Epic Big Wave Surf Foiling in Nazare w/ Laird Hamiton, Terry Chung, Luca...

Moving at a speed where your mind slows things down to gain control... In early 2020 Laird Hamilton, Terry Chung, Luca Padua and Benny Ferris were out with top surfers across the globe in Nazare Portugal to surf waves that come about rarely, if ever. After extensive experimentation with setups and technique, this group was going to go after the breaks in Nazare in a different way, on surf foils that allow for an unreal speed on the water and an entirely new experience. Documented by Patrick Wieland, on custom classic foils engineered by the team at Lift Foils.

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Mick Fanning Awarded SIMA’s 2016 Waterman of the Year Honor

What more can we say about Mick Fanning that hasn’t already been said in the past 12 months? The world watched him escape an encounter with a shark mid-heat and never looked away – from losing his brother during a week that decided the world title, to his triumphant climb into the title race to begin with – just about everything Mick experienced in a very public light had to tug at your heart strings. Then he announced early in 2016 it had all added up to taking a much deserved year off from competition. Inevitably, the world still pulls for Mick, even if he’s not going to wear a jersey most of 2016.

Come August, Mick will be honored in Laguna Beach, California as the 2016 Waterman of the Year for SIMA’s 27th Annual Waterman’s Weekend.

“Mick has overcome some major hurdles in his life while working his way to the top of the sport” reads a press release announcing the honor. “From personal losses to suffering a complete hamstring tear in 2004 that sidelined him for six months. Then in 2015, while battling for a fourth world title, Mick infamously battled a shark in a heat during the J-Bay Open. Throughout it all, Mick has always shown the heart of a champion and represented surfing in the most positive way.”

Fanning joins a list that includes last year’s Waterman of the Year honoree, Stephanie Gilmore, as well as legends like Tom Carroll Tom Curren, Andy Irons, Gerry Lopez and Bruce Brown, to name a few.

Also being honored during the 27th Annual Waterman’s Weekend are big wave surfer Ramon Navarro as the 2016 Environmentalist of the Year, with the Lifetime Achievement Award going to Simon Anderson. The two-day fundraising event is expected to will support the SIMA Environmental Fund. The Waterman’s Ball itself attracts more than 600 people each year as is expected to raise close to $400,000 to benefit 18 different ocean conservation groups.

Greg Long at Puerto Escondido • 2014 Ride of the Year Award Winner / Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards

Different day paralleled in  greatness, BWWT champ grabbing rail on his backside for a healthy dose of

Puerto Escondido,. Photo: Billabong XXL | Edwin Morales

 

Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) is a Ride of the Year Award Winner for this wave at Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. Video by Mike Mortimer. A finalist in the 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards on May 2. For more info see the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com

 

Second Place: Shawn Walsh (HAW)
Third Place: Grant Baker (ZAF)
Fourth Place: Shane Dorian (HAW)
Fifth Place: Billy Kemper (HAW)

 

More from the 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards coming soon.

 



Surfing Elite in California for Friday's Bilabong XXL Big Wave Awards; Live Webcast Set

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - (May 1, 2014) - Anticipation is swelling as the best big wave surfers on the planet gather in Southern California ahead of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards this Friday, May 2. The gala ceremony will sweep into the Grove Theater in Anaheim where the greatest rides of the last year will be celebrated and over $120,000 in prize money will be awarded to event champions. Nominees run the gamut from established superstars like Hawaiian Shane Dorian and Californian Greg Long to emerging performers like Andrew Cotton of England and Gautier Garanx of the Basque Country of France.

Surfing in Alaska with photographer Scott Dickerson - GrindTV.com

When one mentions the term “boat trip,” visions of the Mentawais and swaying palm trees fill the minds of surfers. Well, most surfers. For a certain dedicated bunch, a boat trip is a chance to scour un-surfed coastline in a region better known for heli-skiing than surfing. Meet Alaska-based surfer and photographer Scott Dickerson. Dickerson and his pals have turned their focus away from palm-fringed beaches and toward soaring bald eagles and snow-covered peaks that dip into the Gulf of Alaska. Aboard the good ship Milo, these guys are on the front line of surf discovery in Alaska. Here’s their story.

