Behind A Famed Ride: Frame By Frame
![](https://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/servais-_curren_011-e1481684328844.jpg)
Tom Servais’ November 1991 photograph of a Tom Curren cutback is one of the best known images ever taken of a surfer and a wave. But what came before and after? These 15 images provided by Servais help fill in that picture for those interested in how a skilled surfer navigates one of the world’s best waves. The cutback made famous by Servais’ lens unfolds in frames 11-13. “His style is perfect, the turn is perfect and it’s smooth,” Servais said. “It’s just a lucky moment in time.”
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“Tom is one of the most stylish, smoothest surfers ever.”
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“Trying to get photos of him was hard because you never knew when he would show up. He tried to avoid the cameras.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_003-800x535.jpg)
“He was riding a board without any logos on it.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_004-800x537.jpg)
“It was 3:30 or 4 o’clock. It wasn’t like I went down to the beach with Tom Curren. I just happened to go down there and he just happened to be there.”
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“I shot with Canon cameras. Nikon had come out with this 600 millimeter lens that everyone thought was a really good lens.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_006-800x538.jpg)
“I was shooting Kodachrome 200 film because I liked how it looked in back lit conditions.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_007-800x536.jpg)
“It was a manual focused lens and manual exposure.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_008-800x536.jpg)
“With digital you have a lot more latitude and you can look at the photo on the back of the camera and can take test shots.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_009-800x537.jpg)
“Back in the film days it was experience and a little guess work.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_010-800x538.jpg)
“As a photographer we always liked it when they finished off the wave with a dramatic maneuver.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_011-800x536.jpg)
The cutback begins. “It is not that unusual to come out of a tube and see a nice shoulder and do a turn like that.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_012-800x538.jpg)
The cutback reaches its apex. “There is no photo of mine that has gotten more attention.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_013-800x537.jpg)
The cutback ends.
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_014-800x537.jpg)
A couple years ago Servais saw a video of this same sequence. “It’s over in three to four seconds.”
![](http://surftwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/©servais-_curren_015-800x538.jpg)
“The turn at the end happened so fast. I feel super lucky I got that photo.”