March’s 10 Best Photos

It’s laughable that this picture of Bob McTavish, just a snapshot taken in 1965 or ’66, would resonate with so many people, so many years after it was taken. The totally empty break is a bonus of course (although you’d have thought that I might’ve waited for a better set to come though) and John Mantle’s old Holden does no harm on the nostalgia index. The break is National Park at Noosa Heads in Queensland, and I was loyal to the friends who’d taken me there originally and swore me to secrecy. The first story I published with pictures from there was titled ‘Rincon is where you find it’. Photo: John Witzig

Early morning doomsday perfection in NJ. Photo: Christor Lukasiewicz

If there’s one picture that captures, for me, the romance of surfing on the north coast of NSW in the early 1970s, then it’s this one. The track down to the surf went straight off the car park and wound its sandy way through the banksia trees. The view of the lineup at Angourie was perfectly framed. I’d forgotten about the sign until I had a close look at the neg nearly 40 years later. Alex, the caretaker of the reserve, was advertising the fresh fish that he sold in his little shop. Photo: John Witzig

This was taken just over a week ago here on the North Shore of Oahu, This is Pipeline and it was maxed out. I love getting in the water and feeling it's power. Photo: Doug Falter

This is one of my favorites yet. Keiki beach break so big it's dwarfing everyone on the beach. I’d say twenty foot faces. Some Hawaiians would probably say ten though. Photo: Doug Falter

Christophe Mouginot steps forward. Photo: Paul Crétinon

My beautiful fianceé pausing in the channel, Kauai. Photo: Matt Allen

Sea shells down by the sea shore. Photo: Rodrigo Ungaro

The Australian Championships as a social occasion. This is 1972 when they were held in Sydney. Nat in the quiet pants in the centre with, from the left, Kim McKenzie, Micha Mueller, Phyllis O’Donell, Judy Trim, Carol Watts and Alison Cheyne. The car was Judy Trim’s 1948 straight 8 Buick, and her name was Grace. Photo: John Witzig

Sunday silk. Photo: Chris Dixon