A Look at Indonesia’s Incredible Run of Swell Through the Lens of Federico Vanno

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“You just know the wave is heavy when it puts a face like this on Koby Abberton. He surfs like a Samurai. Like he’s already dead. I remember my swim fins scraping on the reef when I shot this one.”

Italian by birth, Balinese in spirit, water photography specialist Federico Vanno is never in the wrong place in Indonesia. And he’s having a hell of a year. Thanks to the non-stop swells that have been hammering Bali and the Mentawai during the pandemic. With pinpoint local knowledge, technical mastery and an artist’s eye, Federico is the go-to photographer for locals and visiting surf stars alike. The following is a collection of his favorite moments of this season and his insights about them.

Editor’s Note: Photo captions as told to Matt George.