The north Pacific roared to life last week as three swells in seven days bore down from the high latitudes toward the Hawaiian Islands. On the north shore of Oah'u they provided the best pre-Christmas week of swell for many seasons. Because it happened while the contests are on and the pros are in town footage from the rock has reached saturation point.

Yet so much of it looks the same, and it's hardly suprising. The sand on the Pipe stretch was almost as crowded as the line-up as photographers stood shoulder to shoulder vying for the best view.

Mick Curley took a slightly different approach.

Shooting at off-peak times and from under-utilised angles he gives us new views of a wave we've seen a thousand times before.// STUART NETTLE