Bend to Baja

About Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson grew up in Danville, California, and moved to Hawaii as soon as he graduated high school. He lived on the North Shore of Oahu for fifteen years, where he juggled two jobs: a North Shore City and County lifeguard and an international flight attendant for a commercial airline. These two jobs provided him a unique lifestyle. As a traveler, self-taught writer and photographer, Jeff has combined these talents to chronicle his experiences. His stories and photographs have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Surfer’s Journal, Alpinist, Surfer magazine, Climbing magazine, and Outside magazine. The Surfer's Journal has described him as “a piece of true grit,” and someone who “doesn't back down when sketching the seamier side of the surf ghetto.” Bend to Baja was his first book when it published in 2006. Jeff’s second book, 180° South: Conquerors of the Useless, is a coffee table book as well as a documentary film. Jeff now resides in Santa Barbara, California, where he works full-time for Patagonia, Inc. as a staff photographer, writer, and assists with product development. He divides his time between the mountains and the ocean. His website is jeffjohnsonstories.com.