A surfing god rides The Cradle of Storms – Chris Burkard’s best photograph

This is Josh Mulcoy, the godfather of cold-water surfing, catching a wave in Alaska. The place is so windy and wild, it's known as The Cradle of Storms'

The Aleutian Islands are fabled in surfing. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, they're a raw chain of islands connecting Alaska to Russia. The area is known as The Cradle of Storms because it's so windy and wild.

Most of the islands are made up of tundra and there are big active volcanoes. This island, Umnak, is home to a very small Aleut community. I went there in 2013. The planning alone took two years. You need to be completely self-sustained. You need to charter a small plane and have enough food and supplies for your entire stay, with the means to charge all your equipment.