Monster Gallery: Our Favorite Photos of 2012

Anouk Soko aka. Nuky hanging 10 off The Wreck. Photo: Alex Frings

Cuando el sol se va, llega la luz y el movimiento. When the sun goes down, the light and movement begin. Photo: Lucas Tozzi

Tilt Teahupoo channel. Photo: Tim Mckenna

Barrel vision. South of Spain. Photo: Juan Fernandez

Kieren Perrow enjoying the goods at home. This was my first ever published shot as a double page spread in one of the major surf mags. Photo: Alex Frings

This was taken in the Mentawais. It was my first time there and I swear it\'s just so overwhelming as a photographer. After about five days on the boat I took the opportunity at E-bay to shoot from land. Of course I didn\'t expect the torential downpour that led to me seeking cover in this hut with some Europeans, one of which was setting up his hammock. I remember this quite clearly, it really was a great moment. Photo: Matt Clark.

Kelly. Standing tall. Photo: Ray Collins

Ellis Ericson\' this image was one of my favourites from a trip I shot for RVCA back in 2010. Just super fun waves and a rad crew too. Photo: Alex Marks

Little oil slick. Photo: Paul Greene

Dylan Longbottom. Photo: Ray Collins

Alex Smith just about landed on my head on this one, but it made for a pretty unique photo. Photo: Jason Kenworthy

Mark Mathews on an absolute, death-defying bomb. Photo: Ray Collins

A helicopter overview of a 15-foot wave at Pipeline, on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Photo: Sean Davey

AERIAL VIEW of the 12 Apostles, along the Great Ocean Road, Australia, 2011. Photo: Lucia Griggi

"Dark Foam." I'm not always shooting perfect waves... sometimes the elements for a good photograph can come together during less than ideal conditions. Photo: Nick Allen

Garrett McNamara tow-surfing big waves at Outside Avalanche. Photo: Sean Davey

A leap of faith. Photo: Matt Clark.

Albee Layer chop hop ollie at Jaws. Photo: Jason Kenworthy

Kelly. Stoked, on a hot sunny day at Rincon reflecting on the waves he just found and which board to ride next.Photo: Branden Aroyan/lowtiderising.com

Messy barrel with an exit. Photo: Kenji Croman

Honu Tube rider. Photo: BC Laserwolf

Just before I walked into the ocean. Photo: Kenji Croman

PERFECT 1O. Kelly Slater's Perfect 10 at the 2010 In Memory of Eddie Aikau. Photo: Lucia Griggi

The time between when the sun dropped below that cloud line and when it dipped under the horizon was 14 minutes. Fourteen minutes swimming around with this incredible light. It just gives you an idea of what happens when everything comes together. Stormfront, sunset, perfect a-frame that pitched enough, and me in the right place at the right time. Photo: Matt Clark.

Spaniard rider Pablo Gutiérrez flying in a small but fun day near home. Photo: Juan Fernandez

Tripoli Patterson at Bankvaults. Two cool ass names. Trip charges and we both went there with intentions of getting great watershots. This one ended up as a cover. Photo: Matt Clark.

Joe Parrino in New York. This is a somewhat typical scene during our New York winters. It gets pretty freezy up here. There\'s an incredible silence that you can almost capture through a photograph of any snow scene. It looks as serene as it is. When it snows, it\'s such a wonderful silence, all those noises get blotted out and it\'s just you and your mind to think. Imagine that and looking at perfect surf. A nice solitude. Photo: Matt Clark.

Beautiful, cold Ventura. Photo: Paul Greene

Sucked dry. Photo:

Dave Rastovich escaping the crowds somewhere near Byron Bay. He was charging that night and I was lucky enough to get this speed blur long after the sun had set. Photo: Alex Frings

Indo view. Photo: Juan Fernandez

Mauritania. Photo: John Callahan/SurfExplore

Black Friday in Delmarva. It seems like every week there’s another swell popping up somewhere. Raven Lundy puts the time in and gets the pay off. Photo: Eddie Compo/The Wildlyfe

"Equilibrium." Shallow depth of field and a stiff offshore breeze bring out the toothiness in this shorebreak image. Photo: Nick Allen

A gorgeous shot of the Oregon Inlet in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Photo: Eddie Compo/The Wildlyfe

Rick Flores. Free flying. Photo: Justin Jung

Keiki Beach on the North Shore. Photo: Kenji Croman

Helicopter overviews of surfing at Pipeline on the north shore of Oahu, 02.07.08. Photo: Sean Davey

August 1996 - On a visit to the famed Zicatela beachbreak in Oaxaca, Mexico we endured 10 days of relative flatness. Then one morning we awoke to find a fresh 8-10 foot swell detonating on the sandbars, and Puerto Rican charger Carlos Cabrero knew just what to do with all that auqatic energy. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

