Surf shops are more than storefronts — they are temples of craft, culture, and community. For decades, they’ve been the living rooms of surf towns, the places where stories are traded as easily as wax and leashes. They are classrooms where groms learn their first lessons about respect for the ocean, and altars where boards are shaped, repaired, and reborn. Every shop holds a heartbeat of its community — from the faded photographs on the walls to the familiar voices behind the counter who know your name, your board, and probably your last wave.

This project captures each shop in California at first light — the sacred in-between when everything is quiet, waiting, and the ocean calls. These photographs honor not just the boards and buildings, but the spirit of belonging they’ve nurtured for generations. Surf shops are gathering places, cultural archives, and waypoints for those who live by the tide. To step inside one is to step into the marrow of surf culture itself.

This project will culminate in a finely crafted coffee-table photobook featuring a curated selections of surf shop’s along the California coast, each captured in the quiet glow of dawn. The book will be accompanied by a curated series of limited edition fine art prints, hand-selected to showcase the most iconic images in larger format.

Beyond the tangible works, the project will serve as a visual archive of surf culture, preserving the independent shops, stories, and spirit that define the coastline. Supporters will not only receive exclusive access to the book and prints but will also become part of the journey, with behind-the-scenes updates and early looks at the photographs as the project unfolds.