NAZARÉ CHALLENGE 2016

While John John was reigning victorious at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, the big wave surfers were further up the coast taking on Nazaré.
Courtesy: Turismo do Centro de Portugal

Twig Takes the Puerto Escondido Challenge

Grant 'Twiggy' Baker of the South Africa (pictured) wins the final after scoring a perfect 10-point ride for riding an enomrous tube during the final of the Puerto Escondido Challenge in Mexico on Saturday June 25, 2016. Thirty foot waves (ten meter) waves poured into Puerto Escondido that saw the Big Wave World Tour Puerto Escondido Challenge resume in Mexico on Saturday June 26, 2016. PHOTO: © WSL / Morales Social: @wsl @moralesedwin This image is the copyright of the World Surf League and is provided royalty free for editorial use only, in all media now known or hereafter created. No commercial rights granted. Sale or license of the images is prohibited. This image is a factually accurate rendering of what it depicts and has not been modified or augmented except for standard cropping and toning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Grant “Twiggy” Baker (ZAF) claimed victory today at the Puerto Escondido Challenge, besting a field of 24 of the world’s best big wave surfers in towering 20-to-35 foot surf off the coast of Mainland Mexico’s Puerto Escondido.

The first event of the 2016/17 World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Tour (BWT), the Puerto Escondido Challenge, tested the top big wave chargers with enormous and difficult beachbreak conditions. A solid swell from the South Pacific delivered massive surf over two days for the inaugural BWT event at the exceptionally powerful beachbreak known as “The Mexican Pipeline.”

Baker, 2013/14 BWT Champion, put on a stunning performance in Mexico, storming to victory in the Semifinals before his impressive showing in the Final.

“Yesterday was pretty difficult out there so I didn’t have a great heat but I made it through,” said Baker. “This morning when I woke up and saw it was my favorite size for Puerto and I was so happy.”

The South African showcased technical and precise surfing throughout the Final. Baker captured early control over the field and continued to solidify his lead with incredible rides. Baker locked in multiple excellent-range scores, but it was the perfect 10.00 awarded for escaping a massive tube that cemented his victory. Baker’s final combined score was an impressive 27.50 out of a possible 30.

“I’ve been coming here for 20 years and I love it,” continued Baker. “The waves are amazing and I want to thank all the locals for being so hospitable and making us feel so welcome. To my wife and baby at home, this one’s for you.”
Grant 'Twiggy' Baker of the South Africa (pictured) is the 2016 Puerto Escondido Challenge winner after scoring a perfect 10-point ride for riding an enomrous tube during the final of the Puerto Escondido Challenge in Mexico on Saturday June 25, 2016. Thirty foot waves (ten meter) waves poured into Puerto Escondido that saw the Big Wave World Tour Puerto Escondido Challenge resume in Mexico on Saturday June 26, 2016. PHOTO: © WSL / Heff Social: @wsl @tonyheff This image is the copyright of the World Surf League and is provided royalty free for editorial use only, in all media now known or hereafter created. No commercial rights granted. Sale or license of the images is prohibited. This image is a factually accurate rendering of what it depicts and has not been modified or augmented except for standard cropping and toning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Baker came into the event as an injury wildcard and his winning performance will kick off his 2016/17 BWT Title campaign with 12,500 points and first place on the BWT rankings.

Baker’s fellow finalists represented elite competitors of the big wave community, including Greg Long (USA)Pedro Calado (BRA)Carlos Burle (BRA)Will Skudin (USA) andMakuakai Rothman (HAW).

Greg Long of the USA (pictured) finished second in the final of the Big Wave World Tour Puerto Escondido Challenge after riding an enomrous tube during the final of the Puerto Escondido Challenge in Mexico on Saturday June 25, 2016. Thirty foot waves (ten meter) waves poured into Puerto Escondido that saw the Big Wave World Tour Puerto Escondido Challenge resume in Mexico on Saturday June 25, 2016. PHOTO: © WSL / Morales Social: @wsl ©moralesedwin This image is the copyright of the World Surf League and is provided royalty free for editorial use only, in all media now known or hereafter created. No commercial rights granted. Sale or license of the images is prohibited. This image is a factually accurate rendering of what it depicts and has not been modified or augmented except for standard cropping and toning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Greg Long (USA), two-time BWT Champion, captured second place at the event. Long’s chances were in doubt during the Semifinals when he had yet to catch a wave with five minutes left in the hour-long heat, but his experience at Puerto Escondido let him catch a single excellent-range wave at the last minute which was enough to put him through to the Final over other competitors with two lesser rides. Long’s runner up finish in the Final puts him in  2nd on the leaderboard and in position to defend his existing WSL Big Wave Title.

“I am happy with my result here in Puerto Escondido,” Long said. “I had a couple of really fun waves. I had to work hard for them, but it was worth it. I have a special place in my heart for Puerto Escondido. I came down here for the first time when I was 17-years-old and I am 33 now and I have literally not missed a big swell. This event was pretty spectacular by all accounts and one of the top days I’ve ever surfed.”

Pedro Calado (BRA) charged throughout the contest to capture the third place position. The young Brazilian cemented his reputation as the best teenage big wave surfer in the world,  demonstrating commitment and fearlessness as he charged through heavy barrels and dispatched top-seeded competitors.

2009/10 BWT Champion Carlos Burle (BRA) rode three waves in the Final for a 16.87 heat total and fourth place.

Will Skudin (USA) finished in fifth place with a 12.97 heat total in the Final. Skudin, a native of Long Beach, New York, carries the torch for America’s East Coast onto the top ranks of the Big Wave Tour in 5th place on the leaderboard.

Last year’s BWT runner-up and 2014/15 BWT Champion, Makuakai Rothman (HAW), suffered an injury twenty minutes into the Final and was not able to come back to the competition. Rothman charged through a deep, heavy barrel, but was wiped out by a powerful wall of water. Rothman was in fine form in Mexico for this event, winning both his Round 1 and Semifinal heats. Rothman will walk away with a 6th place finish and takes 6th on the BWT rankings.

“I just want to apologize for not being able to put on a show for all the folks at home,” Rothman said. “I did my best and I was trying to represent Hawaii. I just went up and over the falls, and my ten-foot-board hit me in the ribs. Thank you to the WSL, this was a great call. Thank you to all the fans out there who make this possible for us and make it possible for us to live our dreams.”

Local wildcards Jimel Corzo and Rogercin Ramirez (MEX) suffered Semifinal eliminations today after a strong performances yesterday. Corzo put up a hard fight until the dying minutes of the heat, but could not close the 2.44 point gap required to advance. Ramirez caught two massive rides in the opening Semifinal heat, but his effort was not enough to make it through to the Final.

Jamie Mitchell (AUS), who gained entry into the 2016/17 BWT as a WSL Big Wave Awards Performer of the Year nominee, suffered a Semifinal elimination today after a stunning Round 1 performance. Mitchell, who posted the best heat score of the event in Round 1 Heat 4, a near-perfect 29.03, but was eliminated in his Semifinal against Rothman, Calado and Burle.

Two events, the Quiksilver Punta de Lobos Challenge in Chile and the Billabong Pico Alto Challenge Peru remain in the Southern Hemisphere window with potential to run, conditions permitting, before the August 31st close of the window.

Puerto Escondido Challenge Final Results:

1 – Grant Baker (ZAF) 27.50
2 – Greg Long (USA) 25.03
3 – Pedro Calado (BRA) 24.77
4 – Carlos Burle (BRA) 16.87
5 – Will Skudin (USA) 12.97
6 – Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 7.66

Puerto Escondido Challenge Semifinal Results:
Semifinal 1: 
 Grant Baker (ZAF) 26.34, Will Skudin (USA) 16.07, Greg Long (USA) 16.00, Kai Lenny (HAW) 14.74, Albee Layer (HAW) 13.41, Rogercin Ramirez (MEX) 10.83

Semifinal 2: Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 22.33, Pedro Calado (BRA) 21.01, Carlos Burle (BRA) 13.63, Jimel Corzo (MEX) 14.83, Jamie Mitchell (AUS) 13.74, Rusty Long (USA) 11.46

The 2016/17 BWT season is divided into Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere components hosting three possible events within each. The Southern Hemisphere window runs from April 27 to August 31, 2016 with event options in Mexico, Chile and Peru. The Northern Hemisphere window runs from October 15, 2016 to February 27, 2017 with event options in Portugal, Hawaii and Mexico.

