2021 Surf Art Calendar
May
“Clean Living”
By: Corey Keeling
STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE
From the Artist: This photo exemplifies Northern Baja in the 90’s for me. Tons of trips, both short and long, with homegrown friends and always on a whim if there was any hint of swell. We called this peak-the tube spot. The black and white photo of a fun, clean evening surf reminds me why we lived for it.
PERSONAL CONNECTION
I’ve known Corey since the 8th Grade and he’s been my groomsman, a great travel partner and solid friend. Growing up in San Diego where going to Northern Baja was very common at the time, my brother Mark and I went frequently with my dad from a very young age. While my dad wasn’t a surfer, I remember spending time with him and my brother in Puerto Nuevo for the day eating lobster tails and exploring the beaches of Rosarito. More importantly, listening to him and his buddies talk of their time in Mexico and their legendary tales. So, believe it or not, at age 16 when I first got my driver’s license I took my first off-road surf trip in my 1980 Toyota 4x4 pick-up truck with my buddies to a not so secret surf spot south of the border and I was hooked. Corey was also one of those guys who had the freedom from an early age to explore Baja in High School and search for waves across the border. We never did trips together then, but always traded stories of places we’d been. Fast forward seven years after High School and we’ve traveled to Costa Rica, Hawaii and multiple Baja trips when this trip came together to the Tube Spot where this photo was taken. The place isn’t much of secret, but it is less traveled to compared with other locations because of the struggle to get to the fishing village where we camp and the need for a good South swell. The road to get there is six miles from the paved road, but takes a few hours to get through because of the washboard road condition. Once you get there, you are camping on a flat plateau at the edge of a 60-foot cliff overlooking the water, where you have to walk through a sketchy fishing village to get to the beach. Making it tougher, the wind whips through the canyon filling your camp site full of dust and anything not secured to your truck, will more than likely blow away. But that’s Baja…. and it is all worth it, because on the right swell the surf can be incredible.
ARTIST BIO
Corey is a firefighter based out of Denver Colorado, who splits time between there and San Diego. He still explores Mexico on occasion either fishing, surfing or just relaxing. He has a son Brandon, who I swear is going to be a major league baseball player someday, a step son Lincoln and step daughter Channing and a beautiful wife Wendy. He is someone who has always been into photography and I’m happy to share one of his images with you for the 2021 Surf Art Calendar.
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