Josh Kerr did some smart multi-tasking this morning doffing the CT jersey and donning an inflatable vest for his first hit out on the Big Wave Tour.

It seems like almost a year since Manly's offered solid clean surf without close-outs, but it was worth the wait.

After watching and waiting for almost a year to travel to this region, the swell and winds finally aligned, but... over the Christmas/New Year holidays.

2015 was probably the worst year of waves I've seen locally around Manly since I made the move to the East Coast. This however gave me an excuse to hit the highway each weekend to maximise the most out of the marginal swells, the rewards are captured in the following images.

First and second goes into the main event where they'll face off against title contenders in Round 1.

Billy Kemper led the charge through Round 1, Semi Final, and Final emerging a worthy victor. There'll be no question marks hanging over his name.

The best shots from a pumping last day at Sunset, where Mick won the trophy and a record number of qualifiers jumped to the CT.

Chris Lovell captures a recent swell at Desert Point from almost every possible angle, each view revealing its improbable perfection.

North of Enganno, north of the Mentawais, north of the Telos, Nias, and Hinako Islands too.

Flashes of action from Tim Bonython's 'Rough Cuts'.