- WSL / Sean Rowland

Lemoore in September is hot. It goes north of one hundred degrees on most days with little relief from the wind. It's dry, too, and the combination of these elements create a one-of-a-kind vibe for a surf contest that's 100 miles from the coast.

But with the rhythmic churning of the wave train enveloping your senses, you get used to it pretty quickly.

Most of the photos that tend to come out of the Surf Ranch capture this sentiment. The color scheme is always warm with an orange glow, and surfers are rarely in wetsuits.

So, we thought it would be fun to strip it all down and see how it looked in all black and white. Take a new spin on a familiar palate. Transform that soft warmth into sharp contrast.

With that goal in mind, here are 9 of our favorite stripped-down photos from the past two years in Lemoore.

LEMOORE, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 17:  A wave goes unridden during a warm up session ahead of the 2018 Freshwater Pro on September 17, 2019 in Lemoore, United States. (Photo by Kelly Cestari/WSL via Getty Images) With over a decade of research and development, Kelly Slater Wave Company created arguably the best artificial wave in the world, and definitively the longest barrel. - WSL / Kelly Cestari LEMOORE, CA, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 19: Julian Wilson of Australia surfing in Heat 4 of Round 1 at the 2019 Freshwater Pro on September 19, 2019 in Lemoore, CA, United States. (Photo by Jackson Van Kirk/WSL via Getty Images) Julian Wilson launches above the lip at then Freshwater Pro in September of 2019. - WSL / Jackson Van Kirk Filipe Toledo (BRA) during his Qualifying Run 1 and 2 at the 2018 Surf Ranch Pro in Lemoore, CA, USA. Walking through a crowd and some cool mist, Filipe Toledo approaches the basin for the start of his heat at the 2018 Surf Ranch Pro. - WSL / Sean Rowland 6X World Champion and current Jeep Rankings Leader Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Conner Coffin (USA) enjoying an impromptu jam session in the locker room at the 2018 Surf Ranch Pro in Lemoore, CA, USA. 7x World Champion Stephanie Gilmore and Conner Coffin enjoying an impromptu jam session in the locker room in 2018. - WSL / Kelly Cestari
LEMOORE, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 16: Soli Bailey of Australia surfing a warm up session ahead of the 2018 Freshwater Pro on September 16, 2019 in Lemoore, United States. (Photo by Kelly Cestari/WSL via Getty Images) Soli Bailey of Australia surfing a warm up session ahead of the 2019 Freshwater Pro. - WSL / Kelly Cestari LEMOORE, CA, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 21: 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater of the United States and Italo Ferreira of Brazil surfing in the bonus round of the 2019 Freshwater Pro on September 21, 2019 in Lemoore, CA, United States. (Photo by Cait Miers/ Italo Ferreira signs the G.O.A.T. Kelly Slater's jersey after surfing together in the Bonus Round of the 2019 Freshwater Pro. - WSL / Cait Miers LEMOORE, CA, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 20: Defending event winner, Three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore of Hawaii surfing in Heat 3 of Round 1 at the 2019 Freshwater Pro on September 20, 2019 in Lemoore, CA, United States. (Photo by Kelly Cestari/WSL via During her Round 1 heat at the 2019 Freshwater Pro, Carissa Moore sits deep in a backside barrel. - WSL / Kelly Cestari LEMOORE, CA, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 19: Seven-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia surfing in Heat 1 of Round 1 at the 2019 Freshwater Pro on September 19, 2019 in Lemoore, CA, United States. (Photo by Kelly Cestari/WSL via Getty Images) Stephanie Gilmore stands out amoung the crowd in Lemoore, watching the waves before her heat. - WSL / Kelly Cestari
Bethany Hamilton (HAW) has a heat total of 9.26 points (out of a possible 20.00) after her Qualifying Run 1 at the 2018 Surf Ranch Pro in Lemoore, CA, USA. 2018 Surf Ranch Pro wildcard Bethany Hamilton stomps on the breaks for a backside barrel. - WSL
World Surf League
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