forget to check this out.

[01:14:14] You can go to swellseasonsurfradio. com or you can go to swellseasonsurfradio on Instagram. Cheers. And, uh, we will, uh, check you all down the line soon. You sweet.

[01:14:36] Ty: And

[01:14:41] I feel like I don't have to say nothing[01:15:00]

[01:15:00] shut.

[01:15:05] I don't know if you can see it, but there's a lot of machinery. They're moving switches on all the rusted old machinery. Seals come alive and continue to grow.