Three years ago I started my photography campaign on Instagram by using the hashtag “#coldwatersurferseries”. The campaign included photos from several snowy, cold winter swells with a core group of locals from Montauk. This transpired into taking a trip of a lifetime to Ireland with Kurt Rist, where he showed me what cold water surfing was really all about. Thankfully, it got a lot of attention. I ended up creating a successful Kickstarter campaign in order to have a giant art exhibition to show everyone my images. There was about 400 people that attended the opening. There were bands, giveaways and a bunch of different fun things. Nixon and Oakley gave their support locally, and Finisterre Cold Water Surf Company reached out from across the pond, as well. At that moment, it was a pinnacle of my career. Anyway, here are several photos of my journey.
For more of James Katsipis check out his Instagram.