As the 2017 Atlantic big wave season ticked down a large blob appeared on the charts, bigger than any storm we’d seen in the last two years. Notifications sprouted like a binary forest on phones around the world and tickets were booked. The game was on.

If you’ve ever stood on the citadel of a lighthouse at Nazare and marveled at the power washing around you then you’ll love Shredding Monsters, the International Olympic Committee’s jaunt into the world of big wave surfing. If you haven’t, then this is as close as you’re going to get.

Cover image: Lucas Chumbo by Helio Antonio