There would be a certain irony if Margaret River photographer Russell Ord was to win the Nikon Surf Photo of the Year Award on Thursday night for his image of WA gun Taj Burrow and big-wave specialist Mark Matthews audaciously sharing the same monster wave at The Right.
It's not that Ord doesn't think it's a cool snap - he truly appreciates the jaw-dropping nature of the moment he captured back on August 1 at the world-renowned break off WA's South West.
But the 40-year-old, who has never previously won the award, also believes it's nowhere near the best photo he's ever taken. In fact, he doesn't even reckon it was the best image he entered in this year's competition.
"I took a photo of Chris Ross last year out there [at The Right] which I thought was the best water shot I've ever taken - but it didn't even make the top 20," Ord reflected.
"I'm not surprised the photo of Taj and Mark made it [into the finalists] because I recognise what the photo is.
"I've seen guys out there - local guys - double tow-in on waves. But the thing with this image is that Mark is holding a camera and filming Taj in front of him.
"It's a really epic moment. But it's a moment that belongs to Taj and Mark. I didn't do anything, really to create it. I was just the right guy in the right place, at the right time
"To be honest, it was a pretty easy shot for me to get. I was sitting on a [jet] ski in a pretty safe channel. Red Bull were paying for me to be there so if I didn't get the shot I might have been in trouble."
The moment wasn't nearly as safe for Burrow or Matthews.
Burrow sustained a shoulder injury that would ultimately stop him competing in the Pipe Masters. Matthews suffered what he described as the worst wipeout of his career and emerged with a ruptured eardrum and facial cuts.
 
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Ord might have been a fair way from the action for the Burrow-Matthews madness but normally he has front row tickets at The Right, swimming around the wave zone of a break that enjoys a global reputation due to its size and heaviness.
"Normally I'm the only person out there swimming - the surfers are often better off than me because they're on their [jet] skis a fair bit of the time," Ord said.
"Part of the issue for me out there is hold-downs [by waves]. But then you start to think about what else might be swimming around the place and if it might be hungry. I've been buzzed [by sharks] a few times.
"The way figure it, there's a fair bit of noise and activity out there, from the skis and boats and that scares a lot of things away. That's the theory I'm sticking to, anyway."
Now a father, Ord doesn't think he'll have too many more seasons left swimming The Right. But he knows there will be at least one, as he puts the finishing touches on a documentary about the fearsome spot, the exact location of which remains carefully protected.
"It's going to show people what being in the water is actually like - hold downs and everything," he said.
"The reception so far to it has been really good."
The Nikon Surf Photo of the Year will be announced as part of the Australian Surfing Awards on Thursday night.
Interestingly, Chris Ross - on a ride photographed by Ord - won the biggest slab prize at the Surfing Life Oakley Big Wave Awards, the winners of which were announced on Wednesday.
Tasmanian-based West Australian Jarry Foster won the biggest wave award (and $20,000) for his efforts at another WA surf spot Cow Bombie.
By the way, if you'd like to compare Ord's self-assesed "best ever" shot of Ross with his top-20 shot of Burrow and Matthews, here it is:
