Conner Coffin, Nokanduis

“I’m a fucking idiot.” Conner Coffin stands in the galley of our ship, Nomad, and looks over the shoulder of photographer, James ‘Jimmicane’ Wilson at this sequence. It’s the wave that perforated his eardrum and put his entire trip in jeopardy. All by mid morning of the first day. It was a bitter blow for a kid more motivated than any other to be here. “I can never sleep on boat trips. It’s a fucken dream. You wait, you’re gonna trip,” he had told me the day prior. The day had begun well for the Santa Barbara native. Earlier that morning he’d knifed the wave of the session on his backhand for an eight second barrel before we were called out of the water and taken to the treacherous left, Nokanduis. With confidence high, Conner nabbed the first bomb that presented itself. His bravado was shot down by an untimely surge of self-preservation, and he ditched rather than lock in for the several second pit that would crescendo over thinly veiled coral on the end section. In a show of character, Conner would be back in the water two days later, using a glob of Sex Wax to plug his ear. His performances since, injury or no injury, have been scintillating. “You’re the best on this trip,” Australian grom, Jack Robinson told him over dinner tonight. Before he could answer, Jack became bashful and corrected himself with a giggle: “Actually, nah.”  – Jed Smith