Throughout the year, some of the most courageous, highly trained and hardest-charging surfers in the world chase swells around the world, hoping for the best -- but prepared for the worst. They submit clips and photos of their sessions from the biggest waves in the world to the WSL's Big Wave Awards -- the veritable Academy Awards of big-wave surfing. April 29, the nominees and other luminaries of the sport will gather at the annual Big Wave Awards event to see who will take home the bucks, and the glory.
Without further ado, here are the nominees:
Billabong Ride of the Year
(Surfer prizes total $125,000 - Videographer prizes total $13,000)
Billy Kemper. - WSL
Ben Andrews (Morro Bay, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on November 9, 2016.
(Video by Curt Myers.)
Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 22, 2016.
(Video by Nuno Dias.)
Billy Kemper (Haiku, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 11, 2016.
(Video by Etienne Aurelius.)
Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland, Australia) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 24, 2016.
(Video by WSL Video Team.)
Francisco Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) at Nazaré, Portugal on February 28, 2017.
(Video by Javier Goya.)
Paddle Award Nominees:
(Surfer prize $30,000 - Photographer prize $5,000)
Ben Andrews at Maverick's. - WSL
Ben Andrews (Morro Bay, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on November 9, 2016.
(Photos by Michael Andrew and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Curt Myers.)
Trevor Sven Carlson (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 17, 2016.
(Photos by Rafael Elias, Vitor Estrelinha and Guilherme Soares. Video by Andreas Jansen.)
Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 22, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, André Botelho, Andrea Carminati, Pedro Cruz and Pedro Miranda. Video by Nuno Dias.)
Chris Mashburn (San Diego, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on January 26, 2017.
(Photos by Nikki Brooks, Silvin Morgan, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte. Video by Blakeney Sanford.)
Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland, Australia) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 20, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, André Botelho and Guilherme Soares. Video by WSL Video Team.)
TAG Heuer XXL Biggest Wave Award Nominees
(Surfer prize $25,000 - Photographer prize $5,000)
Francisco Porcella. - WSL
Trevor Sven Carlson (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 23, 2016.
(Photo by Vitor Estrelinha.)
Kai Lenny (Paia, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 8, 2016.
(Photos by Aaron Lynton and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Marcus Rodrigues.)
Francisco Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) at Nazaré, Portugal on February 28, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, Pedro Bala, André Botelho, Silvino Esperanca and Rafael Riancho. Video by Timelapse Media.)
Sebastian Steudtner (Nuremberg, Germany) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, Helio Antonio, Miguel Chaby, Rafael Riancho and Hugo Silva. Video by Timelapse Media.)
Hugo Vau (Terceira, Azores, Portugal) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Photos by Mauro Correia, Pedro Cruz and João Serpa. Video by Timelapse Media.)
Tube of the Year Award Nominees
(Surfer prize $10,000 - Still photography prize $5,000)
Dane Gudauskas (San Clemente, California, USA) at Cloudbreak, Fiji on May 23, 2016. (Photos by Pat Stacy and WSL Photo Team.)
Conor Maguire (Bundoran, Ireland) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland on March 15, 2017. (Photo by Conor Flanagan.)
Bradley Norris (Perth, W.A. Australia) at The Right, Western Australia on May 16, 2016. (Photos by Jamie Scott and Chris White.)
Dan Ryan (Margaret River, W.A. Australia) at The Right, Western Australia on May 16, 2016. (Photos by Trent Slatter and Chris White.)
Shanan Worrall (Margaret River, W.A. Australia) at The Right, Western Australia on May 16, 2016 (Photos by Jamie Scott and Chris White.)
TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year Award Nominees
(Surfer prize $5,000 - Videographer prize $2,000)
Tom Lowe. - WSL
Wilem Banks (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on January 26, 2017.
(Video by Curt Myers.)
Nathan Florence (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick's, California on January 26, 2017.
(Video by Blakeney Sanford.)
Danny Griffiths (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on June 16, 2016.
(Video by Dave Otto.)
Tom Lowe (St. Ives, Cornwall, United Kingdom) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Video by Nuno Dias.)
Rafael Tapia (Santiago, Chile) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Video by Nuno Dias.)
Surfline Best Overall Performance Award Nominees
(First prize $20,000, $53,500 total)
Jamie Mitchell. - WSL / Laurent Masurel
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa)
Pedro Calado (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Trevor Sven Carlson (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA)
Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Billy Kemper (Haiku, Hawaii, USA)
Nic Lamb (Santa Cruz, California, USA)
Kai Lenny (Haiku, Hawaii, USA)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA)
Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland, Australia)
Francisco Porcella (Sardegna, Italy)
Women's Best Performance Award Nominees
(First prize $15,000 , $32,500 total)
Bianca Valenti. - WSL / Kelly Cestari
Paige Alms (Haiku, Hawaii, USA)
Justine Dupont (Lacanau, France)
Keala Kennelly (Hanalei, Hawaii, USA)
Nicole Pacelli (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Bianca Valenti (Mill Valley, California, USA)
See more of the BWAs, including epic drops and falls, right here.
