Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Hartel.
Hi Ed, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When covid hit, I found myself in need of a serious hobby.. I have spent years as a videographer and my passion was editing and creating.. so I got a drone and started learning how to fly it.
At first, I jumped right in with chasing race cars out at the Barona Speedway – which was a total blast.. but then insurance reasons wouldnt permit it and I had to change pace a bit.
I found that my childhood passion of surfing, there were tons of land based videos or in water videos that just showed the meat of the ride – the best few seconds – but the ride wasnt just the best seconds, but from popup to kick out, there is the story.. the whole journey, good and bad. So I decided I’d film just that – the popup, ride, and the end.
I figured people might enjoy seeing real surfing, not these 3 second pro clips that are everywhere. The 3 seconds of perfection on a 27 second ride doesnt tell the truth. So lets show real people real rides.
Breaking into the culture was hard.. surfers are very protective of their breaks, and of their sport. They hate kooks who show up.. and its heavily localised with the “haves” and “have nots”. Kids who have had the luxury and priveledge to have parents wealthy enough to surf these breaks feel entitled to them. Where as people like me who didnt grow up in the beach, but more in the street, also deserved to surf and visit the ocean.. I mean, thats why there is coastal access laws! But the culture was and still is heavily protected by these people who think their precious breaks are there own due to the fact they were raised across the street from them.
I was immediately rejected. Fingers, splashes, confrontations in parking lots where my gear has been broken. Trolls killing my stoke on my feed all the time. That still happens, but yes, these priveledged entitled people just werent having it. SO, I asked them when they would confront me, how could we fix it? Im only the 1st, not the last, so what can I do to help this.
They told me that they didnt want traffic at their spots.. my footage would blow up these spots.. They told me the noise is annoying and disturbs their peace (sort of like the bluetooth speakers on the beach, but thats another story). Then they said they felt like I was stealing their moment between their passions and mother nature.
So I adjusted. I wont tag your spot and blow it up. Simple. I upgrade all my props on my custom drones to be at the quietest level possible – now to where half the time they dont even know Im there. And their moments? Easy, I’ll give them back to you for free. Let me film you and you get your clip. Win win.
This was a hit! Lots of them came around and now Im accepted at these “secret” spots as they see my yellow drone and know im not there for me, but for us.
BUT soon after I started covid droning, I went thru a divorce as my ex felt my new hobby was boring and took me away from the family.. boys were 18 & 22, on to their own things, and she didnt want to hang out at the beach all day. I was crushed. My new hobby ended a relationship that meant something to me.. BUT once she was gone, all I had was my drone.
I spent ever single minute I could on the beach flying and editing while not working, and doing it all for free. Not for followers, not for fame – I did it as God blessed me with a nice job and most our local “have not” surfers were out there struggling to buy wax, no less pay $10 for a surfing picture. So, to me it was easy – go buy yourself a lunch and heres your clip. Those who can, do in form of tips, but its never an expectation.
It was gaining steam! I had a few thousand followers at that point and felt I was in a groove. On fathers day 2023, though, i had a really hard morning. My ex planned an international trip where her and the boys would go to Paris, Rome, and a few others.. she picked the day before Fathers Day to fly out.. leaving me alone for the first time in years… it was crushing to my soul.
I did what i previously did and went to the beach with my heavy heart… only to film Sammy the Seal – the Pacific Beach local legend who steals surfers boards and rides them! Over 6hrs of footage of him that got me on CNN/BBC and every major news outlet. Withn 24hrs, Sammy had me on the global news – and my son messaged me from Paris saying he just saw me and my story. And then every day for the next three weeks in various countries, the news all had the story. He said it was like I never left them and was there with him the whole time.
So head high over the sammy content, I picked up a few thousand more followers – but also started getting more of the trolling online. You just cant make everyone happy and these privileged locals came at me hard.
But not as hard as life. In March 2024 I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer of head & neck. HPV type. Not smoking, or any of the other things I do that people would say would cause cancer, no, love caused it. When I told my job, they conveniently “laid me off” and dressed up a nice severance package of $6k making me feel like they were sorry. I had no money saved up (see divorce) and had no option but to sign in order to stay in the studio i lived in. Come to find out it was a trick.. they made me sign the severance paperwork which had language in it preventing me from going after them legally.
