It’s a brisk morning at The Wedge in Newport Beach, and a dozen “groms” are getting pitted left and right. But they aren’t just surfing, they are capturing the moment. From the beginning of time, surfers have been searching for the perfect wave, but it’s always been an individual experience. With the GoPro, all of these surfers are capturing the perfect moment and sharing it with the larger surfing community.

The GoPro is the worlds most versatile camera...by far. It has literally revolutionized the photo industry over night. Even reality television shows such as Survivor are using GoPros to capture raw and intense moments-regardless of the conditions. It captures the world like never before, from perspectives unique to the individuals behind the cameras.

Chest mounts, head mounts, board mounts- they allow the user to capture every moment from seemingly infinite angles. GoPro’s top of the line phone app even allows viewing and editing of images taken just seconds ago, as well as instant sharing. This camera brings your world to others by capturing and highlighting your most prized moments.

And this amazing little camera gives everyone the ability to take amazing photos. The GoPro is introducing photography to kids at a very young age, expanding the photo culture and making it more relevant and accessible to a younger demographic.

As for the surfing culture in particular- look out onto any lineup across the world and you are bound to see at least one person using a GoPro. This popularity, paired with increasing accessibility and the power of social media, is contributing to a creative digital culture unique to our generation. Surfers can now tap into their creativity by sharing their moments and re-experiencing their rides in new and creative ways with others.

In a 2011 interview GoPro’s CEO explained that the most personal satisfying thing that has come from the GoPro is seeing peoples images on Facebook, and how stoked they are to share their photos with others. Photography is no longer just a means of personal expression, its a means for conversation, inspiration, and socialization.

And the GoPro’s cultural effect appears to be an everlasting phenomenon. In many cases, young individuals who are introduced to photography through the GoPro are moving on to standard cameras and enrolling in professional training. From Instagram to the archives of leading sports magazines, young photographers are realizing new and exciting paths to artistic recognition.

The GoPro is making sports more social, opening new career paths, and contributing to the creative explosion that is defining our age. Technology is making our lives more shareable, interactive, and downright exciting- so it will be interesting to see how this piece of equipment continues to impact our culture over the coming years.

-Written by: Mike Tucker