There’s something special about witnessing the supreme comfort of a skilled surfer riding the wave that raised them.

From take-off positioning to the micro-adjustments in the tube, if you look closely, you can always spot the intricacies earned from thousands of hours anchored to that little patch of reef or point. Then, there’s the way the crowd parts and (sometimes even applauds – like at 2.23 in the clip below) when they put their head down and go.

Of course, it’s even more of a spectacle when the wave in question happens to be one of Europe’s finest. 

Here, we find an excellent example featuring Scotsman Mark Boyd revelling in a few classic sessions at his native Thurso East. When not navigating peat stained lips and getting blown out of tubes by plumes of freezing sea spray, Mark works offshore on the boats- hard toil, no doubt, but perfect for ensuring when he’s home, he never need miss a swell, and, when the North Sea slumbers, he can head off for warmer climes (which make a few fleeting appearances in the edit below). 

Captured over the last year or so by a host of filmers including Malcolm Anderson, Perry Gershcow, Mark Mason and a more, it’s a feast for the eyes and an excellent ode to Britain’s most northerly shore.

Cover photo: @thomashorig