Now Playing: “Return to the Bering: A Surf Trip to a Remote Island in the Wild Bering Sea”

In 2023, the film Island X documented a cold-water experiment. Could one find and surf waves on a mysterious patch of land in the Bering Sea known for research on seal colonies? At the end of the movie, the locale is revealed: St. Paul Island, whose population was 413 at the 2020 census, sits north of the Aleutian Islands, fully exposed to some of the harshest seas in Alaska. 

While there may have been some grumblings about revealing the source of the waves they found, I highly doubt the island is about to be overrun with surfers, cameras and influences. It’s not just the bone-chilling temperatures and temperamental weather patterns. It’s also a pain in the ass to get to and out of.

“I’m learning that nothing is reliable up here,” says photographer Mark McInnis as flights get delayed and airport logistics complicate. “From the weather to the airlines, you’re sort of at the mercy of nature.”

But two years after that original trip, the same cast, including Mark, Noah Wegrich, Josh Mulcoy, Pete Devries, and the filmers, reunited for another go. Their mission: go even further in Return to the Bering.

While surfing along the Aleutians has been documented for years, this group went a step further, flying from St. Paul to an even smaller island 40 miles away. “When I originally think of wave potential in the Bering Sea, I think of ‘Deadliest Catch,’” Mark said. “The wild, unruly, untamed, chaotic body of water. Relatively unexplored for surfing.” 

At first glance, St. George Island, like its neighbor, appears incompatible with wave-riding. But even here, waves persist. The crew finds a playful left point overrun with seals until the true locals show up: two massive orcas on patrol. Then they get a taste of the only consistent thing in remote Alaska: Sketchy weather and canceled flights. But for this crew, the cold juice is worth the squeeze.

It’s cool to see how this group operates with the communities on both islands. They don’t duck in and out. They’ve engaged with the residents and even given surf lessons to St. Paul kids who’ve likely never seen it done before. “It was really cool to see their stoke,” Pete said. “The water is cold up here. The wind is freezing. And they just didn’t care. They were in the water for hours, just loving life.”

As much as Island X and Return to the Bering are surf films, they’re essentially documentaries about a culture in a remarkably rugged and isolated world. They’re highlighting places and people most of us will never experience. Daily life is not easy here. The weather is harsh, and livelihoods are earned, not given. For Ben Weiland and Brian Davis, the creatives behind Fielder Films, these seldom-seen stories are what they strive for.

“It’s so remote and hard to get to, it just hasn’t been documented much at all,” Ben said. “I love the idea of telling the story of this place. Revealing it to people, uncovering what’s here. Who the people are, what life is like on this island. What it’s like to get here and travel and look for waves. It’s a hidden gem. That unknown keeps me coming back.”

Related: Photos: The Story of Island X and Scoring Alaska's Best-Kept Secret