What are some of the challenges to surfing in Alaska? It seems like the first one would be getting to the surf spots.
Most people assume the cold and extreme weather conditions would be the biggest hurdle to surfing in Alaska. If only it were that simple! Really the only time that the cold temps slow us down is when it’s so cold that freezing spray makes boating unsafe. Otherwise, as you suggested, the biggest challenge we face is accessing the waves, which are mostly tucked away in the endless miles of rugged wilderness coastline.

Have you ever had any encounters with the local wildlife, like orcas, bears, et cetera? Do you guys carry rifles to protect yourselves?
Everyone seems to like the idea of Alaskans being chased by hungry grizzly bears every time we step outside. It works good on reality TV, and fortunately that’s where it stays for the most part. We certainly take precautions to avoid unpleasant interactions with the local critters further up the food chain, but honestly your own surfboard in a closeout barrel is a lot more likely to cause you problems on a surf trip here than a bear. Occasionally sea lions will chase us out of the surf, and nobody really likes seeing killer whales up close when you are in the water. Bears don’t swim very often and we don’t spend much time on land, so we mind our own business. Camping is a different story …

Read more; Surfing in Alaska with photographer Scott Dickerson - GrindTV.com

Day 5 of the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) in Ecuador was “do or die”

Huge Upsets And Incredible Action From The Point To The Beach Break With The Worlds Best Juniors

Day 5 of the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) in Ecuador was “do or die” for many countries and athletes, as a 3rd or 4th place in the Repechage heats meant elimination from the world’s largest junior surfing competition.

Ireland’s Gearoid Mc Daid is staying alive in the Repechage, and representing his country proudly as the

only member of Team Ireland. Photo: ISA/Rommel Gonzales

Today witnessed huge upsets. Defending Boys U-18 Gold Medalist from the 2013 ISA WJSC, Josh Moniz (HAW) was eliminated from the contest. Another casualty was one of the event favorites, Noe Mar McGonagle from Costa Rica, who came close to a Gold Medal in 2012 and was chasing after the title in his last year as a junior.

Day 4 of the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) featured impressive action from the world’s top junior surfers / 2014 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

Brazil’ Edivelton Santos successfully landed a Kerrupt Flip, named after pro surfer Josh Kerr, and earned a 9.90, the highest single wave score of the contest thus far. Photo: ISA/ Michael Tweddle

Day 4 of the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) featured impressive action from the world’s top junior surfers. The competitors faced challenging conditions in this event, the largest Junior Surfing competition in the world with nearly 300 athletes, competing in front of two different judging podiums. Nonetheless, the talented surfers managed to post big scores with high performance aerial maneuvers.

Brazil’s Elivelton Santos posted a near perfect score of 9.90 landing a “Kerrupt Flip,” earning the highest single wave score in the contest thus far, and one of the highest total heat scores of the event with 15.57. The air performed by the Brazilian is a highly technical trick where the surfer completes an inverted air while holding both rails of the board and rotating 360 degrees in the air.

The athletes made the best of today’s variable surf on Podium 1. During the high tide, the surfers took advantage of the inside beach break, which was in the 2-3 feet range. Once the tide dropped, the outside point came alive with 150 yard-long rides, resulting in long peeling waves from the top of the point all the way to the beach.

THE WORLD’S BEST JUNIOR GIRLS TAKE OVER DAY 3 OF COMPETITION IN ECUADOR | 2014 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

Costa Rica’s Leilani McGonagle felt right at home in the long left point break like Pavones,

and dominated her heat in the Girls U-16. Photo: Rommel Gonzales

 

On Day 3 of the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, the world’s best junior girls took over the point at La Loberia (La FAE), in Ecuador.

