Chippa Wilson swings stage left of the view finder, NSW

Here, the whitewash mimics the cliffs as Chris ‘Chippa’ Wilson flicks his tail to the clouds. Rays of light fall from the sky, the backdrop becomes the final puzzle piece. “This was shot at Cabarita, his home break,” Matt O’Brien tells Stab. “I’ve been shooting Chippa for six years and this was the first time I’ve ever been able to get that angle. The wave usually breaks wider than the rocks. I never get to shoot back into the headlands. The waves were average but the wind was good for airs. There was a brief moment where the sun poked through the clouds, and that’s when the magic happened.”