100 of the Greatest Photos of 2016

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$Last winter was my first time in Hawaii. I always wondered what it was like in person. When the time finally came, a big swell hit the and it was even better than I had ever imagined. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.marenelmar.com/\">Mariana Marenelmar</a>$

Last winter was my first time in Hawaii. I always wondered what it was like in person. When the time finally came, a big swell hit the and it was even better than I had ever imagined. Photo: Mariana Marenelmar

This is somewhere in Central America. A couple of years ago I got the privilege to work with VISSLA for their spring catalog. I got to shoot some of their best riders in some epic surf! Photo By: Damian Davila

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.waterworkmedia.com/\">Sean Evans</a>$

Photo: Sean Evans

Photo: Magnus Endal

Ivy Thomas—Secret Spot, Australia. Some days are just unique. Ivy Thomas is like my little sister, and we do heaps of road trips up and down the coast in search of waves and cruisey days. On this particular day, we turned up at one of our favorite spots to find it virtually empty. The tide was extremely high, so it seemed the whole shortboard fraternity had ventured elsewhere, and we were left with long walled peelers, perfect for a log. This image is very reflective of Ivy herself. Simple pleasure. Simple beauty. Ivy is an incredibly positive human, she would smile and have a chat to the boogey man. I watched Ivy catch twenty or more waves in this solo session, and she kept looking up at me, grinning, sharing the joy she was having down in the water below. A wonderful memory. Photo: Fran Miller

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.jcmsurfphotography.com/\">Juan Medina</a>$

Photo: Juan Medina

Awake in My Dreams blend series Too Much to Dream Last Night. Courtesy of Holly Shoebridge

Photo: Mike Smolowe

$Balaram Stack. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.ruddyphoto.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Patrick Ruddy</a>$

Balaram Stack. Photo: Patrick Ruddy

$If you look closely, you\'ll find Garth Englehorn and Gary Linden. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.driftwoodfoto.com/\">Ben Ginsberg</a>$

If you look closely, you'll find Garth Englehorn and Gary Linden. Photo: Ben Ginsberg

$Neal Campbell during New York winters. The sun sets directly over the ocean, making for some intense silhouette situations. Photo: <a href=\"https://parascanography.weebly.com/\"> JAMES PARASCANDOLA</a>$

Neal Campbell during New York winters. The sun sets directly over the ocean, making for some intense silhouette situations. Photo: JAMES PARASCANDOLA

Photo: Larisa Cevallos Oganova

$Singlefin sunrise, East Coast. Photo: <a href=\"https://danlemaitrephoto.com\">Dan LeMaitre</a>$

Singlefin sunrise, East Coast. Photo: Dan LeMaitre

$Slater Jaws Green board. Kelly Slater at Pe\'ahi (Jaws) on Jan 16, 2016. Photo: Shannon Marie Quirk @shannonreporting$

Slater Jaws Green board. Kelly Slater at Pe'ahi (Jaws) on Jan 16, 2016. Photo: Shannon Marie Quirk @shannonreporting

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.jcmsurfphotography.com/\">Juan Medina</a>$

Photo: Juan Medina

Photo: Luke Dawson

$Balaram Stack. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.ruddyphoto.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Patrick Ruddy</a>$

Balaram Stack. Photo: Patrick Ruddy

Grant Twiggy Baker of South Africa (pictured) holds his line during Round 2 of the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikua at Waimea Beach, North Shore, Hawaii on Thursday February 25, 2016. Photo: Keoki Saguibo

Barrels for breakfast.

Photo: Krzysztof Jędrzejak

Photo: Che Chorley

$This is the best known wave in the area, sometimes called C land. Due to the slow drip of media exposure, it\'s now a rare sight indeed to few people on it whenever it breaks. Photo: Scott Wicking.$

This is the best known wave in the area, sometimes called C land. Due to the slow drip of media exposure, it's now a rare sight indeed to few people on it whenever it breaks. Photo: Scott Wicking.

