"Growing up in northern California, I noticed a parallel between fearlessness in the water and fearlessness on land. A lot of the big wave guys I grew up idolizing were notorious for getting into serious shit—meth, drunk driving accidents, just general mayhem. As the son of a psychologist, I began to wonder if there was something about the brains of these people that drove this behavior. I took my first research job in San Diego in 2009 and though the place has changed, my questions are still the same. I’m still looking for the biological reasons for risky behavior. I’ve learned a lot, but most of my questions are still unanswered and that lack of knowledge keeps me motivated." - Michael Barrus

Catch and Release

I've spent countless wild and educational weekends surfing, camping, drinking, and fishing with this friend. I've woken up many morning with him at my house, or the tent beside, drinking coffee talking shit about the night before. What's stuck most for me about Michael is his dedication, ethics towards fishing and his pull to share information with people who want to follow him around are. Like a cat fixated on a fishbowl, he'll stand for 12 hours in the same spot, while the rest of us give up, nap, or drink beers, he'll still be at the point off the rocks, up to his waist in cold water, waiting to hit his limit of fish.

Squamish BC | Leica M2 | Voigtlander | 35mm Ilford hp5