Qualifying and Repechage heats took place today, and the first athletes in the World Championship were eliminated. The Repechage is a do-or-die round; if a surfer gets 3rd or 4th place, the athlete is out of the competition.

The surf conditions were challenging as the waves decreased to the 2-3 feet range. Surfline, the official forecaster, is predicting a solid swell will arrive and build through the final days of the competition, with 5-7 feet waves on the last day. However, today, most of the competitors opted for the inside beach break as the point break was inconsistent.

Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards Nominees Announced for Wipeout andPerformance - 2014 Awards Show is Coming on May 2nd

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - (April 7, 2014) - The nominees in three of the most popular categories of the 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards have just been revealed, adding to the momentum as the gala awards show approaches for big wave surfing's greatest annual eventon May 2. The top finalists for the Wipeout of the Year, the Surfline Best Overall Performance (male) and Billabong Women's Performance (female) awards can be viewed on the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com, and ballots are about to go out to the surfing world's top athletes, photographers and journalists this week to determine the winners. The nominees have already been unveiled for the Ride of the Year, XXL Biggest Wave, Biggest Paddle and Best Tube divisions, representing over $120,000 in prizes for the surfer and photographer winners.

In contention for the famed XXL Wipeout of the Year honors are five surfers at three notorious big wave breaks scattered around the world. Among this year's candidates are Shawn Dollar and Alex Martins who suffered spectacular malfunctions at their home break of Maverick's in Northern California, along with French Polynesian Alain Riou and Hawaiian Koa Rothman, who both went end-over-end at Teahupoo, Tahiti.  Rounding out the top five is Australian Jamie Mitchell - who parted ways with his surfboard during a try at what was probably the biggest paddle-in wave ever attempted in the history of the sport at Belharra Reef, France. 

Shawn Dollar drops a Best Wipeout vote into the ballot box at Maverick's. Photo by Paul Topp.

Once again, the surfing public will be able to have their opinion count in the selection of the winning wipeout by voting on Surfline.com. One third of the tally to determine the most spectacularly unsuccessful ride of the year will be derived from the Surfline poll over the next three weeks, with the balance of scoring coming from the elite academy of surfing experts ala the Oscar-style voting process. To review the nominees and cast your vote on Surfline, clickHERE. The nominees are also available by visiting the Wipeouts page of the XXL event website.

Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards - Europe and Hawaii Swells Top 2014Nominee List - Dorian, Baker, Rothman, Cotton & Burle Among Finalists

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - (April 1, 2014) - The nominees have been revealed for the 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, and - as expected - the focus is on the huge swells that hammered the European and Hawaiian coastlines and splashed big wave surfing across mainstream headlines worldwide. Nominees run the gamut from past champions like Shane Dorian of Hawaii, Grant Baker of South Africa and Carlos Burle of Brazil, all the way to emerging stars like Andrew Cotton of England, Gautier Garanx of France and Francisco Porcella of Italy. Portugal, Australia, California, Mexico and Tahiti are also well represented by either surfer nationality or surf spot location - making this the most international field in the 14-year history of the XXL event.

The Billabong XXL Awards competition window closed on March 19 with the start of spring, with every wave ridden at every big wave break around the world in the past 12 months up for consideration. The five biggest or best in each of the key categories have now been identified based on the photographic evidence, and the winners will be crowned at a gala awards show at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California on May 2, with over $120,000 up for grabs across seven diverse event categories. (Four are announced today, leaving the wipeout and two performance categories to be announced next week.) Photographs and video of all the nominated rides can be viewed by visiting the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

  

The extraordinary weather conditions of the last year have helped to push the spotlight back toward the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award (where jet-ski assisted tow-ins are allowed). The main beneficiary of the massive storm action this winter was Europe, where three different swells in three different months produced three strong nominees for the biggest wave of the year - Brazilian Carlos Burle and Englishman Andrew Cotton at Nazaré, Portugal plus the unheralded Basque surfer Gautier Garanx at Belharra, France. Also in the top five are a pair of waves from the first major tow day in Hawaii in half a decade, featuring Italian transplant Francisco Porcella and local legend Ian Walsh at Jaws on the island of Maui. Numerous media outlets have speculated that the existing Guinness World Record mark for the Largest Wave Ridden (Unlimited) of 78 feet could be in peril of falling once the judging process is completed.

ASP Australasia Junior Qualifying Series Prepares For French Polynesian Leg - ASP

The best junior (under 21) surfers from the Asia Pacific region are preparing for one of the toughest tests of the 2014 ASP Australasia Junior Qualifying Series, with back-to-back events in French Polynesia. The aspiring professional surfers will get a taste of the big leagues as they pack their bags and prepare to compete in world-class, powerful polynesian surf. This year's French Polynesian leg also sees the inclusion of an ASP 1-Star Qualifying Series (QS) event, the first in the region since the late and great Andy Irons won the Black Pearl Pro Teahupo'o in 1997.

The first event is the Rangiroa Pro Junior, held on a small atoll in the Tuamotu islands in French Polynesia, the surfers will compete at a powerful right-hand reef break that's capable of producing intense tube rides as it breaks over live, razor sharp coral.

2014 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards Season Ends; Nominees BeingDetermined, Awards Show is May 2

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - (March 20, 2014) - The end of winter has arrived today in the Northern Hemisphere, and thus concludes of the year-long event period of the 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. The annual competition celebrates the best and biggest moments in the sport at every surf break in the world over the last 12 months, all based on the action being caught on camera.

 

 

The nominees in seven award categories will be revealed before the end of March, and the gala awards presentation is set for Friday, May 2 at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California in front of an invitation-only crowd of 2,000. Currently, surfing fans can decide their own favorites among hundreds of still photos and video clips now on display on the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

 

Dimity Stoyle Spoils Surfest Hopes for Stephanie Gilmore at HunterPorts Women's Classic Today

Today was ladies day at Surfest Newcastle as the Hunter Ports Women's Classic ran through Rounds 3 and 4 of competition, leaving just 12 surfers in contention for the coveted event title. The surf was small, but offering clean sections for explosive turns for the surfers brave enough to take on the Merewether rock shelf.

Dimity Stoyle (Sunshine Coast, QLD/AUS) sent a warning shot to her fellow competitors that she's hungry to defend her Hunter Ports Women's Classic title. Winning this event last year set Stoyle up for the biggest competitive year of her life and by year's end she qualified for the elite ASP Women's World Championship Tour and will make her debut on the Gold Coast in less than two weeks. Stoyle posted the event's highest wave score 9.90 (out of a possible 10), and backed that up with a 9.27 and topped off her near-perfect heat by eliminating 5-time ASP Women's World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS).

"I'm really bummed that Steph (Gilmore) is out of the event, she's my favourite surfer." Stoyle said. "I went out and I wanted to get the best waves of the heat, I felt a little greedy. At the start of the heat I made sure that I sat where I wanted to and a good wave came. I was so happy that it worked, I paddled back out and the same thing happened again. It's hard to find the waves out there so I felt bad for everyone else in my heat, but I'm really happy to be through to the next round."

Pauline Ado (FRA) is in sizzling form at the Hunter Ports Women's Classic, posting excellent scores in every heat executing fast and critical turns. Ado has now advanced into the last round of competition before the Quarterfinals where she will face Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) and Alessa Quizon (HAW).

"It's been really cold and hard to train at home in France," Ado said. "It's great to be here in the warm sun and only wear a light wetsuit. It took me a while to get into a rhythm in that heat. I posted some big scores and then I felt confident, but towards the end Paige (Hareb) and Alana (Blanchard) started to get some good scores and then I started to stress again, but it all worked out. I would love to win this event, but right now I'm focussed on my next heat."

Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) used her powerful backhand attack to post two scores in the 8-point-range and claim an easy victory in Round 4 today. While some surfers struggled in the small surf conditions, Buitendag powered through her turns, to be one of the eight ASP Women's WCT surfers left in the 12 woman draw.

"Even though there's a bit of swell it's broken up by the wind, you really have to be in the right place at the right time," Buitendag said. "As you progress the rounds get more critical so it's good that there's swell coming. This is my third year at this event and I really enjoy it, I'm starting to recognise the roads and places I go. We're staying with a family just across the road, it's very cool, I feel very comfortable here."

For more information, live webcast and photos log on towww.surfest.com

Final Day of Volcom Pipe Pro Called on in Firing Barrels : ASP World Tour

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Wednesday, February 5, 2014) - Pumping barrels are in store for the final day of the Volcom Pipe Pro today, peaking midday in the 10-12 foot range. With winds out of the ESE, conditions are epic. The final is scheduled for approximately 3:30pm Hawaii time. Watch the action unfold LIVE at volcompipepro.com.

The Volcom Pipe Pro is a $130,000 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 5-Star Qualifying Series (QS) event and has drawn an exceptional international field who come for exactly this: the opportunity to compete at perfect Pipe.

A complete report (results, images, VNR) will be issued at the end of the day.

The official Volcom Pipe Pro website is www.volcompipepro.com, where you can watch the live HD webcast of the event as well as get up to the minute results, warrior info, daily recaps, videos, photos and much more.

Epic Surf Continues Global Onslaught in the 2014 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards -Updated

Andrew Cotton (North Devon, U.K.) drops into one of the biggest waves ever photographed

yesterday at Nazaré, Portugal. Photo by Bruno Aleixo. Click below to watch the video of the ride.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DZiLtmsYA0&list=UUqt4BRFOqI3z6Sjw6W6gtMQ&feature=c4-overview

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - (February 3, 2014) - The most extraordinary year ever in big wave surfing has gone
to yet another level as the latest swell (spawned by Winter Storm Brigid) has slammed Europe. United Kingdom surfer Andrew Cotton made the most of the opportunity, riding a wave at Nazaré, Portugal yesterday that has sent the internet ablaze with speculation that it might be the biggest of all time. Even Cotton himself believes it was larger than the one he rode at the same location in October during the "St. Jude's Storm" swell which already had placed him among the frontrunners for a Biggest Wave nomination in the 2014 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards presented by Pacifico.

Grant 'Twiggy' Baker wins Mavericks Invitational big-wave surfing contest | GrindTV.com

Grant “Twiggy” Baker in action during Mavericks Invitational; photo by Grant Ellis/Surfer magazine

 

For 24 of the world’s premier big-wave surfers, Friday was tumultuous and at times harrowing, but a day they would not have traded for anything.

The waves were massive, the drops almost sheer, the wipeouts brutal, and in the end Grant “Twiggy” Baker stood alone as champion of the Body Glove Mavericks Invitational at notorious Mavericks outside of Half Moon Bay, California.

More; Grant 'Twiggy' Baker wins Mavericks Invitational big-wave surfing contest | GrindTV.com

ORGANIZERS MONITOR WEDNESDAY SWELL FOR QUIKSILVER IN MEMORY OF EDDIE AIKAU

Above: The past week has seen Waimea Bay break on several occasions, with plenty of swell hitting Oahu's North Shore. Yesterday surfers enjoyed a 15-foot warmup session at the Bay with beautiful conditions. Photo: Quiksilver/Bielmann.

Waimea Bay, Oahu, HAWAII - (Monday, January 20, 2014) -- Organizers of the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave invitational at Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, will continue to monitor a giant swell forecast for this Wednesday, January 22, but only give the one-day competition a 50 percent chance of running at this stage. A final decision will be made by 5pm Hawaii time today.