Photo: @Baileykphoto

Photo: Hayden O’Neill

$Right place at the right time. Two years ago - while briefly working in an orphanage teaching English in South Sri Lanka - we woke up to horrible weather with gale force winds and rain. We went about our day like any other. It hadn’t even crossed my mind to check if there were any waves about. We got to a river around lunchtime when I realized that the wind was blowing straight offshore. In the distance I could see lines stacking up to the horizon. We frantically drove to the coast where we found these things rolling in with not a soul in sight. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.nickwhitephoto.com/\">Nick White</a>$

Right place at the right time. Two years ago - while briefly working in an orphanage teaching English in South Sri Lanka - we woke up to horrible weather with gale force winds and rain. We went about our day like any other. It hadn’t even crossed my mind to check if there were any waves about. We got to a river around lunchtime when I realized that the wind was blowing straight offshore. In the distance I could see lines stacking up to the horizon. We frantically drove to the coast where we found these things rolling in with not a soul in sight. Photo: Nick White

$Photo:<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mahdi4s\">Mahdi El Hanafi</a>$

Photo:Mahdi El Hanafi

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.davesandfordphotos.com/\">Dave Sandford</a>$

Photo: Dave Sandford

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.davesandfordphotos.com/\">Dave Sandford</a>$

Photo: Dave Sandford

$Ten days after waiting for the sun to poke its head out. I had arrived on Mexico’s Pacific Coast two days after a hurricane had sent an XL swell and flooded the majority of the coastal village. This led to the weather being pretty unsettled for the following week. And for some reason the sun seemed to be covered by a thick blanket of cloud every morning when the wind was blowing offshore. We had delayed our exit a few days hoping that one morning would be clear. I took this photo the morning of the day we left—no clouds anywhere to be seen and super fun 2- to 4-foot peaks were rolling through a lonely lineup. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.nickwhitephoto.com/\">Nick White</a>$

Ten days after waiting for the sun to poke its head out. I had arrived on Mexico’s Pacific Coast two days after a hurricane had sent an XL swell and flooded the majority of the coastal village. This led to the weather being pretty unsettled for the following week. And for some reason the sun seemed to be covered by a thick blanket of cloud every morning when the wind was blowing offshore. We had delayed our exit a few days hoping that one morning would be clear. I took this photo the morning of the day we left—no clouds anywhere to be seen and super fun 2- to 4-foot peaks were rolling through a lonely lineup. Photo: Nick White

$Photo: <a href=\"https://clairemurphyphotos.com/\">Claire Murphy</a>$

Photo: Claire Murphy

$As we all know, Puerto Escondido is the king of the Mexican beachbreaks. Nobody can resist the charm of this place when it gets XXL. Last year was one for the books in big-wave surfing, and especially one of the best seasons for Puerto. May 3rd was a day to remember. A huge SSW swell arrived bringing 30- to 50-foot waves. And while Mark Healey was riding the biggest wave ever paddled on Mexican sand, Pedro Calado was getting one of the worst wipeouts of his life (pictured above). Photo: <a href=\"https://www.marenelmar.com/\">Mariana Marenelmar</a>$

As we all know, Puerto Escondido is the king of the Mexican beachbreaks. Nobody can resist the charm of this place when it gets XXL. Last year was one for the books in big-wave surfing, and especially one of the best seasons for Puerto. May 3rd was a day to remember. A huge SSW swell arrived bringing 30- to 50-foot waves. And while Mark Healey was riding the biggest wave ever paddled on Mexican sand, Pedro Calado was getting one of the worst wipeouts of his life (pictured above). Photo: Mariana Marenelmar

Photo: Kyle Jenkinson

Photo: Aaron Goulding

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/duniganpete/\">Peter Dunigan</a>$

Photo: Peter Dunigan

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.adrianemerton.com.au\">Adrian Emerton</a>$

Photo: Adrian Emerton

$This was the day of days. It was so big this winter, but still inviting. The wave heights were huge, but the period wasn\'t too long so you could still manage to catch them. I ended up taking this one on the head and got dragged underwater further than I had ever gone before. I popped up near the rocks. Luckily, the rescue team was there to save me. There is no doubt in my mind that if Kurtis Chong Kee wasn\'t there, I would have gone into the rocks! Photo: Tom Servais$

This was the day of days. It was so big this winter, but still inviting. The wave heights were huge, but the period wasn't too long so you could still manage to catch them. I ended up taking this one on the head and got dragged underwater further than I had ever gone before. I popped up near the rocks. Luckily, the rescue team was there to save me. There is no doubt in my mind that if Kurtis Chong Kee wasn't there, I would have gone into the rocks! Photo: Tom Servais

Photo: Aaron Goulding

Photo: Kyle Jenkinson

Photo: Andrew Semark

Photo: Frances Miller

Puerto Escondido Lineup. Photo: WSL

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.ridgebenben.com/\">Ridge BenBen</a>$

Photo: Ridge BenBen

Photo: Nick White

Jai Abberton performs during the Red Bull Cape Fear in Sydney, Australia on June 7, 2016. Photo: Brett Hemmings / Red Bull Content Pool

