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How many mesmerizing barrels spinning their glorious beauty have those mountains witnessed? Photo: Manuel Toral
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Reef dream. Photo: Manuel Toral
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First light above a sea of clouds, hearing the distant roar of the ocean. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Kohl Christensen, setting the rail of his 10’-6”, deep in a sizeable chunk of North Atlantic. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Two extraordinary big wave reefs, breaking in unison on a large, clean morning, as takers wait for the tide to drop. I took this image from a nearby mountain range, while standing at 3000 feet above the ocean. Not every day does one get to enjoy mountains of water from a mountain. Photo: Manuel Toral
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That wave is breaking two miles behind the three story buildings on top of the hill. I’ll leave the wave size estimation to you. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Peeking through the trees at a juicy left on a crisp, windless afternoon. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Whitewater glowing under the sunset. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Pablo Joglar is a good friend who is lucky to have grown up next to two amazing reefs. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Center stage, and all players are right on cue. Photo: Manuel Toral
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It’s always crucial to feel the lineup out before a large session.Photo: Manuel Toral
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So majestic and alluring, yet so unforgiving. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Whitewater fields stretching 8000 feet below snow covered peaks. Water has always been a prime energy driver of our landscape. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Leaning into the cold, raw and unruly spirit of North Atlantic winter. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Taking off after a speedy rare local bird. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Morning gem. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Mountain water lovingly sculpts the sandbar of this river mouth and swells find in its contours an irresistible urge to barrel. Photo: Manuel Toral
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A few seasons ago, Kohl Christensen came for a short visit and got to surf a couple of sessions at this reef. I guess he had a good time. Photo: Manuel Toral
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Dawn over peaks and valleys in a timeless land. Photo: Manuel Toral
I was born and live in Asturias, a land in the north of Spain shaped by an unresolved clash between the mountains and the ocean. In Asturias, one can constantly feel the energy running through them, like in that intensely charged space between the indexes of God and man in the Sistine Chapel. As a photographer, I’m inevitably drawn to and molded by the majesty of both fields and their ever-present interaction. I strive to unveil remote and undiscovered worlds within my land, trying to understand its spirit.
During the winter, our coasts are swept by the pulse of mighty North Atlantic storms, awakening in deep water reefs the desire for sculpting ocean energy into awesome beauty.
These are a few images which attempt to capture some of that beauty, in whose presence we feel so alive and deeply nourished.
See more from Manuel on Facebook, Instagram, and at Semeyadetoral.com.
