Portfolio: Ryan “Chachi” Craig

You never really see closeouts in magazines, but every surfer has been there. On this occasion, Matt Myers was pulling into some seriously ugly waves, this being probably the worst. The fact that he hasn't jumped off his board yet and that he even went on a frothy wave like this makes me smile. Photo:Ryan Craig

It's pretty common to see Randy Bonds doing airs exactly like this. This fickle spot and lighting, however, made for a great night of shooting. Photo:Ryan Craig

I put on a snorkeling mask and cruised around this afternoon snapping a few pix of my friend Ryan Armstrong before exploring the reef for some fish. The water clarity in Bali isn't that of Tahiti but it sure beats Santa Cruz. Photo:Ryan Craig

It was practically dark when Kyle Buthman did this turn. Sometimes it's the very last bit of color in the sky that makes shooting flash worth it. Photo:Ryan Craig

Probably the quickest trip I've been on, I was in Mexico for all of four days and managed to get better waves than most of the trips I've been on. This is Granger Larson, glad to be part of the small crew. Photo:Ryan Craig

Not many guys in the world can dropknee solid Pipe. Dave Hubbard is, without question, one of the best out there. Photo:Ryan Craig

One of my favorite images from home, this is Jesse Colombo with a huge no grab air. With an exceptionally low tide I was able to frame up a bit more of the break than normal. Photo:Ryan Craig

Love the light in this photo! A pretty marginal day, but Kyle Thiermann was making the most of it. Photo:Ryan Craig

The last bit of light this evening as Tyler Fox does a stock air. Any companies out there want a legit wave rider? T Fox is good in 2-60 (ft.) and would be a great asset to your team. Photo:Ryan Craig

This shot gives a decent perspective of how close the waves at the Harbor mouth break to the jacks. It's also an amazing place to sit back and watch all the action from a mere twenty feet away. Austin Smith Ford getting a few more before he joins the crew on the jacks. Photo:Ryan Craig

Peter Mel watching the last set of the day at the Santa Cruz Harbor mouth. I had a few water spots on the housing but needed to snap a few for the memory bank. Photo:Ryan Craig

Noi Kalukakui has style for days. Vertical turns like this are second nature for the guy. Photo:Ryan Craig

I didn't own a pelican case when I traveled to the Canary Islands, and was subsequently too nervous to leave my gear in the car without it being locked up. I reluctantly snapped a few photos of my buddy Sundaran Gillespie instead of sponging this amazing left. Photo:Ryan Craig

The lip is so thick at the Harbor mouth that flash is sometimes the only way to light up the surfers. Mid barrel, Ratboy eyes the exit. Photo:Ryan Craig

This evening Anthony Tashnick was doing huge tow-at floaters. Yes, you heard that right, floaters. Without a digi to see if we lined up on anything, I was glad to get this slide back in Cali. Photo:Ryan Craig

The Santa Cruz pier isn't meant to be shot. This isn't Huntington, the pilings are only a couple of feet apart. Anthony Tashnick seeing how well he'll fair this evening. Photo:Ryan Craig

Wednesday night is the sailboat races in Santa Cruz. I'm not sure what that has to do with this photo, except it adds some flare to Wes Levicki's running man. Photo:Ryan Craig

Chatuchak market in Thailand on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Photo:Ryan Craig