The Golden State

Words and photos by Shaun Devine. Surfing photos by Ben Yeager Diamond

California has always been good to me. Over the last 10 years, some of my most positive, influential and life-changing experiences have occurred in the Golden State. This past 10-day trip before Christmas was no exception.

Some of the best trips unfold with absolutely no itinerary and no expectation. Over the course of this trip I found myself in situations where I couldn’t help but chuckle and ask myself, “How did this happen?” Whether it was opening up a new Party Missile Handplanes account at the legendary Bird’s Surf Shed in San Diego, scoring a 1982 VW Westfalia from a friendly neighbor for a week, being in the right place and right time for a pumping 6-foot swell, walking over a deserted dune and seeing three-time World Champion Tom Curren rip four flawless cutbacks with no one else out or stopping by one of my favorite photographers and inspiration Chris Burkard’s studio in Central California and talking photos…

I’m still shaking my head, wondering what the heck just happened.