From the uncrowded coasts of Tasmania comes these unridden waves, each of them untouched by the dirty hands of humans.

Here is the rest of my "Best of 2012" photos from a very productive year on the road.

Riley Laing is a 14-year-old grom from the NSW Central Coast who recently made headlines as

It was a year marked by consistency and highlighted by one of the most exciting title showdowns in a decade.

Yeah the barrel rides were OK and the world title biz was a mild distraction, but what the punters really want to see when Pipe is roaring is some Top 34 car

The whole East Coast is currently sweating in anticipation for a tropical cyclone and the swell it may deliver, forecast to be 4 to 5 foot at best.

This time yesterday the first lines in a very long time rolled around the Noosa points.

Here are some photos that appear to have all the evil elements in place: dark water, grey foreboding clouds and heaving misshapen barrels.

Last call for drinks. The party is almost over. And boy what shindig 2012 has been.

In the race for the title the dark horse has fallen by the wayside.

It was a fitting opening day for the final comp of the year. The comp that will decide the 2012 title.

"This is so much more than just a surf trip," mused Joe, a powerful natural footer from Maryland on the East Coast of the USA.

There's less than a week to go till the waiting period for the Pipeline Masters - the final event on the ASP World Tour - begins.

Sunset is a tricky beast of a wave at the best of times.

More photos from the Vans World Cup of Surfing. Reporting on the comp from here in Sydney has gotten all too much for me, I can't continue with the lies!

"It was the sort of session where you only caught a few waves, and you always felt like you were gonna snap your board."

Pretty much everyone in the world, including all the surf travel companies, say that the best and most consistent waves in the Maldives are in North and Sout

Mid-size Sunset doesn't translate to video very well - looks slow and shifty, it's the sort of wave you need to feel the power.