Words by John Streit. Photos by Jennifer Phan.

Tyler Balak’s back and on the attack! It’s been exhilarating to see one of our longest-tenured team riders return to form coming off of a knee injury that saw him miss a huge portion of the last year. If you know Tyler, then you know he wasn’t just going to sit around while on the mend. Ever the competitor, he used the down time to become a body-building contestant and enjoyed success — alongside fiance Jennifer Phan — on that circuit. Those gym rat ways resulted in Tyler maintaining his superior conditioning while strengthening his knee, which made for an easy transition back to the surf. He and Jennifer recently made a trip north to Ocean City, N.J. to chase Hurricane Eduardo’s swell and came back with a boatload of awesome photos that prove without a doubt that Balak’s back!

Tyler is amazing at blasting through sections that most others would avoid. 1 of 2. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 2 of 2. Photo: Phan.
Fins free and flared out. Photo: Phan.
Backhand floater. Photo: Phan.
The coast bends deep at Ocean City, N.J. Photo: Phan.
Tyler sticks it to an inside section, 1 of 4. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 2 of 4. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 3 of 4. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 4 of 4. Photo: Phan.
Taking flight in Jersey. Photo: Phan.
Another patented Tyler Balak layback gouge, 1 of 3. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 2 of 3. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 3 of 3. Photo: Phan.
A traditional wooden life boat in Ocean City, N.J. Photo: Phan.
From sunup to sundown, Tyler rips! Photo: Phan.
Tyler puts his knee to the test. It scored an A+. Photo: Phan.
No sections are safe, 1 of 4. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 2 of 4. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 3 of 4. Photo: Phan.
Tyler Balak, 4 of 4. Photo: Phan.
The boardwalk at Ocean City, N.J. Photo: Phan.
Tyler's frotnside finner. Photo: Phan.
Frontside air-to-lipslide. Photo: Phan.
On a dime. Photo: Phan.
Tyler signs off from the barrel. Photo: Phan.

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