Semifinalist, Emerging. This shot of surfer Haumana O'Connor was taken at the end of the road in Tahiti. The wave is called Teahupo'o and it's every kind of scary that water could possibly be. We arrived at the spot and at first glance, it looked somehow small from the shore, but I decided to swim to the spot anyway, and to my surprise a decent set arrived and I knew I made the right decision. You don't know until you try! When I arrived there weren't many surfers, so I started shooting landscapes and underwater. After two hours the locals arrived, and then I knew it would just get better and better. Their knowledge of the ocean is like no other. #

Finalist, Playground. This image of climber Marzio Nardi is part of a project called "Carie," an exploration of the famous marble quarries of Massa and Carrara, a small province in Tuscany, that lasted several months. The mining activity started in ancient Rome and has never stopped since then, shaping the landscape and society of the Apuan Alps. Some of the most famous statues, like those of Michelangelo, are made from this marble, known worldwide for its whiteness. But, at the same time, the quarries are horrible: The mountains are literally cut like butter, and the impact on the environment is enormous. The lake in the photo is artificial; it was created by the accumulation of rainwater that was not drained because the ground is sealed up by the fine powder of the mining activity. And even the cracks are artificial, as they are the result of the cuts made by the man-operated machines. #

Winner, Best of Instagram. This image shows athletes Jaime Rico and Javi Diaz in Pico Malacara, Spain. We worked hard for a week, just planning and preparing the terrain for this shot. What's particularly difficult to achieve in a shot like this one is to place the two kickers in the right place a couple of days before. Even tougher is that it needs to be taken at 3,000 meters up with the heavy gear you need to take the shot. Once you have the scenery ready, you just have to wait for the moment and pray for a bluebird sky that day, along with being confident in the riders to synchronize the jump and the handplant. That's the real challenge. On the day, we went for an epic sunset session, testing the kickers and training for the moon shot. Then, when the moon was rising, I went to my place 300 meters away, communicating via walkie-talkies. What's really amazing is that we took the shot on the second try—the photo is the result of great teamwork. #

Semifinalist, Playground. Many people ask me if it is dangerous to fly with so many paragliders in the same thermal. It is demanding indeed, takes some getting used to, and is often stressful. When circling with countless pilots, I am constantly busy looking in all directions to avoid the risk of collision. With my left hand, I hold both paraglider control lines, and with my right hand, I operate my camera. This picture was taken shortly after the air start at the Paragliding World Cup 2020 in Disentis, Switzerland, when all pilots had accelerated and were flying in the same direction. #

Semifinalist, Playground. Kriss Kyle slides a rail in the original Legoland, in Billund, Denmark, as part of his tour around Denmark's "everyday wonders." You can’t count on luck, but when it shows up, you just have to count your blessings. As we arrived at the Legoland park, rain started pouring down, making everything slippery and not the best conditions for a BMX rider doing tricks among fragile Lego installations. But as the star Kriss is, after a bit of a warm-up, he just nailed it anyway, without crashing the houses, and I could finally breathe again. #

Semifinalist, Energy. An image of Masatoshi Horiuchi in the snow in Niigata, Japan. This was the snowiest day of the year. The visibility was poor while driving the car, and it was difficult to find a good place. This is a picture taken at the place I finally found in such a situation. As a result, the worst condition became the best condition. I am grateful to Horiuchi for inviting me. #

Winner, Creative. An image of skateboarder Fanda Šesták. The idea of capturing this shot snuck into my mind as a side effect from a campaign I produced based on an optical illusion called "forced perspective." It sounds like a pretty sophisticated technique, but it’s basically exactly what thousands of tourists do when "holding" the leaning Tower of Pisa, hoping to get a unique photo of their holiday in Italy. With a tool like forced perspective, I felt like I could push it a little further, bending reality and bringing the athlete into an absolutely surreal environment. #

Winner, Energy. An image of River Mutton riding Huka Falls in Taupō, New Zealand. This shot was not supposed to happen. River Mutton was supposed to leave for work but decided on one last run. I had already packed my gear away by the time they walked back up from the take-out point. Once they decided being late to work was worth it, it was a mad rush back down the river with my camera. It's never a good idea to turn down a potentially fantastic photo opportunity. I didn't have time to get to my normal spot, so instead I tried this angle. All of a sudden, the light popped like I had never seen before. Straight away, I knew this was going to work. #

Semifinalist, Lifestyle. On a trip for Globe, Dion Agius and I flew to Wales to stay with Taj Burrow for a week. The day we flew in, Taj told us that there could be some fun waves at a little slab near his place. It was quite small and a little bit out to sea, so I opted to shoot from the water. The weather quickly turned and a beautiful thunderstorm passed over us. I remember Taj paddling past me and wanting to capture the moment; after all, it wasn't every day I was shooting two of the world's best surfers by themselves. A lightning bolt happened to strike just as I pushed the trigger. Taj made a childish yelp, paddled back out, and the two traded three-foot tubes for the next hour. #

