Somewhere a lonely, dust-covered Jet Ski is weeping. Shane Dorian, paddling into surfing’s new frontier. Photo: Noyle

When you see these guys scratching for the horizon, you can guarantee that something terrible is on its way. Nine of surfing’s most fearless, feeling a bit antsy in their current situation. Photo: Noyle

Kai Lenny, bottom turning into the mouth of Jaws. Photo: Noyle

If we ran this shot of Dave Wassell paddling into Jaws just two years ago, we would have thought he had lost his mind. Today, he’s holding his own among a new big-wave vanguard.

It’s not too often you see Shane Dorian pull back on a set. Some waves are better left unridden. Photo: Noyle

All wave jetting aside, Garret McNamara is one of the world’s hardest charging surfers in conditions of consequence. Photo: Noyle

Australian Jeff Rowley, committed under a massive Maui lip. Photo: Noyle

One of the hardest charging Brazilians on the planet, Carlos Burle threw on some thick rubber and then threw himself into some Mavericks monsters. Photo: Warmington

No stranger to the elevator-drop at Mavericks, Anthony Tashnick has won competitions there before, and will still paddle out when it’s at its most menacing just for kicks. Photo: Warmington

Tyler Fox (deep) and Ken “Skindog” Collins, local boys pumped on one of the cleanest mornings of the year. Photo: Craig

And you thought the right was scary. Photo: Craig

An anonymous surfer, looking down the face of what could have been. Photo: Craig

A deceptively clean left quickly put to scale by the diminutive figures of Tim Reyes and Ryan Seelbach on the right-hander. Photo: Craig

The Mavericks Invitational waiting period is open, and these two are primed. Tyler Fox (an alternate this year) and Ken “Skindog” Collins, ready for whatever Mavericks wants to throw at them. Photo: Craig

Josh Redman, one of the few willing to take on the left bowl at Mavericks on this particular morning. Photo: Craig

Nic Lamb, another Santa Cruz standout who froths on everything from playful rights back home, to the more sinister fare of Half Moon Bay. Photo: Craig

Forget the Federales, Huntington’s Cameron Faris finds himself in an entirely different kind of precarious situation south of the border. Photo: Keith

Uruguayan charger Diego Pertusso skips through the Todos trough on his backhand. Photo: Keith

Australia’s Jamie Mitchell has won 10 straight Molokai to Oahu paddleboard races. Needless to say he fares better than most when it comes to scratching into macking set waves. Photo: Keith

San Clemente’s own Pat Gudauskas is undoubtedly one of the west coast’s most well rounded surfers. Whether he’s pulling a rodeo flip in Ocean Beach or stroking into a massive Todos wall, you can be sure he’s frothing. Photo: Keith

Laguna Beach surfer TJ Saeman standing tall on a bomb, doing his best to navigate the crowded field of Todos visitors on the inside. Photo: Keith

Jamie Mitchell knows that sometimes it’s best to not know what’s chasing you. Photo: Keith

Nic Lyon does his best to stick the warbly drop and avoid a trip through the Mexican meat grinder. Photo: Keith

Tanner, the youngest Gudauskas, isn’t about to be upstaged by his older brother. Here he charges through a meaty Todos Santos bowl. Photo: Keith

Although it’s a world away from T-Street, Tanner Gudauskas manhandles the Todos bowl just the same. Photo: Keith

Pat Gudauskas, feeling weightless as he projects through a sketchy, mid-face ramp. Photo: Keith

The surfer in the foreground finds himself strangely content with being in the channel for this particular set wave as Cliff Skudin goes for the drop. Photo: Keith

Pacific Gauntlet