Santa Cruz Waves |

Frank Quirarte photographs the world’s heaviest wave and save lives in the process

By Neal Kearney

Frank Quirarte is not your average surf photographer. Instead of standing on the beach with a tripod, clicking away, his craft involves documenting Mavericks, one of the world’s heaviest waves, astride a Jetski—where he snaps photos and, when needed, uses his bravado and horsepower to assist in rescuing surfers in peril. The Pacifica-raised photographer has made a name for himself with this gutsy act. Twenty years ago, he forged a friendship with Mav’s pioneer Jeff Clark, who let him shoot photos from the channel in Clark’s inflatable Zodiac. Over time he became proficient behind the lens under the tutelage of established photographers such as Don Montgomery, Vern Fisher, and Doug Acton, gaining acclaim for capturing stunning images as well as for his lifesaving skills as a member of the Maverick’s Water Patrol.

“We didn’t have any safety out there back in the day,” says longtime Mavs charger Peter Mel. “Frank was one of the first guys to bring that safety aspect to Mavericks. He had the balls to get in the zone and get people out of harm’s way. The fact that he gets some amazing photos along the way is awesome. We’re lucky to have guys like Frank out there looking out for us.” Waves caught up with Quirarte to find out how he pulls off this impressive two-pronged gig.

Fearless Frank rushing into the belly of the beast for a much appreciated rescue

What is the most difficult part of shooting photos from aboard a jet ski?

It’s all very calculated—physically, mentally and technically. With experience I’ve learned to be in the right spot at the right time, taking into consideration all the hazards involved. Aspiring photographers show up out there with the most expensive equipment and top-of-the-line PWCs thinking they’re going to get the shot. They realize very quickly that that’s never the case. You need to be able to survive in a very harsh environment. The line-ups are so crowded with boats and skis these days [that] just getting an image without a boat or another ski in it is almost impossible. You have to get really creative and try to avoid getting run over or sprayed.

The late, great Jay Moriarity and Ken Collins sharing a smile between sets.

How do you manage to shoot photos and be prepared to go in for a rescue at the same time?

Timing wise it’s pretty simple. Most wipeouts take a few seconds to happen. That leaves you plenty of time to shoot the shot, stow your camera, and then set up for the rescue. I have it dialed. I have a little nest in the forward compartment of my ski. I open up the hatch, basically just drop the camera in, and then go in for the rescue.

A gorgeous view of Josh Loya dropping into a bomb, as seen from the channel

What makes for a strong Mavericks shot?

You know it when it happens. Those moments looking through the lens and capturing an amazing drop or a spectacular wipeout or a gigantic wave—you know you’ve just witnessed and documented something special.

Grant “Twiggy” Baker absolutely rushing a Mav’s macker

Some people are content taking photos of flowers and rock formations. How does shooting a force of nature like Mavericks compare?

I have some friends who [have] climbed the Himalayas to get the shot—and that’s a big rock—and others who have repelled down the side of mountain to take a photo of a rare succulent. So I guess it’s all relative, right?

Assorted Burning Man Images by Frank Quirarte Photography ©

Burning Man festivities shot by Quirarte

What do you like to photograph other than Mavericks?

Just being able to get behind the lens now and make a living is always a blessing. In the age of digital photography, the pro photographer has been marginalized or wiped out. So other than weddings, I will shoot basically anything. But I still need to be challenged. Shooting big waves has created some excellent opportunities, like working on movie sets and commercials—which is always really fun. I shot the America’s Cup for ESPN and the City of San Francisco hired me to hang under the Golden Gate Bridge on safety cables to shoot images of some of their earthquake retrofits. Basically, if there’s a possibility of somebody going the emergency room, I will most likely be part of the shoot.

This photo of Flea Virostko makes me feel both excited and anxious

What makes a good photo, in general?

I like to walk away from a photo feeling something. It’s that simple. In the age of video, capturing a shot that can speak to you like that is definitely an art form.

Which photo in your portfolio are you most proud of and why is it special to you?

I have lots of favorites. If I had to choose I think it would be an image of Peter Mel I shot from the El Niño year, back in 1999. Quiksilver used it on the first Mavericks contest poster. It’s hanging in my living room. I get incredible satisfaction knowing that not only do I love the shot, but also that Pete gets to have his courageous moment captured and frozen in time.