2016/2017 WSL Big Wave Tour Schedule:
Southern Hemisphere: April 27 – August 31, 2016
Puerto Escondido Challenge: Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Quiksilver Punta de Lobos Challenge: Punta de Lobos, Chile
Billabong Pico Alto Challenge: Pico Alto, Peru

Northern Hemisphere: October 15, 2016  – February 28, 2017
Pe’ahi Challenge: Haiku, Hawaii
Todos Santos Challenge: Todos Santos, Mexico
Nazaré Challenge: Nazaré, Portugal

WSL Big Wave Award Winners!

Keala Kennelly of the USA
The world’s best big wave surfers hit the red carpet in Southern California last night for the 2016 World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Awards. The 16th annual awards gala at the The Grove Theater in Anaheim celebrated the greatest rides of the past year and honored the icons of the big wave community.
Accolades and awards were handed out to those who have demonstrated the highest performance of big wave surfing, ranging from barrels to wipeouts. During the yearlong window, submissions poured in from breaks around the world.

Shane Dorian, one of the world’s most decorated Big Wave surfers, secured the Billabong Ride of the Year Award, as well as the Surfline Men’s Overall Performance of the Year Award. Dorian, after a celebrated career on the elite WSL Championship Tour in the 1990s, transitioned into the big wave community and became one of the most celebrated big wave surfers of all time. Last night’s awards further cement Dorian’s place in surfing history.
Shane Dorian of the USA.
“Thank you first of all to Surfline and WSL for this,” Dorian said after winning the Surfline Men’s Overall Performance Award. “It is a huge honor as this is probably the hardest award to win and probably the most prestigious because it is not based on one wave or one session. Just to be nominated with these guys is incredible to me. I thought that all nominated had standout seasons. It was just an amazing season, a lot of people had a lot of opportunities, and I’m extremely grateful.”

Aaron Gold of Hawaii
Other big winners of the night included Aaron Gold, who secured the Best Paddle Award for his ride at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii. Gold’s award winning ride has broken the record for the biggest wave ever paddled into, with a wave height of 63 feet, surpassing the previous record set by Shawn Dollar at Cortes Bank. Yuri Soledade won the TAG Heuer XXL Biggest Wave Award for his ride at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii. Niccolo Porcella earned the TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year Award for his over-the-falls drop at Teahupoo, Tahiti.
Keala Kennelly of the USA.
Along with the unforgettable honors awarded during the event, Keala Kennelly continued the trend by winning the Pure Scot Barrel of the Year Award for her massive tube ride at Teahupoo, Tahiti. Kennelly’s win marks an historic moment at the 16th year of the Big Wave Awards, with the first time a woman has won in the category, or in any open-gender category.

“When I was a little girl, I kept getting told I could not do things because I was a girl,” Kennelly said. “I was told that women can’t surf, and I was told this about getting barreled, surfing big waves, surfing Pipeline, paddling in a Jaws, and the list goes on. So who I really really want to thank is everyone who told me you can’t do that because you’re a woman. Because that drove me to dedicate my life to proving you wrong and it’s been so damn fun.”
Andrea Moller of Brasil
Andrea Moller stood out amongst the women’s field this year to take home the Women’s Best Performance Award. This win marks Moller’s first victory in this category.

“This award means a lot to me,” Moller said. “This was the greatest winter, so to win the Women’s Performance of the Year and catch some of the biggest waves ever is an honor. I almost feel like I have waited ten years to be here. I even changed my priorities as I went to school and became a paramedic. When I came back to surfing, it was not to win an award, it was for pure fun. This winter was definitely all about fun, and was also a season that pushed me to a new level.”
The 2015/2016 WSL Big Wave Tour (BWT) Champion, Californian Greg Long, was crowned at the event. This achievement marks the Californian’s second championship win, after securing his first Big Wave Title in 2012. Long competed in two Big Wave Tour events – the Peah’i Challenge in Maui and the Todos Santos Challenge in Mexico – where his Finals’ berths garnered him enough points to best one of the most competitive fields in history.

“I can’t say enough how lucky and grateful I feel everyday to have the opportunity to surf and travel the world and meet such incredible and inspiring people,” Long said. “Every winter I say at the end of it ‘how does it ever get bigger or better?’ I know that I’m around the most incredible people in the world. This sport is only going forward to greater heights.”