Winner, Emerging. Jack Nugent climbs near Bishop, California. My friends and I spent the winter of 2021 living communally in an assortment of vans and cars amid the Buttermilk’s monstrous granite boulders in Bishop, California. Our days looked like this: Wake up, drink coffee, go climb. With our bouldering season coming to a close, as the snow melted and thoughts of long Yosemite climbs loomed, Jack grew eager to test his fitness on Queen of Heartbreaks in Pine Creek Canyon. Before tying into the sharp end, Jack was clearly nervous. From the ground, the route’s 39 meters were daunting and blank. The holds remained obscured to me even as I ascended the fixed line to find the best position to shoot from. The sky darkened and the winds picked up as Jack stepped onto the climb for his on-sight attempt. Questing up the blank face, Jack found a cheeky no-hands rest. Doubt cleared from his face as I snapped the shot. Even as it started raining upward, Jack cruised to the chains. #

Finalist, Masterpiece. This image was taken while cave diving in the cave system in Yucatan, Mexico, in November 2019, specifically in the Otoch Ha cave. There are no rivers on the surface of the Yucatan Peninsula, and the water flows through an underground labyrinth of caves hundreds of kilometers long. As a result of geological development, when the caves were not flooded for a certain period of time, beautiful stalactite formations were created. This picture shows diver David Dušek in a blue-colored cave that resembles an eye, and it's just a small part of this diver's paradise. A total of five flashes were used to take this picture, two on the camera housing and three external flashes placed in the cave area. #

Winner, Raw. Playing with dust and light has always been one of my favorite ways to shoot mountain biking. It's such a random process, with the dust and light different in every situation. This particular section of trail in Fernie, British Columbia, was super steep, and local rider Dylan Siggers was in his element. This was his second or third time through this section, and by this try I had figured out exactly where he would be in the frame and captured the moment as he emerged from the dust perfectly. #

Finalist, Energy. I took this photo after living in the Philippines for a couple of years, a destination where I really honed in on my skills as a water photographer. The waves off Siargao Island can be perfect, often breaking in crystal-clear water. I always had this shot in mind at a particular surf spot, but knew it would take time to execute. The wave breaks exactly in line with the sunset for a shot like this to happen. I was simply waiting for all the elements to align: sunset, clean swell, clear water, and a talented surfer. I was so happy when I saw this on my camera after a long, long time trying. As the spot was fairly busy that evening, the surfer is actually unknown to me, which I feel adds to the mystical nature of the shot. #

Winner, Lifestyle. The shot "Surfmask" is part of a series I created with Peter Scherb in Munich in May 2020. I’ve always loved seeing Munich's Eisbach river-wave surfers all over the city. That's why we joined Andreas Müllner on one of his first sessions when the river wave reopened after lockdown in 2020. The shot shows him on his way to the Eisbach. #

Finalist, Masterpiece. The image shows Kaj Pandey walking on the first-ever highline established inside the Great Arch of Getu in Getu, Guizhou, China. It was part of an expedition led by James Xu, an outdoor educator for the nonprofit wilderness school NOLS, and Caroline Dignes, a professional aerialist and outdoor athlete. James, inspired by Jimmy Chin's image of two climbers rappelling the Great Arch, and Caroline, recognizing the potential of adventure sports as a form of art, combined their dreams to realize this adventure of a lifetime. This excursion allowed us to connect with and showcase local Chinese highline athletes, something often missing during trips of this nature. #

Winner, Innovation. In February 2020, we traveled to Siberia with Mammut Pro Team athlete Dani Arnold for a challenging expedition above the deepest lake on Earth, Lake Baikal. Siberian winters present difficult and fascinating conditions. The successful expedition involved moving from the lake’s expanse of ice to the vertical ice wall and opening 10 new climbing routes. We found favorable conditions, challenging Dani in his favorite ice climbing area. At this time of year, conditions are extreme, with temperatures as low as –31 degrees Fahrenheit (–35 degrees Celsius). Because we could only move around the frozen lake on a hovercraft, just the search for the perfect shot proved to be a unique adventure, with technical breakdowns at nightfall, exhaustion of fuel and heating. The first steps on the ice of the lake were impressive—to see clearly through the thick ice of the deepest lake in the world was an extraordinary and absolutely unforgettable experience. #

Finalist, Lifestyle. While working in Yosemite National Park during the summer of 2020, I was following the movements of the visible comet named Neowise. It was expected to peak in the middle of my workweek, but luckily a very motivated group of fellow employees was keen on experiencing the phenomenon. We wanted the best yet readily accessible vantage point possible and agreed on Mount Dana. This is the second-highest peak in the park and stands prominently over Mono Lake. After our shifts, we hiked up, took in the view, and caught the sunrise before heading down for our next workday. #