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

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“Koby, as deep as you can get. And this is no closeout shot. At this break being in the barrel is exactly that. It’s literally like being inside the barrel of a rifle. If you can keep your line you will get shot out. Koby does it all the time.”

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.