BIG WAVE KINGS CROWNED AT 8TH BILLABONG XXL AWARDS

15 Apr 2008

Held in Anaheim, Calif., this year’s 8th annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards recognized Hawaiian surfer Shane Dorian with “Ride of the Year” and California native Mike Parsons with the “Surf’s Biggest Wave in History,” measuring more than 70 ft. The event, which drew about 2,000 surf fans, was held at the Grove Theater and is known as the Oscars of big wave surfing. This year, documentary footage of riders taking on the biggest and heaviest waves in Chile, Europe, South Africa, Australia, Hawaii, Mexico, California and French Polynesia were shown as part of the award ceremony.

Here are the official results for each category:

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD
(Surfer prize $50,000 - Video prize $5,000)
1st: Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on November 1, 2007. (Video by Gustavo Camarao)
2nd: Manoa Drollet (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on November 1, 2007.
3rd: Carlos Burle (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Ghost Tree, California on December 4, 2007.
4th: Ian Walsh (Paia, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on November 1, 2007.
5th: Michael Brennan (Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on January 14, 2008.

WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 and a Honda Aquatrax watercraft with HSA sled - Photo/video prize $4,000)
Mike Parsons (San Clemente, California, USA) at Cortes Bank off California on January 5, 2008. (Photo by Robert Brown)

WINNER MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 - Photo/video prize $4,000)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Todos Santos, Mexico on December 5, 2007 (Photos by Jeff Flindt)

WINNER MONSTER TUBE PHOTO AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $5,000 - Photography prize $2,000)
Manoa Drollet (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on November 1, 2007. (Photo by Jeff Flindt)

WINNER BEST MALE OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA)

WINNER BILLABONG GIRLS BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Maya Gabeira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)