Luke Wyllie, in the zone, WA

And here we find Mr Luke Wylie, a pilot by trade who also happens to be, in the most complimentary fashion, a tube pig. He lives in the very west of Australia, and yesterday went dragon-chasing. “We had planned to head up north for the swell, but the planned changed at the last minute,” says the photographer of this moment, Jamie Scott. “Instead we loaded up the boats and skis and headed into the 30 knot onshore for a 45 minute crossing. It was horrendous. The next morning the wind had swung and dropped, so we hit this slab. There were a few rouge ones coming through at the start but soon enough the place sorted itself out and it turned on.”

Didn’t it just? So, without dropping any pins, what of the wave’s signature characteristics? “The wave breaks over really shallow reef so there’s not much margin for error here,” continues Jamie. “Wipeout and you’re going to get washed across the razor sharp inner section. Luckily no one was hurt. All the boys got some awesome waves, and once we had our fill it was time to head back to the mainland and get back on with our lives. It was a great day with some good mates, really.”