The finalists for the 2010 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy, the Oscars of big wave surfing, were announced in California in the wake of one of the greatest years in surfing history.
South Africa’s Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker leads the field with three nominations, all coming for his outstanding performances at Mavericks in California in early February. The Durban based big wave charger is one of the five surfers in contention for the premier Billabong XXL Ride of the Year Award, which carries a prize of US $50 000 (approx. R370 000) for his perfect 10 point ride at the Mavericks Surf Contest.
Baker, who won the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave and the Surfline Best Overall Performance awards last year, is also a contender in the Monster Paddle Award ($15 000) and the Monster Tube Award ($5 000) in 2010.
And with the nominees for the Surfline Best Overall performance award and the Verizon Wireless Wipeout of the Year for this year due to be announced next week,
Baker could possibly scoop a total of five nominations. During 2009/10 awards period he won the Big Wave event in Chile and charged huge waves in South Africa, Hawaii, Mexico, at the Cortez Bank 160 kms off the coast of California and elsewhere while the wipeouts he took at Jaws on Maui in December have been described as some of the worst ever seen!
The winners will be announced on Friday, April 23, 2010 at the tenth-annual invitation-only awards gala at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California in front of 2,250 surf world VIPs. Chris Bertish (Cape Town) has been invited as a VIP after his amazing win at the Mavericks event in February. The entire night’s festivities will be webcast live on the event website and will also be the focus of a one-hour television special airing on the ESPN networks starting on the evening of May 18.
FIVE BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $50,000 – Video prize $5,000)
Grant Baker at Maverick’s, California on February 13, 2010.
Shane Dorian at Maverick’s, California on February 13, 2010.
Mark Healey & Shane Dorian at Waimea Bay, Hawaii on December 7, 2009.
Ramon Navarro (Pichilemu, Chile) at Waimea Bay, Hawaii on December 8, 2009.
Raimana Van Bastolaer (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on March 17, 2010
FIVE BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $15,000 and a Honda Aquatrax watercraft with HSA sled – Photo/video prize $4,000)
Ross Clarke-Jones at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 25, 2009.
Danilo Couto (Bahia, Brazil) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 25, 2009.
Makua Rothman (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 11, 2010.
