An Emerald Vice Grip Courtesy Of Shark Island

Near Cronulla Point, Sydney lies Shark Island. It’s a wave that looks similar to this when it’s on and is ruled by fins, sponge and madmen laying prone. And the occasional fibre glass riding psycho who dares to give it a go upright.

“So this sharp edged slab was caught slipping through the crowd during the Shark Island Challenge of all places,” says lensman Dan Bielich. “I don’t think it wanted to be caught; it just wanted to unleash on the reef. The way it moved gave me goosebumps. It was intense and perfect. It did not look like a Shark Island wave that’s for sure. But then again Shark Island has an array of different sized and shaped waves that shock even the locals that have been surfing it for decades. It always finds a new way to surprise even the oldest of riders. And for that reason, Shark Island is one of the best breaks in the world.”