 

"The size will definitely be there - approximately 40-foot wave face heights - but strong, adverse winds out of the WSW are a major limiting factor," said event organizer Glen Moncata, citing recently issued weather and ocean reports.

"Unfortunately it doesn't look like the size will hold into Thursday when winds are expected to be more favorable, but we will continue to monitor the system's development throughout today before making the final call this afternoon."

With a roster of invitees from international locations as far afield as Chile, South Africa, Australia and Europe, this afternoon's call will be the final determination for this week's big wave episode.

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is a one-day big wave event requiring waves face heights of around 40 feet (20-foot open ocean swell). The event was last held on December 8, 2009, when it was won by California's Greg Long, and has only been held a total of eight times in its 29-year history, adding to the event's mystique and prestige. It has until February 28, 2014, to run this winter if and when the combination of required wave face heights and rideable conditions arise.

Hercules Swell in Europe Unleashes Entries for 2014 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - (January 8, 2014) - One of the most famous storms in modern history has impacted Europe with massive waves, creating spectacular still and video images in the process. Much of the continent experienced out-of-control conditions, causing coastal damage and wreaking havoc from Gibraltar to Scotland, but a few surfers did capitalize on the opportunity to ride the waves the historic swell provided.

 The Facebook page for the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards served as a kind of real-time diary for the waves produced by Hercules over the last few days, starting with analysis of the storm forecast and observations of record-level winds and seas, to a gallery of the first maniacal waves crashing to shore, and finally to the best moments of actual surfing on top of the might of Hercules. The best of those action images are now entries in the 2014 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards presented by Pacifico which acknowledge the greatest rides from around the world throughout the year - as long as they were captured on camera.

The first image to be sent in to the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards of the Hercules swell as it hit the Azores islands out in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. photo: Antonio Araujo.

Huge Winter Storm Expected to Produce More XXL Waves for Europe

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - (January 3, 2014) - An extraordinary winter of massive waves in the North Atlantic may get even more extreme as the huge storm that blasted the Midwest and Northeast heads toward Europe over the weekend.

Dubbed "Winter Storm Hercules" by the media, the intense low-pressure system that dumped up to two feet of snow across New England and caused thousands of flight cancellations nationwide is forecast to continue its fury as it moves out to sea, generating swells in excess of 50 feet as it lashes toward Ireland.

"Since Portugal was hit with giant waves from the 'St. Jude's Storm' in the last week of October, the Atlantic Ocean has experienced what I would consider the most consistent string of radical storms seen in the modern era of big wave surfing," said Bill Sharp, Event Director of the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards presented by Pacifico. "Especially in the last month, it's been one huge swell after another and the parade of big wave images we have seen coming in from Ireland, Portugal, Spain and France is just unprecedented. And now, what may be the biggest swell of all is brewing out there. It's an exciting time for anyone who follows big wave surfing."

Europe has already experienced a string of massive swells in recent weeks, with some of the biggest waves arriving at Belharra Reef, France. Benjamin Sanchis in action. photo: Bastien Bonnarme.

Kelly Slater Wins Billabong Pipe Masters Over Vans Triple Crown Winner John John Florence : ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, December 14, 2013) - Kelly Slater (USA), 41, has won his 7th Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons after a day of incredible 10-to-15 foot (three to four metre) waves at Pipeline today. Slater defeated John John Florence (HAW), 21, in a hard-fought, 35-minute Final that ended with less than half-a-point separating the two. The runner-up finish for Florence saw him crowned 2013 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing champion.

The final day of the Billabong Pipe Masters capped off the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) season in fine style, with epic conditions providing the ideal backdrop for the crowning of Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, as the ASP World Champion. It also finalized the ASP Top 34 roster for 2014. Fanning finished third overall, defeated by Florence in their Semifinal.