Wow, what a start to this year's Winter Session, the following is the top 10 edits that we've shortlisted, but we need you to help us cut it down to 2.
We're stoked to have such a high quality of sessions from the first months influx, and it was with a bittersweet taste in our mouths that we chose our favourites – reluctantly culling the unlucky few that didn't quite make the cut to bring you the November shortlist. Now it's over to you, we'd like you to tell us which 2 sessions you'd like to see make it to the final at the end of the winter.
Admittedly, Jeremy Flores' super session at La Nord is a pretty tough one to compete with, but which would you like to join it? Indulge in the top ten below, presented to you in no particular order.
Noah Lane Threading Irish Tubes
"There was a lot of hype around Mully in the morning and there were a few bombs on day break, but the swell wasn't quite what everyone thought it was going to be," tells Noah. "I watched Ferg get a nuts paddle one, but the tide was pushing so I bailed down the road. I surfed with one other mate at this spot for about an hour before anyone else even paddled out."
Alex Dive – Hossegor Dawn
"It was the Monday morning after the final of the Quiksilver Pro, we got up at dawn and checked it out at first light," explains Alex's filmer Guy Macindoe. "There was no one else around and we couldn't believe our luck so we just went out.
Skeet Derham finds Monsters at Meñakoz
"It was a day of strong winds but in the late afternoon of the 8th of November, some big wave surfers paddled out." says filmer Victor Delgado. "Skeet was one of the standouts of the session along with Twig, but there were other chargers too."
Jeremy Flores' Thumping French Winter Session
Jeremy Flores made sure he was in the vicinity for what proved to be the swell of the year for France. After a day thumping tubes, he bashed together this entry to The Winter Session.
Taz Knight's Northern Keg Fest
"We hung around all morning waiting for the tide," Taz Knight told us. "It was getting springy and it's super tide dependent even on small tides. As I paddled out the first one broke properly and for an hour it was perfect – this session was just one of those time and place moments and I was lucky be in rhythm and picked off a couple of the good ones. After the last one I got out because I knew it had been as good as it could be and I didn't want to spoil the moment."
Vincent Duvignac – French Barrels in the Winter Sun
"Those last weeks were amazing in the southwest of France, lots of good sessions and lots of barrels," tells Vincent. "My filmer Ludovic Lasserre was not there, so after lots of sessions around crowded Hossegor, I really wanted to surf alone with just a few friends. By finding the right sandbank in the middle of Landes, around my home in Mimizan, I'm sure I broke my barrel record, waves were pumping every day. Before the weather become stormy, I really wanted to film my barrels visions, just to don't forget how good was the surf."
Dane Hall's Throaty Corner of Supertubos
"We turned up at Supers in pouring rain to see it was small and clean but no real size, as we got in set by set it got bigger, but no crowd whatsoever," recalls Dane "Just a few mates and that's it, which is super rare. So then the corner of the beach started thumping through, tube after tube and I had it to myself no one on the peak. Unreal score, a lucky day for sure."
Mark "Egor" Harris Finds Solace in Frigid Winter Tubes
"After a couple of months life guarding tourists in summer mush, I was itching for a road trip," explains Egor. "A chart popped up late, and so I travelled solo in my van through the night and thankfully the next morning was on. I love trying to catch swells on road trips around the UK, but to score glassy, perfect, hollow lefts on a sunny day with no one else in sight was pretty special. One I'll remember and a nice start to winter.
Joanna Andrade Tows a Nazaré Monster
"I was lucky to be towed by the best, Garret MacNamara and Hugo Vau," recalls Joanna. "It was a pure feeling and pure adrenaline, Nazaré is a monster. It's a heavy but perfect wave."
Ollie O'Flaherty's Slabby Winter Session Entry
"Ok, so on a scale of 1 to 10 on the shallow scale I'd give it an 8," tells Ollie. "The drop makes you have to take off behind the peak otherwise your right on the heavy part of the wave and you get smashed. It's a bit of a head melter because your brain is saying why am I taking off 10ft too deep, but you just gotta fight that feeling and go and hope you make the drop. Not for the faint hearted and wave selection is key."
Let us know in he comments which is your favourite and what it is you like about it, keeping mind we need a winner in each of the following categories.
GoPro POV Award – The winter from your perspective. Probably from inside the barrel. Supported by GoPro.
Out in the Cold – The edit which defines Baltic, we want the viewer shivering and reaching for the thermostat. Supported by C-Skins.
Innovation in Filming – Whether it's attaching a RED Camera to seal, or getting all Inspector Gadget inside the tube, we're looking for unique perspectives. Supported by SP Gadgets.
High Performance Award – Getting high and loose in 5mm of neoprene is a thing to behold. This rewards the most technically advanced surfing in a single session. Go big. Supported by Fourth Surfboards.
The Commitment Award – The edit to which the greatest effort has been undertaken tracking down and surfing winter’s ferocity. Simply put, the commitment award. Supported by Surf Ears.
For a chance of winning in this months group, send your 90 second edit via wetransfer.com to: winter@magicseaweed.com and we'll do the rest.
The search for winter's wildest ride
