The Inertia’s 100 Best Photos Over the Past 5 Years

Nuclear Nazarè. Photo: Miguel Caparica

Nathan Fletcher at Teahupoo in Tahiti on the code red swell. This is the craziest wave ever ridden by a human. Yes he survived. Photo: Brian Bielmann

Convection. Photo: RayCollinsPhoto.com

Rifles. If only I had a dollar for every time someone dropped an F-bomb when they saw this one. And yes, he made it over...just. Photo: John Barton

A large North Shore wave makes its way into a shallow sand bank, sucking the sand off of the sea floor into the wave itself. Photo: Clark Little.

Andy Irons between this world and another - Tavarua, Fiji. Photo: Brian Bielmann

One of my favorite shots from Teahupoo. Just the atmosphere. May 14th, 2013. Photo: Ben Thouard.

Brad Domke and Mark Mathews should be committed to a mental institution. Photo: Chris Gurney

Mauritania. The area around the Nouadhibou Peninsula is known as the shipwreck capital of the world as it is littered with hundreds of rusting wrecks, which were driven ashore as part of insurance scams. This hulk sits in the middle of a great right point. Photo: John Seaton Callahan/surfEXPLORE

SF, CA. Photo: Julien Bacal

Photo: John Seaton Callahan

Photo: Branden Aaroyan

A cold winter day just after a passing snow storm laid a pile of fresh snow and brought plenty of waves to New Jersey. I was shooting water this day and came away with a few good images but I knew I had to get out and get the land angle with the snowman. I saw a child making it as we paddled out. This is one of my best selling prints and you can purchase it here. Photo: Ryan Struck

Liquid vortex. Photo: Daniel Norkunas

Danny Fuller solo. Photo: Nelly

Aloha vibes. Photo: Magi Kernan

Mid winter Iceland. Snow fall, only about four hours of light, a wind chill way below freezing and a field of Icebergs to get through before you can surf. Ian Battirck getting ready for a standard solo session. Photo: Tim Nunn

Photo: Lucia Griggi

Speed blur. Photo: Ray Collins Photo

Best view of Teahupoo. Photo: Jared Sislin

Mike Coots in Hawaii. Photo: Mike Coots

I'm convinced that Rob can pretty much surf on anything under his feet. Here he is from an alaia session in Carlsbad. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

Juxtaposition of color at sunset. A-frame Outer Banks. Photo: Graham Hunt

Montauk, NY. Photo: James Katsipis

Hangin' a little five spot. Photo: Seth de Roulet

Colombian national freediving record holder Sofia Uribe Gomez charmed by a Caribbean reef shark. Photo: Lia Barrett

Barrel Vortex. Photo: Ray Collins Photo

Cold colors. Delish. Photo: Ben Currie

Malibu Point firing from all cylinders. Photo: Mark McInnis

Brazilian backwash. Photo: Adam Duffy

The beauty of the Pacific Northwest is unmatched. Photo: Mark McInnis

Liquid Gold. Directly after a storm, run off from tea-trees tinted the water, creating spectacular color and light. Photo: Adam Duffy

A-frame Outer Banks. Photo: Graham Hunt

This might sound kind of weird, but this image actually makes me extremely sad. I had been chasing this wave for ten years, and never scored it like this. We rolled up and the four of us surfed this wave by ourselves for three days straight. While we were there, the fishing village on the inside started building a jetty so they could launch their vessels closer to the village instead of driving them the 1/8 mile to the old boat launch. By the time we left, the backwash from the hardly even built jetty was already messing up the inside of the wave. Breaks my heart. Photo: Mark McInnis

Mark Healy takes a very late drop at Pipeline last winter. Photo: Brian Bielmann

Frigid waters of the North Atlantic. Photo: Chris DeLorenzo

Crazy colors. Photo: Holly Tree Photo

Photo: Morgan Maassen | ESPN The Magazine

Alex Gray, Central Coast, CA. Photo: Nelly

New Hampshire. Photo: Brian Nevins

"As long as the sea and the waves fascinate me so much , i will keep on surfing... togather with studying the bible". Photo: Gai Schteinberg

The end of the Road. Photo: Joao Bracourt

Lines to infinity. Photo: Adam Warmington

Bethany Hamilton. Photo: MIke Coots

Bryan Johnson gets a solo session in on a below zero morning. That's seasmoke on the surface caused by frigid temps hitting the high-30 water temps. Photo: Brian Nevins

Cold doesn't exist. Photo: Brian Nevins

Manasquan. Photo: Joanne O'Shaughnessy

James McKean, navigating with a very foggy compass. Photo: Stuart Gibson

Escaping flood waters added some great colors to the mini peaks on this day. Photo: Deb Morris

