Victor Bernardo, Salt Creek
I shot this photo in Larry “Flame” Moore’s studio. Flame is a huge inspiration to me. I keep his book, 30 Years of Flame, next to my nightstand, and I flip through it when I’m feeling happy, sad, whatever. His photos always froth me out. His ability to document a specific spot with a varying range is motivating to me. It’s so fun trying to channel “Larry Light” whenever I shoot Creek. I feel his presence out there, especially when in the water. Photos like this one make me think, Oh, wow, that’s why he shot here. Rest in peace and thank you, Larry.
Joaquin del Castillo, Pipeline
Joaquin is an incredible surfer. He rode for Team Peru during the 2025 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout. I’ve been shooting the event for a few years now. Seeing the empty lineup is such a trip. I love the contest’s team format because I get to see friends session Pipe with each other and cheer one another on. It has that rootsy feel to it—it’s the people’s contest. This was a crazy moment on the first reef. The wave was massive—completely macking—and Joaquin was holding on for dear life. Watching him pull in felt like watching a cowboy riding a raging bull.
Michael Ho, Pipeline
Uncle Mike during the 2022 Backdoor Shootout. As I said, shooting the Shootout is a dream because there’s no one in line to mess with the lip, nobody’s on the shoulder creating foam balls and chandeliers. Mason hurt his ankle a couple of days before the contest, so his pops filled in for him. No one does it better than Mike at Pipeline. I dream of surfing like him, and I’m half his age. I’ll never surf the way he does, but being able to pack waves like this in your sixties is insane. The whole Ho family is amazing.
JJ Wessels, Orange County
If you’ve seen JJ surf, then you know how good he is. He can turn, noseride, take off backwards, do helicopters, and even ride his surfboard upside down. He can ride out of any sticky situation he gets into while hotdogging. His style is pure creativity. He can lay rail on a longboard better than anyone I’ve ever seen. Most importantly, he’s super chill and cool—no attitude or ego. Right after he sprayed me here, I knew we got the shot.
Ty Burgess, Newport Beach
This is one of my favorite photos I’ve ever shot in California. I surfed all morning and got the call that Cylinders might be working. Traffic was nuts—it took me an hour to get from San Clemente to Newport. When I got there, the surf was the best I’d ever seen, and only five people were out. My friend Ty Burgess showed up, and I had the gut feeling that we were going to get a special image. The light was ridiculous, and there was midday glass, which never happens. Ty had taken off on a wave before this, but he went in because he hurt his leg. I begged him to paddle out for one more. He did, and we got this photo five minutes later. You would think this wave’s in West Oz, right? But it’s our backyard. That’s why it’s so special to me.
[For more of Kalani Cummins’ work, pick up a copy of TSJ 34.5]
