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The temperatures dipped well below freezing on the East Coast to kick off 2018 and photographer Jonathan Nimerfroh was back at it this week, shooting more incredible images of “slurpee” waves on Nantucket, MA. Three years ago, Nimerfroh’s first images of the amazing frozen waves went viral on the Internet and Shutterbug got the scoop with an exclusive interview with him.

Nimerfroh returned to Nantucket’s beaches on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 and the slurpee waves, which have the icy consistency of freshly mixed concrete, were back as well. The air temperature on Nantucket was just 12°F and the Atlantic Ocean’s water temperature was a super chilly 36°F, a seemingly ideal combination for churning up some slurpee surf.

We caught up with Nimerfroh – after he had come inside and warmed up, of course – and asked him a few questions about what it was like to shoot the legendary slurpee waves again.

Shutterbug: How did you know you’d get a second shot at photographing these unique waves again? What was the experience like?

Jonathan Nimerfroh: With a floundering temperature in the low, single digits this past week, I knew there was a good chance the Slurpee Waves would find their way back to Nantucket. Sure enough, on the morning of January 2nd, I pulled my car up to Nobadeer Beach and there they were.

This time, two friends surfed just beyond the icy eddy, hooting and hollering and holding up giant icebergs above their heads in neoprene gloved hands. I ran up and down the beach, taking as many shots as I could of this freezing, fleeting show of nature. Slurpee waves are the kind of thing you might only be lucky enough to see once, so I count myself as very lucky to have seen them twice.

Shutterbug: What gear did you use and what were your settings?

Jonathan Nimerfroh: I used a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM lens. I shot in Aperture Priority and settings were ISO 400, f/5.6 and 1/1600 to 1/4000 sec. The images were edited in Adobe Lightroom with Tribe Red Leaf presets.

Shutterbug: Who is the guy in your shots who was crazy enough to surf these frosty swells?

Jonathan Nimerfroh: That’s surfer Jamie Briard. Check out his Instagram page. 

Shutterbug: How was this year's experience shooting slurpee waves different from 2015?

Jonathan Nimerfroh: The difference from the last time in 2015 was the slurpee effect only lasted for three hours this time. Also these waves were much closer to shore and surfers were able to ride through them. 

You can see more of Jonathan Nimerfroh’s work on his Instagram page and his website.