Bagel Season is Officially Open

chrisclark45
Sep 24
4 min read

GoPro just launched MAX2 and the Lit HERO. It’s the first fall launch since 2015 where I wasn’t in the thick of it — participating in media tours and events, aligning narratives, standing just off camera while the CEO went live on morning TV. Aside from some product testing leading up to launch, my role this time was simply watching (and cheering!) from afar.

And yet, launch day still carried a familiar charge. The weather in San Francisco was in the 80s, no wind, with glassy, organized swell pushing into The Bakery (Baker Beach). The kind of conditions that set-up well for capturing nice photos and having fun in San Francisco’s thumpiest shore break.

Having just returned from a short trip with my daughter the night before, I woke up and did what felt right: took my test-unit GoPro MAX2 (which is quite-possibly, the most effective BTS capture device I could have - it captures everything around me and I can reframe the image to show the POV I want) into the water and captured a behind-the-scenes glimpse of me on a morning session of capturing waves. And back to the conditions…they were so right that I’m officially calling yesterday the start of the 2025 fall bagel season.

Why is there a season? Baker Beach usually has some waves year-round. But in the depths of summer, it usually isn't working. In addition to inconsistent, junked up wind-waves, summer is also the season of Karl, the Fog (not the store - which is all seasons). The shooting season for me really runs from fall through late-Spring...when you are most likely to get organized waves + clean surface conditions + clear skies.

Looking back, launch days at GoPro were always a wild ride. Our team(s) have always been incredible and I was honored to play a part in pulling it off. My responsibilities spanned everything from training journalists on new cameras to planning and hosting internal all-hands celebrations. I worked with stakeholders to fine-tune and align our product and corporate narratives and (perhaps the most fun tiring and rewarding part) traveled the world as companion and handler for our CEO on press tours. Nine+ incredible years of experience that shaped how I think about storytelling, audience, and execution. I learned from world-class leaders across the business, lessons that refer to on the daily in my new pursuits.

GOPRO LAUNCHES: A montage of some of the launch-day experiences through the years

These days, as a solo entrepreneur and artist, I wear all the hats. A typical (there’s actually no such thing) day during shooting season might look something like this:

6:00am - 8:00 am: Photographer / Bodysurfer – jumping into the waves to capture rare glances of the Golden Gate Bridge from inside the barrel.
8:00am - 9:00am: Home Care - feed / short walk for dogs; check-in with the teen before school.
9:00am - 10:00am: Photo Producer – sifting through raw images, selecting, editing, and preparing them to preview on social media.
10:00am - 11:00am Social Marketing – sharing fresh images, with the most basic of editing, on my social channels. Native post? Reel? Depends on the day. Almost always have something for stories.
11:00am - 12:00pm: Dog Care - usually a loop on the local trail; sometimes a trip to GG Park, a beach or the Great Highway.
12:00pm - 12:30pm: Sustenance - eat food.
12:30pm - 1:30pm: Brand Marketing / Writing – crafting stories that help explain my work.
1:30pm - 2:00pm: Web / Merchandising – updating the website with new images and related products,
2:00pm - 3:00pm: Production - building inventory of my existing products: greeting cards, prints, etc.
3:00pm - 4:00pm: Product – thinking creatively about what products I can make with my hands to showcase my art, and then making prototypes.
4:00pm - 5:00pm: Account Management – visiting the awesome boutique shops that carry my work. These visits are always a highlight — catching up with great people in the community, hearing how the cards and prints are doing, and feeling that direct connection between the art, the shop, and the neighborhood.
Nighttime: Accounting / Finance / Admin – the less glamorous side, but essential to keeping things moving.

This mocked-up schedule is actually total BS. I’m lucky to be able to do one of those main initiatives (marketing, writing, production, account management, admin) per day and doesn’t account for my other creative pursuit (writing for screens is under-way!), life needs and personal health, so I typically spread all this out during the week. But that’s the life of an entrepreneur and the daily variety makes this journey incredibly rewarding.

So what’s the point? Good question…

Launch days used to mean press tours and stage lights. Yesterday it meant salt water, sunshine, and a different kind of buzz — the kind that comes from the ocean serving up something worth sharing. Different chapters, same spark. I’m grateful for both — the ride I had with GoPro, and the one I’m on now.

Bagel season is officially open. If you’re looking for an inspiring piece of art for your walls, a card that carries more weight than a text, or just want to support this salty journey, my shop is open too.

Congrats to my friends at GoPro on the launch of MAX2 and Lit. And thanks to you for being here with me — it means more than you know.