Fearless Frank fetching a frightened friend in the belly of the beast

(This article was first published in Santa Cruz Waves)

Previously featured in Santa Cruz Waves

There is sometimes an unflattering, and often undeserved, stereotype of older surfboard shapers: that they are cantankerous and jaded old grumps limping through their shaping bays like lame prize horses, their brains frazzled from long-term exposure to hazardous resin, foam and fiberglass (that, or from all the acid they dropped in the ’60s and ’70s). Sixty-seven year-old boardmaker and longboarder Michel Junod is none of that. He’s robust, clever, grateful and just plain stoked on life, even in the face of a market that is primarily focused on brand name, mass-produced shortboards and fishes. He has a winning business model—making people happy—that’s worked for him the past 50 years.

“People are stoked when they get a custom surfboard,” Junod says. “I’m known as a guy you can come to for a fun, custom board.”

Born in Santa Monica in 1948, Junod grew up in and around the water. From an early age, his mother gave him swim lessons and would take him to the beach in the summers to enjoy the sand and surf. By the time he was 10, he and his best friends would spend most of the summer body surfing and hanging out at the beach. “If you are born by the beach, you don’t really know anything else,” reflects Junod. He caught his first wave on the south side of the Santa Monica Pier in May 1962, around the time that surfing was really taking off in Southern California.

After a few years spent honing his skills, Junod met Carl “Tinker” West, the owner and shaper of Surfboards by Challenger in Mission Beach, San Diego. Tinker built him a board, which led to his first surf team experience and introduction to shaping. In 1966, Tinker moved to the East Coast to open a surfboard factory in New Jersey. That summer, he invited Junod and a couple of other team riders to come work on and promote his boards.

Tinker and Team Challenger

“That’s the way a lot of guys learned—either they worked at the shop sweeping as a kid, or surfing for the team,” says Junod.

Junod spent the next three summers learning to shape and build boards for Tinker. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1970 after an old friend offered him a job shaping for Overlin Surfboards and promised an uncrowded “Wild West” of a surf town. “And wild it was,” he remembers. “There weren’t any leashes yet so no one was even surfing at high tide because they didn’t want to lose their board into the cliffs. There were just a few of us shapers back then. It really was a whole different world.”

After only a few chilly winters in Santa Cruz, Junod could hear the tropics calling. Over the next two decades, he lived and surf on the North Shore of Oahu and on Kauai, where he started a family with his wife, Jodi. He made a modest living shaping for some of the islands’ most reputable brands: Surfline Hawaii, Lightning Bolt Surfboards and Dick Brewer.

Junod: high-lining in Hawaii

In 1990, he and Jodi packed up and returned to Santa Cruz, where he began shaping for Pearson Arrow Surfboards and was soon drawn back to his longboarding roots. Before long, Junod had become an integral member of the local longboard scene, which has seen a resurgence over the past 20 years.

He was a regular at contests, riding for the Big Stick Surfing Association surf club, and began his own label, shaping for most of the area’s best longboarders. All the while, he continued to hone his skills on the nose. Just ask Santa Cruz’s noseriding heir apparent, Mark “CJ” Nelson.

“Michel Junod is hands down my favorite longboard surfer to watch here in Santa Cruz,” says Nelson. “He is a perfect example of a surfer who has made the appropriate sacrifices in his life to keep his surfing and style top notch for the last 40 some odd years. His surfing is smooth and simple with perfect positioning and an emphasis on style. Dignified and honorable—exactly how I strive to be.”

These days, Junod is still shaping custom boards and hanging 10 all over town. He has this advice for the aging surfer who’s contemplating throwing in the towel: “I always tell people who want to or are close to quitting surfing in their 50s and older, ‘Don’t quit, because you’ll never start again,’” he says. “If you are physically able, and want to keep that part of your health regimen and stoke going, you have to keep at it because somebody else is going to take your place in the lineup and you’re going to come out one day, flail [around] and go ‘Aww, I can’t do it anymore!’

“Later, if you change your mind and want to get back into it,” he adds, laughing, “you better move to Mexico or something—because in Santa Cruz, there are infinite guys to contend with.”

Find him online at surfboardsbymicheljunod.com.

Tag Archives: Santa Cruz Waves

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