2016 WSL Big Wave Award Winners:

Billabong Ride of the Year: Shane Dorian
Videographer: Dan Norkunas
Paddle Award: Aaron Gold
Photographer: Brent Broza
TAG Heuer XXL Biggest Wave Award: Yuri Soledade
Photographer: Jimmie Hepp
Pure Scot Barrel of the Year Award: Keala Kennelly
Photographer: Tim McKenna
TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year Award: Niccolo Porcella
Videographer: Tim Pruvost
Surfline Men’s Overall Performance Award: Shane Dorian
Women’s Best Overall Performance Award: Andrea Moller
2015/2016 WSL BWT Champion: Greg Long (HAW)
Aaron Gold of Hawaii
The WSL Big Wave Tour commences its 2016/2017 season on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. For more information log onto WorldSurfLeague.com.

Which Is The Worst Wipeout?!?

The wipeout of the year award is a hell of a battle. Watch the clip and try and make a call, it’s flipping hard.

Garrett’s Mav’s beasting damaged him, unsurprisingly, but will it be the winner on the night? All five contenders are brutal as hell…

Let us know your pick on the social: Twitter/Instagram/Facebook.

WSL PRESS RELEASE

The remaining nominations for the 2016 World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Awards have been released, with video of the five most spectacular wipeouts of the year leading the way along with the top overall performer lists for men and women. This year’s event features over $250,000 in total prize money, and with four categories already public, the highly anticipated TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year, the Surfline Best Overall Performance, and the Women’s Best Overall Performance award nominees have been announced today.

The performance awards acknowledge the top ten men and top five women over the course of the last 12 months based on every ride captured on video or still images all around the world. Shortlisted surfers include big wave heavyweights Shane Dorian, Keala Kennelly and Mark Healey, as well as the 2015/16 Big Wave Tour Champion, Greg Long. The nominations also include up-and-comers Will Skudin, Kai Lenny and Emi Erickson. Photographs and motion pictures of all the Surfline Overall and Women’s Best Performance nominated surfers can be viewed at WorldSurfLeague.com/BigWave.

While the performance categories salute the most successful rides of the past year, the TAG Heuer Wipeout division presents the most amazing unsuccessful rides for online review. Video of the modern surfing’s greatest aquatic mishaps has become a popular viral staple among surfing fans worldwide, often attracting millions of views and taking its place as a good-natured fixture in the Big Wave Awards proceedings.

“Since the first surf movies of the 1950s, celebrating the best wipeouts of the year has been a time-honored tradition in the surfing community,” said Bill Sharp, event director for the WSL Big Wave Awards.  “It’s not a category anyone intentionally sets out to win, but at the end of the season the surfers themselves appreciate being honored for showing their mettle even if it went wrong along the way. This El Niño year produced the best big waves in history and you can probably say the same thing about the TAG Heuer Wipeout nominees — most of them have become internet sensations individually, but all five together are two minutes of magnificent mayhem and must be seen to be believed. It might be hard to fathom, but all the nominees came through their ordeals OK and will be happy to be joining us at the awards show.”

The 16th annual WSL Big Wave Awards competition window ran from March 21, 2015 through March 15, 2016. Every wave ridden at every big wave break around the world in this period was eligible for consideration across seven categories. Now that the nominees have been selected, several judging panels will review the photographic and video evidence and determine the final placings. This year, more magnitude than ever rides on the Surfline Overall Performance rankings as the four highest-placing surfers not already qualified will gain seeded spots on the 2016/17 WSL Big Wave Tour which spans six one-day events in locations around the globe.

The winners will be crowned at a gala awards show at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California on April 23.

The TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year Award goes to the surfer who displays the most committed — yet least successful — wave of the event window. Truly epitomizing the courage needed for big wave surfing, the surfers nominated for this accolade show no shortage of heart and commitment. The winner of this award will receive $3,000 and the videographer who captured the wipeout will receive $2,000. Two of the five wipeouts took place at the Maverick’s California during some of the most massive El Niño winter swells, including Matt Becker, the young charger from Santa Barbara, California, and Garrett McNamara from Hawaii. Pedro Calado joins this year’s shortlist with a massive nosedive at Puerto Escondido, Mexico, as well as Niccolo Porcella for his over-the-falls drop at Teahupoo, Tahiti. Rounding out the nominations is Tom Dosland for his must-watch-tethered-dangle at Jaws, Maui.

