Foster Huntington

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Foster Huntington is a graduate of Colby College, a former employee of Ralph Lauren and the author of the forthcoming book, "The Burning House." For the past few months, Foster has been traveling around the country, from Big Sur to Baja, taking photos, mining stoke and making friends - all of which he chronicles on his blog, A Restless Transplant. Ahead of his next adventure, which will take him even further south in search of surf, Foster took the time to answer a handful of questions.


When did you start surfing?

I surfed for the first time when I was nine in Puerto Escondido Mexico, but I really didn't start surfing with any regularity until February of 2007 when I was living in Maine. I tagged along with a few die hard friends to ride hurricane swell in the fall and winter.

Tell us about your first surfboard...

My first surfboard was actually a body board. I borrowed from a girl I was shortly romantically involved with. Our fling ended in flames and I kept the body board. I learned about waves on the ocean with a body board and then started surfing on a CI 7'2" Thruster.

What are you currently surfing?

I'm currently surfing a 6'3" twin fish and a 5'10" thruster fish that I run as a twin keel. I'm not trying to destroy the lip so I like surfing single fins and fishes.

What makes surfing in the Northwest unique?

Surfing in the cold waters of the Northwest and Northeast breeds resilience. Booties, gloves and hoods make the whole experience that much more taxing. The conditions are raw and a surf session often feels like an expedition. I like that.

Tell us about your surf wagon...

My shred mobile is a 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro that I have modified to live in. I've put 24k miles on it since last July.

How did you get into photography?

I started taking photos out of boredom and curiosity when I was a junior in college. On a hunch, I bought a used Canon XSI on eBay and started taking flicks of Maine. I learned about using the camera by trial and error and some videos on YouTube explaining aperture. I was hooked.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in my friends, images and books. Surfing is a huge inspiration for me, as is the outdoors.

What's your favorite thing to eat and/or drink after surfing?

As Johnny come lately as it sounds, I like to drink coconut water after surfing.

What's next for Foster?

I'm headed to Nicaragua for two weeks to surf some warm water and then I'm road tripping from Portland to SF with a friend from college. After dropping him off, I'm headed to Mexico for a surf trip with a handful of friends.

To learn more about Foster, check out his blog A Restless Transplant.