19
I had not been to Fiji for many years and this was a pretty different trip as I didn't stay in the action packed islands, namely Namotu or Tavarua. Instead, I was on a small, rocky boat stationed near the judging tower at Cloudbreak. We got to see when it turned on out there. This shot is a result of that boat and a little knowledge knowing that late this day would be good. Here, Nat Young, Rookie of the Year stole the wave of the afternoon and gave me one of my favorite photos to date. Photo: Nate Smith from Highlights from the Weirdest Year Ever
Spring is in the air. Things are either warming up, or on the verge of warming up. We’re on the tail end of a (unless you live in California) pretty incredible year, swell-wise. Jaws went more XXL than ever. Mavericks exploded. Hercules smashed Europe. Pipeline saw perfection. A new world champ was crowned. Someone might’ve ridden the biggest wave ever ridden. Brigid smashed Europe again. California lay dormant, except for a few pulses here and there – amazing, perfect pulses. And in between, a whole whack of smaller swells banged their way around the world. Enjoy your spring… but enjoy this look back at winter first.