John Florence, J-Bay slob, South Africa

He didn’t win the event. But, did y’see the open face work? Inspired. And the usual in-barrel aplomb? Unfaltering. John Florence, who was dispatched by local knowledge in the form of Dale Staples in the round of 16, brought thunder to the Billabong Pro, J-Bay. Does this photograph excite you? The spray! The shadowed face! The overcast intensity! While competition organisers cringe at cloud coverage, photographers run excitedly to the sand. And capture moments like the one you see here, a firmly-gripped slob at a wave not famous for ramps.