Your Name: Hayden Garfield

Nickname: My friends call me Haydo

Born and raised: I was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California

Based now: I still reside along the coast of Santa Barbara, California

Stance: Goofy

When and how did you start surfing?

My dad used to take me to the beach down the street and push me in when I was about five or six years old. I remember hating it the first few times. But he continued to take me and I slowly fell in love with it. Junior High was when I really started enjoying it on my own and would skate to the beach with friends and surf till dark. I spent most of my time in Jr High watching surf movies and scheming how to get out of class to go surfing.

Who are the surfers that inspire you?

Bobby Martinez, Conner Coffin, Parker Coffin, Dane Reynolds, Tom Curren, Griffin Colapinto, Crosby Colapinto, Jett Schilling, Jak Ziets, Kirra Pinkerton, Bettylou Sakura Johnson, Molly Picklum, Caity Simmers

Where are your favorite surf spots that you've been to?

Rincon, California and the points in Mexico

Where are the surf spots you want to visit in the future that you've never been to?

Honestly, anywhere I can go left would make me happy. But I would probably choose Chile so I could also go check out the Patagonia National Park.

Which type of surfboards and fin setups are you into?

My friend Connor Lyon has been shaping me some great boards. I surfed one of his boards in Mexico and had some of my best sessions. It was a 6'0 round tail with a beaked nose, pinched rails and volume forward. That board went fast and felt really good under my feet. I used a twin plus one setup on this board which definitely helped generate speed effortlessly and make turning feel seamless. I also have a few Channel Islands Surfboards shaped by Mike Walters, those go really good.

Which one video would you highlight in this playlist and why?

Probably "Lunch Box Boys" featuring Griffin and Crosby Colapinto. It was really great working with both of them on that project. I feel I grew and learned a lot while filming/editing that piece with them.

What cameras and lenses do you use?

For video, I shoot with a Red, which I bought last year. I love shooting on it. The footage is beautiful and everything is easy to use. It's one of the biggest investments I've made in my life so far and it definitely feels worth it. When shooting photos, I use a Nikon D4S. I bought it off my close friend and neighbor Morgan Maassen. He mentioned he had an old camera and talked me into switching to Nikon. I love how they feel, work and look. The lenses I use are the Nikon 200-500mm, Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D, Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D, Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D, Nikon 14mm f/2.8D and the Nikon 70-200mm f/4.

What editing tool do you use?

Adobe Premiere and Adobe Photoshop

What's your favorite focal length?

I love the aesthetic of a 50mm.

When and how did you start filming?

When I was 13, a friend got me interested in cameras. We would bike down to Sandspit and he would shoot photos of me walking on the beach/surfing. I was astonished by the photos he was getting at the time, so I asked him one day if I could use his camera and shoot while he was surfing. I was hooked. After that I saved every penny for a camera. I actually bought his camera, a Canon 7D that he sold to me with a 18-135mm and water housing for $300! I would shoot my surf adventures around town, long exposures of the stars and busy streets, portraits of friends and random things on bike rides that interested me. My joy for filmmaking started shortly after. My surf coaches at the time, Demi Boelsterli and Frank Curren would pick my friends and me up from school and drive us down to Ventura. I brought my camera and started filming the random things we did on our drive and turned it into a fun little surf adventure edit. I enjoyed making these little films but didn't think much of it at the time. I just liked doing it and wanted to keep doing it. There is one moment in particular that really impacted my love for filming. I sent a message to Jett Schilling over Instagram asking if I could come stay with him in San Clemente and shoot him surfing. I had never met Jett in person but we had followed each other on Instagram for some time. He kindly responded with a "Yes!" and asked when I would come down. My response was whenever you're free, I'll be there! I was 16 years old, just got my driver's license, went out on a limb and went down to San Clemente. He hosted me at his house, lent me a bike and we went down to Lowers every day to film. This is when I can first remember thinking, “Wow, this filming thing is epic and I want to make something more out of it.” Jett and I became really good friends after this and have gone on some epic surf trips together! I continued shooting photos and making films around home when the waves were good while saving money from the job I had at the time for my next trip. From that point on, I passionately pursued filmmaking and photography.

Who are the creators that inspire you?

Morgan Maassen and Ryan Miller inspire me the most. I'm very thankful for both of them. Morgan and Ryan have mentored me in my photography/filmmaking pursuit. I'm very thankful for everything they have done for me. So Morgan and Ryan, if you are reading this, thank you for inspiring me, teaching me and taking the time to answer my questions!

What are the surf films/videos that inspire you?

"Crystal Voyager" by George Greenough, John John Florence's "View From a Blue Moon", Morgan Maassen's film "Jungle"

Other than surf films?

The most recent one was "Wild Life" by National Geographic

Who are your favorite bands and musicians?

Tommy Guerrero, Pink Floyd, Glenn Annie, The Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Neil Young and Black Sabbath

Tracks you love?

Spotify Playlist: This Is Hayden Garfield

1. "Wandering Angel" by Glenn Annie
2. "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
3. "Spiral Architect" by Black Sabbath
4. "Red Rum" Project Pat
5. "Where Is My Mind?" by the Pixies
6. "Yesterday" by Bad Religion
7. "Memory Lane Sucks" by SeaCliff
8. "MOUNTAINBOY" by cole sandman
9. "Kids of the Black Hole" by Adolescents
10. "Siempre Estás Tú" by Jairo Barenca