Big Wave Awards Nominations Are In
WSL
Throughout the year, some of the most courageous, highly trained and hardest-charging surfers in the world chase swells around the world, hoping for the best -- but prepared for the worst. They submit clips and photos of their sessions from the biggest waves in the world to the WSL's Big Wave Awards -- the veritable Academy Awards of big-wave surfing. April 29, the nominees and other luminaries of the sport will gather at the annual Big Wave Awards event to see who will take home the bucks, and the glory.
Without further ado, here are the nominees:
Billabong Ride of the Year
(Surfer prizes total $125,000 - Videographer prizes total $13,000)
Ben Andrews (Morro Bay, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on November 9, 2016.
(Video by Curt Myers.)
Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 22, 2016.
(Video by Nuno Dias.)
Billy Kemper (Haiku, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 11, 2016.
(Video by Etienne Aurelius.)
Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland, Australia) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 24, 2016.
(Video by WSL Video Team.) Francisco Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) at Nazaré, Portugal on February 28, 2017.
(Video by Javier Goya.)
Paddle Award Nominees:
(Surfer prize $30,000 - Photographer prize $5,000)
Ben Andrews (Morro Bay, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on November 9, 2016.
(Photos by Michael Andrew and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Curt Myers.) Trevor Sven Carlson (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 17, 2016.
(Photos by Rafael Elias, Vitor Estrelinha and Guilherme Soares. Video by Andreas Jansen.) Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 22, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, André Botelho, Andrea Carminati, Pedro Cruz and Pedro Miranda. Video by Nuno Dias.) Chris Mashburn (San Diego, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on January 26, 2017.
(Photos by Nikki Brooks, Silvin Morgan, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte. Video by Blakeney Sanford.)
Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland, Australia) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 20, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, André Botelho and Guilherme Soares. Video by WSL Video Team.)
TAG Heuer XXL Biggest Wave Award Nominees
(Surfer prize $25,000 - Photographer prize $5,000)
Trevor Sven Carlson (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Nazaré, Portugal on December 23, 2016.
(Photo by Vitor Estrelinha.)
Kai Lenny (Paia, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 8, 2016.
(Photos by Aaron Lynton and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Marcus Rodrigues.)
Francisco Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) at Nazaré, Portugal on February 28, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, Pedro Bala, André Botelho, Silvino Esperanca and Rafael Riancho. Video by Timelapse Media.)
Sebastian Steudtner (Nuremberg, Germany) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, Helio Antonio, Miguel Chaby, Rafael Riancho and Hugo Silva. Video by Timelapse Media.)
Hugo Vau (Terceira, Azores, Portugal) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Photos by Mauro Correia, Pedro Cruz and João Serpa. Video by Timelapse Media.)
Tube of the Year Award Nominees
(Surfer prize $10,000 - Still photography prize $5,000)
Dane Gudauskas (San Clemente, California, USA) at Cloudbreak, Fiji on May 23, 2016. (Photos by Pat Stacy and WSL Photo Team.)
Conor Maguire (Bundoran, Ireland) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland on March 15, 2017. (Photo by Conor Flanagan.)
Bradley Norris (Perth, W.A. Australia) at The Right, Western Australia on May 16, 2016. (Photos by Jamie Scott and Chris White.)
Dan Ryan (Margaret River, W.A. Australia) at The Right, Western Australia on May 16, 2016. (Photos by Trent Slatter and Chris White.)
Shanan Worrall (Margaret River, W.A. Australia) at The Right, Western Australia on May 16, 2016 (Photos by Jamie Scott and Chris White.)
TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year Award Nominees
(Surfer prize $5,000 - Videographer prize $2,000)
Wilem Banks (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on January 26, 2017.
(Video by Curt Myers.)
Nathan Florence (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick's, California on January 26, 2017.
(Video by Blakeney Sanford.)
Danny Griffiths (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on June 16, 2016.
(Video by Dave Otto.)
Tom Lowe (St. Ives, Cornwall, United Kingdom) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Video by Nuno Dias.)
Rafael Tapia (Santiago, Chile) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 24, 2016.
(Video by Nuno Dias.)
Surfline Best Overall Performance Award Nominees
(First prize $20,000, $53,500 total)
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa)
Pedro Calado (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Trevor Sven Carlson (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA)
Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Billy Kemper (Haiku, Hawaii, USA)
Nic Lamb (Santa Cruz, California, USA)
Kai Lenny (Haiku, Hawaii, USA)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA)
Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland, Australia)
Francisco Porcella (Sardegna, Italy)
Women's Best Performance Award Nominees
(First prize $15,000 , $32,500 total)
Paige Alms (Haiku, Hawaii, USA)
Justine Dupont (Lacanau, France)
Keala Kennelly (Hanalei, Hawaii, USA)
Nicole Pacelli (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Bianca Valenti (Mill Valley, California, USA)
See more of the BWAs, including epic drops and falls, right here.
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