Isaac Stant, about to bear the brunt of it. Photo: Sofie Louca - Fish Bowl Diaries

Perfection lies just down the hill. Photo: Adam Warmington

Dolphin silk. Photo: Craig Parry

The Queen of the Coast at sunset... Photo: Andy Bowlin

Sometimes everything lines up perfect. Pete Devries, lining it up. Photo: Kyler Vos

Martin Cabada. Walking on water. Photo: Robb Wilson

Mini waves are arguably the greatest thing to photograph when it’s flat. Photo: Ed Sloane

Bodyline. Photo: Warren Keelan

"Ahh why did I come in?!" Image: Tozzi

Bron Huesenstamm, Stoney Point. Lake Superior, Minnesota. Photo: Joe Curren

Inside out in Brazil. This is my favorite be achy in Brazil. It's a solid wedge, close to shore, and perfect for water shooting. Photo: Adam Duffy

Nazaré rears its heavy lip as it breaks top to bottom. Photo: Rui Boino

Days like these don't come along very often. Photo: Adam Warmington

Bobby Okvist airing it out over a triple-overhead wave at Newport Beach's The Wedge. I'm incredibly honored that this image placed Top 50 Overall, and Top 5 in the Wings category, for the 2013 Red Bull Illume contest. Photo: Ben Ginsberg

Winter surf here doesn't bode well for photographers. The light is weird... the water is a dirty chocolate brown.... But, the waves are pumping. The lack of green water sometimes requires black and white, but Florida charger Mark Dawson has relocated to the Outer Banks for the barrels, not the water color. Photo: Gallop

Crossing paths. Photo: Trent Mitchell

Sunset on Moorea Island, Tahiti. Photo: Adam Duffy.

I took the week off work to get this swell on the Gold Coast and scored! This is Kirra midweek and uncrowded. Photo: Jack Dekort

Belly flop drop-in. Photo: Pierce Anderson

Tunnel Vision - Kings Beach, Sunshine Coast. Photo: Kieran Tunbridge

South Africa, 2000. For my first six years of shooting in SA, I kept being told this shot was faked. It's not. Photo: Greg Huglin.

Hard to believe this wave is just 15cm in height. The wind was howling offshore producing the ripple effect captured in the inside of the wave. With the reflection of the sun and sand, the colors were magnified. Photo: Deb Morris.

Mark Matthews mastering Ours. Photo: Jason Corroto

Friendly swim. Photo: Jason Corroto

This is Brazilian hell-man Stephan Prado getting his share on a nice late season afternoon. Photo: Jack Dekort

The massive bowl in effect at Nazaré. Photo: Mark Wengler

Moby's Tail. Photo: Warren Keelan.

Atlantic dreams. Photo: Ben Currie

Central Coast, California. Photo: Andy Bowlin

Ian Walsh slips into Cortes Bank. Photo: Brian Nevins

Bali bagus. Photo: Federico Vanno

"I was shooting the Mantas and pushing them off me to get them in my viewfinder and I felt something tap me on my arm and looked down to see this turtle trying to get my attention. Crazy, crazy experiance." Photo: Brian Bielmann

Photo: Magi Kernan

"Where's this wave you were talking about?" Photo: Chris DeLorenzo

Teahupoo maxing out. Photo: Seth de Roulet

Photo: Morgan Maassen | ESPN The Magazine

World record setting rides went down in Portugal this year. Photo: Miguel Caparica

Speed blur. Photo: Matt Clark

Electric ocean. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

Absolutely perfect. Photo: Ben Currie

Teahupoo seemingly unrideable. Photo: Seth de Roulet

Pipe explosion. Photo: Matt Dunbar

Hurrican Marie, Newport Point. Photo: Surfbreakrentals.com

Speed light blur.

Gold Coast, Australia. Photo: Carlin O'Driscoll

Hurricane Wedge. Photo: Jeff Davis

Tropicool. Photo: Francisco Santos

Golden hour at sunset. Photo: Nathan French

Frigid air. Photo: Marcus Paladino

Photo: Clark Little.

This is Peter Devries at a spot where if it's good and the wind is the right direction, it's pissing rain. Generally you cant even see the mountains, so I'm really happy that we were able to make this image. Photo: Jeremy Koreski

Right hand bomb in Japan. Photo: Jeff Flindt

Slushy ice wave on very cold morning. Photo: Brian Nevins

Photo: Russell Ord

Photo: Russell Ord

Photo: Lucia Griggi

Photo: John Seaton Callahan

Photo: Clare Plueckhahn