It seems in life, no matter how hard we push against it, the tides always try to push us back towards the safety of what’s known and comfortable. Now and then, someone breaks through the continuous cycle of taking the road most traveled and takes the deep, uncharted, and organic alternate path. 

Some say years of wisdom will aid you in your quest to find your path. But what if those years of wisdom could be accelerated and like the laws of nature occurring so organically and raw that you could look up one day and take a road less traveled. 

This story is about Solomon Fragakis. He is a 17-year-old filmmaker and adventure athlete grown right here in Marin.

How did I come to know Solomon? I first came across his Instagram post for a surf movie called We’re in the moment. Without much information to go on, I waited patiently until the film was released. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the premiere at Proof Lab Surf Shop, but I viewed the film after it was posted on YouTube. But before you hear about his movie, let me set the stage.

Growing up in Marin

From the beginning, he was influenced by his grandmother who exposed him to her passion and profession of portrait photography. Starting at the ripe old age of six he started shooting still photography. At the age of 10, he began filming and making edits with his friends about mountain biking, snowboarding, and adventuring. Naturally, Marin provides a breeding ground of inspiration for a young child where his precocious filmmaking talents could thrive. Now while cultivating an adventurous lifestyle and love of the outdoors he began to pursue an adventurous lifestyle focused on action sports both in the water and in the mountains. 

It wasn’t until a fateful incident a few years ago that forced him to rediscover that six-year-old self. During a snowboarding trip to Mammoth, one of the hotbeds of freestyle snowboarding, he made his way to the halfpipe. I think you might know where this is going. During the session, he suffered a horrific separated shoulder that ended his trip and put him on the sidelines. 

There is something funny about life. I find that the best ideas come from the shittiest of situations… Sometimes we can’t realize our potential until we’re forced to stop what we’re doing and think. During his time away from the outdoor adventures he loved, he decided to pick back up a camera and start filming. With an almost maniacal focus and relentless spirit, he started to film. Ultimately, he found inspiration and passion unearthed by a devastating injury. 

At this moment, whether intentional or not, he began to move forward and never look back.

The first film: What we’re chasing

He created his first film called What we’re chasing. While he describes this film as an amazing experience, he is candid about the equipment not exactly meeting the needs of his grander vision for epic storytelling through surf and film. Even though in my humble opinion, the combination of surfing and mountain biking rivals that of his second film in creativity and storytelling. Nevertheless, this first film gained him respect from the local community and importantly filming jobs that funded his upgraded equipment. In addition, while filming he was able to explore his approach and philosophy to his films.

Latest film: We’re in the moment

After watching this film, one can't ignore the title. As he so profoundly described to me, his journey hooked on technology kept him from seeing each moment of reality. Spending countless hours a day as one does staring blankly into the screen in the palm of your hand, always searching for something but never breaking the relentless cycle of scrolling. The clever title, both literal and metaphorical, is simple enough yet complex and challenging. 

Overall, this film is a journey into the soul of surfing against the dreamscapes of Marin County and Ocean beach. “People pass through Marin, heads buried in their phones, missing the awesome beauty”, he said. This film, in my opinion, pulls the viewer into the landscape and invites you to celebrate the wonder of this place. The film follows local surfer Noah Sargeant and several others as they shred some of the area’s most iconic surf spots from Cronkite to Ocean Beach. This short film is a call to action from terrifying drops to classic faces with perfectly executed slashes. I think ultimately what I’m most impressed by is the 100% organic nature of this film. As we discussed, he had a rough idea of what he wanted to explore but did not focus on creating an “exact” vision. It evolved over years of filming and is expertly sewn together with inspiring visuals and inviting musical accompaniments that draw on your emotions. 

The film not only explores local epic surf spots but challenges its viewers to wake up from their daily lives filled with inattention to the moments passing by. As someone who values the dynamic nature of Tam Junction, I often witness the thousands of cars passing quickly through Tam Junction yet fail to notice the local community-driven establishments, culture, and public art Tam Junction is known for. 

From start to finish the film brings you on an intentional journey through this wondrous place we call Marin and Ocean Beach. It’s worth being in the moment and internalizing both the on-screen beauty and written messages. At 17, Solomon has found something others search a lifetime for - a passionate pursuit of the road less traveled. But in this case, the ocean.

In the words of Solomon:

Disconnect to connect.