This one\'s hot off the press. Johnny and I randomly met in the car park on an average day. The sun already too high in the sky for my liking. We decided to head out anyway with no expectations. Mad Seagull in full flight. Photo: Alex Frings

Kelly Slater. Quick breath during tube time. Photo: Branden Aroyan/lowtiderising.com

Keagan. Hang time. Photo: BC Laserwolf

Sliding through the moonlit cove. Photo: Paul Greene

Kelly Slater. Going surfing, one of the best feeling there is especially when a right point is lined up with one wave after another. Photo: Branden Aroyan/lowtiderising.com

Perfect. Photo: Paul Greene

Portrait of Surfer Staff Photographer, Todd Glaser using a makeshift studio in my driveway, Encinitas, 2011. Photo: Kevin Roche

An unknown surfer. Photo: Justin Jung

Crisp, golden Fall. Photo: Paul Greene

Bruce Irons a few years back at Bells. I love shooting portraits, and this is one of my favorites: no lights, no fuss, and ten shots later, I was done. He was stoked, and his girl was even more stoked as she thought we would be shooting for a lot longer. Sometimes the simple things just work out.

Julian Wilson from the Nike ‘Just Do It’ Campaign. Being a part of this was a really great experience: the total opposite of what we normally do. Photo: Jason Kenworthy

Tyler Fox stayomg ahead of the lip at Mavericks. Photo: Seth Migdail

Rasta at really good rocky Rights last winter. Photo: Ricky Lesser

STEPHANIE GILMORE, Portugal 2010. This portrait was taken for Surfgirl Magazine. Photo: Lucia Griggi

Craig Anderson in a pretty sweet position on a empty South Australian Beach break. This kid has so much style is crazy how easy he makes it all look. Photo: Nate Smith

Esta es la vision que la ola tiene de nosotros Maldivas, sin duda. This is undoubtedly the vision we have of surfing in the Maldives. A beginner's paradise. Photo: Lucas Tozzi

Unknown, Hawaii, 2012. This was my third trip to the North Shore, but only the first time I had swam out with my camera. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life to date. The light and just about everything else over there is incredible. Photo: Alex Marks

Sometimes you don’t have to travel half way around the world to get a great photo. A cold winter morning in my own back yard. Photo: Jason Kenworthy

Angola. Photo: John Callahan/SurfExplore

YVON CHOUINARD of Patagonia. A humble man and inspiration for outdoorsman and women, as well as environmentalists; taken at his beach home in Ventura, California in the summer of 2009, this portrait was for Outside Magazine. Photo:

En imágenes así queda claro porque se llama Costa de la Luz (Cádiz cost). In pictures like these, we know why it\'s called Costa de la Luz (Coast of the Light). Photo: Lucas Tozzi

Cecil Page up in Ventura County, yet another Santa Anna sunset. I love this area. Photo: Ricky Lesser

Love the wave. Photo: Justin Jung

Taumata Puhetini Photo: Tim Mckenna

Zach Wormhoudt towing into a beast during the February 2005 Ghost Trees swell. Photo: Seth Migdail

El foso de Tarifa, cuando rompe se convierte en una tubería rápida y cristalina. El Foso in Tarifa, when it breaks it\'s a fast and clear barrel. Photo: Lucas Tozzi

A-framing at South Beach. Photo: Mike Jones/Azhiaziam

Australian charger Dion Atkinson at one of his home breaks in South Australia earlier this year. As nice as this day was and as cool as the water color was, swimming in South Australia has other distractions! Photo: Nate Smith

Raven Lundy on a bomb in Maryland. Yes, Maryland. Photo: Nick Denny

Cruising down the queen. Photo: Paul Greene

Cyrus Sutton and Ryan Burch on staycation for Stoked and Broke, Cardiff Reef 2010. Photo: Kevin Roche

This was a little mission I did with Mikala and Dede to chase a swell. But durning a quick break from surfing I swam out and shot with the local kids while they were riding these planks of wood. This shot ended up being the cover on Transworld Surf travel issue. I\'m looking forward to this year when I go back there and show this grom his photo on the cover. Photo: Brad Masters

Isaac Buckley - no turning back. A good mate of mine and the true definition of the word charger. When this place is on, Isaac is there. Photo: Alex Marks

MALIBU, California, The locals! Photo: Lucia Griggi

Pete Devries. Photo:

Kelly Slater. A reflective moment. Photo: Branden Aroyan/lowtiderising.com

Jay Adams. Photo: Lucia Griggi

First Jetty, OBX, NC, 2010. Brett Barley dropping into a bomb. Photo: Chris Frick

Magnum Martinez on a Pipeline Bomb. I shot this well before all the sand had been washed away. Laying down and just waiting for it to all line up. The sand was gone soon after. One of my best Hawaii shots. Photo: Nate Smith

