Stephanie Gilmore on right-handers in the Bay of Biscay

When the female world champ is decided over the next few weeks on Maui, Steph Gilmore may get her sixth world title. Even if she doesn’t, she’ll still be the best surfer in the world. This clip is evidence why. It’s the simple things she makes effortless, like the way her arms move on the final 20 percent of top turns and how delicate her style is as she high-lines down a clean wall. Photographer-turned-filmmaker Morgan Maassen has AAA-access to every female pro surfer in the world (he shot Coco Ho nude for ESPN, remember?) but Stephanie Gilmore is his favourite subject.

“Stephanie Gilmore is bar-none my favorite person to shoot,” says Morgan. “And that relationship has been a pillar of my career, both for the photos it’s allowed me to take and the places it’s taken me.”

We also believe he saves his best creative work for when he works alongside Steph.