Victoria Ugarte, Surf Warriors (PEOPLE 2020)

Taken at Bronte Beach on Sydney’s east, I often imagine surfers as modern day gladiators. Donning their “magical” neoprene wetsuits, their ritual starts out with a stretch, after which they run into the water and leap on to their surfboards, braving big swells and ocean predators to harness the primal power of nature. Surfing is a perfect example of the adage “falling down nine times, getting up ten”, teaching us all some valuable life lessons.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.