Matt Kechele scoring. Scoring big time. Sandy 2012. Photo: Mike Jones/Azhiaziam

Peter Mendia. Sandy. Photo: Patrick "Tupat" Eichstaedt

This photo is one of my all time shots. I was nomiated for two awards: Surfer Magazine's photo of the Year and Australian Surf Photo of the Year. Dede Suryana. Photo: Brad Masters

Rob Kegel. Photo: Chris Klopf

The Outer Banks, NC, 2012 The Search. Photo: Chris Frick

Jeff Brown putting on a show for the camera whilst going over the falls. Photo: Alex Frings

Little waves can be perfect too. Photo: Paul Greene

After fighting a rip for ages we finally managed to link up, getting the shot that made it all worth while. (Surfer: Johnny Abegg) Photo: Alex Frings

Classic Ocean Beach, nearly double overhead. Dec 9, 2011. Photo: Paul Ferraris

A mystery rider hiding from the ship. Photo: Mike Jones/Azhiaziam

Bowls. Photo: Chris Klopf

Paul Paterson. The Right. Photo: Russel Ord

The Fletcher family. Photo: Lucia Griggi

There was dense fog warnings for Orange County, and you couldn\'t see more than 10ft in any direction. Without a doubt this is going to be one of my favorites for a long time. Photo: Matthews

Chris Ross. West Oz. Photo: Russel Ord

S Turns. OBX, NC 2011. Charlie Weatherby tucked into a drainer. Since Hurricane Sandy, this spot no longer exists. Photo: Chris Frick

November 1990. In September of this year I left on a bit of a walkabout through the Spanish Basque Country and the Canary Islands. I'd met Aussies Murray "Muzz" Paterson and his mate, Nanga, in the Basque Country and joined them when they left for the islands in early November. I believe this was one of the first good sessions we had upon arrival, and I quite liked this lineup image when I finally saw it on my lightbox nearly a year later after my return to NYC. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

This is Matt Bromely mid-drop into a bomb. He got some of the best barrels of his life on this trip. A few shots after this take Matt pulled in and scored himself a cover shot for ZigZag Magazine. Photo: Brad Masters

This photograph of Jason Harris was my first spread in a magazine. Photo: Matthews

Mar Ono waiting his turn at Pipe. I\'ve seen Mar do some pretty crazy things in my time, but I dig this shot. He looks super chilled in amongst all the mayhem that is Pipe. Photo: Nate Smith

Jordy Smith sunrise at Bells a couple pf years ago. Bells isn\'t an easy wave to surf but I always dig the way it makes these pros speed line – something classic about it even though there not busting out huge airs. Photo: Nate Smith

Peter Mendia. Pumphouse. Sandy 2012. Photo: Mike Jones/Azhiaziam

Photo: Thor Jonsson

Nathan Fletcher. Photo: Tim Mckenna

Photo: Thor Jonsson

West Peak Sunset. Photo: Chris Klopf

Whales around Moorea. Photo: Tim Mckenna

Cortney Brown. Cyclops. Photo: Russel Ord

Orange County in all its glory. Photo: Matthews

The waves were pumping on this trip, but the weather was overcast and raining a lot. Here is Dedi Gun, one of Indo\'s funniest free surfers. Photo: Brad Masters

CA. Photo: Ricky Lesser

A Caribbean A-Frame. Photo: Matthews

Nias. This image, of a reefbreak on Nias, is one that really makes me want to go surfing. The wave is perfect, conditions are still, there is no one out. How quick would you be out there? Photo: David Sparkes

Laird Hamilton. Photo: Tim Mckenna

It's colder than it looks..Beach break pulsing in the Pacific and splitting the uprights. Photo: Casey Rossi

Jughead. Cyclops. Photo: Russel Ord

Olas. Photo:

Rainbow wave. Photo:

Mid-Sandy Devastation in New Jersey. Photo: Ryan Struck

Hawaiian sunset. Photo: Clare Plueckhahn

Marshalls. This type of split shot, or over and under, is my specialty. I\'m trying to make my name by capturing these bisected wave images, and this is one of the better ones. The crystal clear water of the Marshall Islands helps. Photo: David Sparkes

Down the path, Hawaii. Photo: Clare Plueckhahn

NSW. Local, Mick Moltzen pulling in. This beachbreak, near my home in Northern NSW, lights up under certain conditions to provide spectacularly luminous tubes. I love the refracted light at the base of the wave, a combination of time of day, whitish sand, clear water and west wind. Photo: David Sparkes

Jamie O'Brien. Photo: Vince Street

Teahupoo's lil sister exposing herself to the few that know about her..One hint thats all you get Central America. Photo: Casey Rossi

Surf life. Photo: Robert Reader