Caption: Sebastian Steudtner claimed the XXL Biggest Wave Award.
Credit: WSL/Mike Jones
LOS ANGELES, CA/USA (Friday, July 17, 2015) - All the best moments from the 2015 World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Awards are coming to US television audiences this Saturday, July 18 at 2 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT via ABC Sports and the World of X-Games.
Relive all the action from the gala ceremony at the Grove Theater in Anaheim on May 1, which honored the greatest rides of the last year and the tenets of the big wave community.
From a winter session at Jaws, Maui to a huge day in Nazaré, Portugal, the extraordinary weather conditions over the last year generated some outstanding winners from the world's best big wave surfers.
The WSL Big Wave Awards competition window ran from March 20, 2014 until March 20, 2015 with every wave ridden at every big wave break around the world in that period was eligible for consideration across seven diverse award categories.The five biggest or best in each of the categories were chosen by a panel of judges based on the photographic and video evidence, and the winners were crowned at the awards ceremony.
This year's event was highlighted by the official crowning of last season's WSL Big Wave Tour (BWT) Champion, Hawaiian Makuakai Rothman, who accepted via satellite from South America following his emphatic victory at the Quiksilver Ceremonial Chile at Punta de Lobos. Some 2,000 invited VIPs witnessed the awards ceremony in person and viewers worldwide tuned into the live streaming webcast of the entire proceedings.
2015 WSL Big Wave Awards Winners:
2014/15 ASP Big Wave Tour Champion: Makuakai Rothman (HAW)
Tube of the Year: Matahi Drollet
Photographer: Tim McKenna
Billabong Women's Best Overall Performance: Paige Alms (HAW)
Wipeout of the Year Award: Benjamin Sanchis (FRA)
Videographer: Michael Darrigade
Biggest Paddle: Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
Photographer: Frank Pompermayer
Surfline Best Overall Performance: Shane Dorian (HAW)
XXL Biggest Wave: Sebastian Steudtner (GER)
Photographer: Mike Jones
Billabong Ride of the Year: Shane Dorian (HAW)
Contact press@worldsurfleague.com for images of the winning rides.
US fans can tune in to ABC this Saturday, July 18 at 2 p.m. ET / 3 p.m PT to watch the world's best big wave surfers showcase their talents.