Photo: Brent Bielmann

Photo: Cameron Watts

The mighty Morro Rock. Photo: <a>@danlemaitre</a>

The mighty Morro Rock. Photo: @danlemaitre

Victoria Vergara. Photo: Fran Miller

Photo: Krzysztof Jędrzejak

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.shootingdownthebarrel.com/\">Nico Palacios</a>$

Photo: Nico Palacios

Paige Alms. Photo: WSL

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/vasco.lazaro\">Vasco Lazaro</a>$

Photo: Vasco Lazaro

$Photo: <a href=\"//www.instagram.com/LUKEHORNERPHOTO/“\">Luke Horner</a>$

Photo: Luke Horner

Billy Kemper. Photo: WSL

Emi Erickson. Photo: WSL

$Golden hour at Pipeline—early season empty one. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.shigephoto.co/\">Gavin Shige</a>$

Golden hour at Pipeline—early season empty one. Photo: Gavin Shige

$Mid-December Pipeline was perfect and a rare empty going through the crowded lineup. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.shigephoto.co/\">Gavin Shige</a>$

Mid-December Pipeline was perfect and a rare empty going through the crowded lineup. Photo: Gavin Shige

$Waimea Bay in the afternoon. The shorebreak is always a place to photograph with awesome light. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.shigephoto.co/\">Gavin Shige</a>$

Waimea Bay in the afternoon. The shorebreak is always a place to photograph with awesome light. Photo: Gavin Shige

Greg Long. Photo: WSL

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.schultz-images.com/\">Kevin Schultz</a>$

Photo: Kevin Schultz

$\"It was a decent sized canyon set after sitting outside for a while so as to minimize the irritation to the rest of the crowd, and while trying to get over the hump and onto the face the wavestorm suddenly caught air and flipped up from under my feet, leaving me to get wrecked much like I had hoped (if somewhat early for my preference). Ended up getting chased out by the big shot guy on the red board who thought he owned the break and couldn\'t or wouldn\'t appreciate having a bit of fun, but then I grabbed my shortie and paddled back out for a few more hours.\" -<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/troyhamner/?hl=en\"> Troy Hamner </a> Photo: <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/notjvck/?hl=en\"> Jack Delulio </a>$

"It was a decent sized canyon set after sitting outside for a while so as to minimize the irritation to the rest of the crowd, and while trying to get over the hump and onto the face the wavestorm suddenly caught air and flipped up from under my feet, leaving me to get wrecked much like I had hoped (if somewhat early for my preference). Ended up getting chased out by the big shot guy on the red board who thought he owned the break and couldn't or wouldn't appreciate having a bit of fun, but then I grabbed my shortie and paddled back out for a few more hours." - Troy Hamner Photo: Jack Delulio

$Photo: <a href=\"https://brentonderooy.com/\">Brenton de Rooy</a>$

Photo: Brenton de Rooy

$Ezekiel Lau. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.worldsurfleague.com/\"> WSL</a>$

Ezekiel Lau. Photo: WSL

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.shanegracephoto.com\">Shane Grace</a>$

Photo: Shane Grace

$Photo: <a href=\"https://www.shanegracephoto.com\">Shane Grace</a>$

Photo: Shane Grace

Alex Knost. Photo: Photo: RVCA

Photo: Mike Smolowe

$Outside sets poured through. Photo: <a href=\"https://www.driftwoodfoto.com/\">Ben Ginsberg</a>$

Outside sets poured through. Photo: Ben Ginsberg

João Bracourt

Photo: Colin Nearman

Photo: Pedro Miranda / @plmiranda

$Photo:<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mahdi4s\">Mahdi El Hanafi</a>$

Photo:Mahdi El Hanafi

$Photo:<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mahdi4s\">Mahdi El Hanafi</a>$

Photo:Mahdi El Hanafi

Niccolo Porcella. Photo: Aaron Lynton

Photo: Duncan McKenzie

Tikanui Smith. Photo: Aaron Lynton

Photo: Mark Kronemeyer

Paul Kelly. Photo: Tim Torchia

Water Colours Series-no. 7 Part of an Evergrowing Series Combining Colour Texture. Courtesy of Holly Shoebridge

Every year around this time, we begin the endlessly fascinating job of sifting through the thousands of photos we received over the last 365-or-so days. Picking 100 of them isn’t easy–the photographers who contribute to this little website are some of the best in the world. But we’ve done it, and you will enjoy the eye candy from a year’s worth of beauty.

And a quick note from all of us to all of you: without you–the photographers, writers, and readers who make up this community–we would be nothing. We love you for it. We hope 2017 is everything you hope for, and we can’t wait to see what it brings.

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Monster Gallery: 100 of the Greatest Photos of 2016

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