But honestly, I didnt care. I was going to die anyway.
July 3rd 2024 I died getting a tonsilectomy – the source of the cancer. Came out of the ICU three days later angry. I woke up mad and so upset at myself as I felt I died a life not worthy of living. I chased the wrong things, wrong people, and did not live with passion. So I made myself the promise, if I live – im going to do it passionaitely – and with purpose.
I will never work for a corporation again, I was at my worst and they let me go, their employee of the year for the past three years, and left me without healthcare or income. Helps today that the job market is harsh against cancer survivors with recruiters asking us to lie on our resumes to hide any gap our treatments caused (yeah) but every employer who interviewed me always got nervous about the cancer part. Why invest in someone who is going to die?
So I vowed to not return to that life.. and if living in a van at the beach allowed me to do my passion, thats what I was going to do. And thats what ive done.
Could I use the money of booking lucrative sessions – sure. Could I return to a corporate position and sell my soul for money? Totes could. But I wanted to live a life worthy of living, fueled by my passions, that could help the local surfing community.
Id rather live in a parking lot where I know if I die tomorrow that I died doing what I loved, so thats what I choose. Id rather help inner city kids get access to the beach and learn our sport of surfing. Id rather help a family member show their mom back east the first wave they caught.. I want to serve humanity, not be a cancer to it.
Ive caught so many family memories and amazing events over the past few years that I can now say im living passionately and within my purpose. The surfing is amazing, and the amount of people who have grown from watching my footage just warms my heart.. The diversity ive brought to the lineup with people from all walks showing up and experiencing the joy from a whitewash wave soothes my soul. Filming a group of kids jumping from a pier in high surf conditions in front of their family, seals that steal surfboards, dolphins performing amazing dances and pod spectacles, whales, birds.. I can go on and on.
And all for free. Yes, I take tips, but it was never about the money and id rather die broke, in a parking lot, alone.. than one more day in a lucrative corporation job somewhere, or expect any surfer to sacrafice a meal for a clip. I am living my purpose with passion, finally.
And no, those privileged entitled locals come at me daily. they like to insult my living status while sitting in their houses of glass on the cliffs. Thats fine, they’re not going to kill me. Not doing my purpose, though, just might.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has not been.. biggest struggle are these people who feel that since they were blessed to grow up and be raised near iconic surf breaks that they feel i bring outsiders in and blow up their spots. Heavily localized areas of San Diego where the rich people feel that people lke me and my kind are not welcomed. Those bird rock bandits, so to speak, think its cool that their breaks lack inclusivness and us “have nots” stay out. I have never had a kook break my gear while flying.. only some privedged kid who thinks that since their daddy is someone, they are too.. They are the biggest threat to surfing and to me.
The amount of entitlement and privilege reeks the coastal air. Most think what their smelling is the wildlife, when in fact, I can tell you its their opinions haha
A poor surfer from el cajon has never broke my drone, but the spoiled kid from La Jolla has no problem trying to all the time. Only one time did they sneak up on me and broke my gear as now I run an x360 camera on me while I fly so i can catch any potential attack/damage on camera and it hasnt happened since.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I sink my heart into my work. Their just not surfing clips, but more little miniture stories.. the surfing is the surfing, but the emotion I sink into the right song, or sequence – thats my heart. Some see a bunch of reels, where as I see exactly where my heart was when that clip was cut.
I put all my emotion into making sure that clip is perfect as I can make it. I dont rush I perfect.. I understand that this 15 second clip was proof that this person lived, and it will be shared, and so it has to be good. If I finish a batch of edits and am not emotionally drained, then I didnt do a good enough job.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Choose Kindness. Love God and love one another, its that simple. Be the light and dont get wrapped up in chasing money or lifestyle to where you lose whats most important – your soul. Lets lift each other up and help one another and not be the reason someone has a bad day… even if they deserve it.
Pricing:
- Surf Sessions – $100/hr
- All Clips on Social Media – Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dronedudeed.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dronedudeed/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ed.hartel.3
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dronedudeed
