I decided to drive down to J-Bay, a place world-renowned for its perfect waves and legendary surf. The contest promised to be something special, with the swell forecast for the final day looking near-perfect—I knew I had to be there.
After nearly 1,000 km on the road, I arrived with a few days to spare before the finals. That gave me the opportunity to get in the water and capture some moments with the pros, including Felipe Toledo. The water was immaculate. Although the swell had started to decline at that point, the surfers were still going big, pushing the limits. I was just grateful to be there.
When the final day arrived, the swell didn’t disappoint—perfect 8-foot waves rolled down the point. During the contest, no one was allowed in the lineup with cameras, so all photographers had to shoot from land. But that wasn’t a problem—at J-Bay, the waves are so close to shore that you can still capture incredible moments from the beach.
Crowds had gathered along the sand to witness the spectacle, and the energy was electric. I managed to photograph some beautiful moments and felt incredibly thankful to be a part of it all.
I also filmed a few waves and put together a short highlight video, which you can watch below.