TAG HEUER WIPEOUT OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES:
(Surfer prize $3,000  –  Videographer prize $2,000)
Matt Becker (Santa Barbara, California, USA) at Maverick’s, California  on February 4, 2016. (Video by Dan Norkunas.)
Pedro Calado (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on May 3, 2015. (Video by Daniel Balbuena.)
Tom Dosland (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 27, 2016. (Video by Bruno Lemos.)
Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick’s, California on January 7, 2016. (Video by Chris Wilson)
Niccolo Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 22, 2015. (Video by Tim Pruvost.)

xxl_logo_final

 

For more information, log onto WorldSurfLeague.com.

WSL Big Wave Award Nominees Announced

Mark Mathews at The Right, Australia on June 26, 2015. Photo by Jack Sherrifs. An entry into the 2016 Tube Award category.

Short version: the WSL Big Wave Awards are going to be hard fought this year… Tom Butler has been nominated for an Mullaghmore keg as shot by Ian Mitchinson and progress indeed as Keala has been nominated along with the men as it’s now ‘unisex’. Which is awesome news.

WSL PRESS RELEASE

The 2016 World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Award nominees have been announced following an historic El Niño winter, which delivered colossal waves and challenged surfers from around the world to push the limits of big wave surfing. The rides in this year’s nominations span across world renowned breaks, from heavy barrels at Teahupoo, Tahiti to monstrous waves at Jaws, Maui. The 2016 nominees demonstrated outstanding performances across a diverse assortment of award categories.

Shortlisted surfers include 2015/16 Big Wave Tour Champion, Greg Long, as well as past Big Wave Award recipients Shane Dorian, Mark Healey, and Keala Kennelly. Kennelly, who received the Overall Women’s Performance Award in 2014, is the first female to be nominated for an open gender category. The nominations also include up-and-comers Nathan Florence and Albee Layer.

“There was a lot of hype around El Niño this year, and as far as the big wave community is concerned, it delivered and then some,” said Bill Sharp, Event Director of the Big Wave Awards. “Not only were there extraordinary episodes of historically large surf, this time around the best surfers were able to handle it as it came and the results speak for themselves. I think anyone who’s been watching thinks there is a big chance records will be set when the results are in.”

“This is a historic day for women’s surfing as it’s the first time a female has been nominated for a unisex Big Wave Award category with Keala Kennelly’s historic tube at Teahupoo,” continued Sharp. “This has nothing to do with affirmative action or special divisions, she is nominated for the 2016 Pure Scot Barrel of the Year Award because she simply pulled into one of the heaviest waves ever seen. Just look at the photos and no further explanation is required.”

The WSL Big Wave Awards competition window ran from March 21, 2015 through March 15, 2016. Every wave ridden at every big wave break around the world in this period was eligible for consideration across seven categories. A panel of judges chose the five best rides in each of the categories based on photographic and video evidence.

This year’s event features over $250,000 in total prize money to be allotted across the categories along with TAG Heuer watches for winners. In addition to the four categories announced today, the popular TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year, Women’s Performance and Surfline Overall Performance Awards finalists are yet to be revealed and will be announced on Tuesday, March 29, 2016. Photographs and video of all the nominated rides can be viewed at WorldSurfLeague.com/BigWave.

The Billabong Ride of the Year is awarded to the surfer who demonstrates the most advanced and committed level of big wave surfing during a successful ride, as judged by available video-footage. While raw size is taken into consideration, it is ultimately the level of performance that is rewarded. The category carries the biggest prize of the Big Wave Awards with $60,000 for the winner, $15,000 for second place, $10,00 for third, $5,000 for fourth and $3,000 for fifth place. The first place videographer will receive $6,000, and second through fifth place videographers will receive $750. The Hawaiian surfers dominated the Billabong Ride of the Year nominations for this category, with all five finalists hailing from the Aloha State. Three of the five nominated rides took place during an epic winter at Jaws, Maui including entries from 2013 Ride of the Year winner Shane Dorian (who has a second nomination in the category from Jaws) and Albee Layer, who took second place at the 2015 Big Wave Tour Pe’ahi Challenge. Tyler Larronde secured a nomination from his massive ride at Maverick’s, California. The remaining nominee, Nathan Florence, earned his selection on a heavy ride at Teahupoo, Tahiti.

BILLABONG RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
Surfer prizes total $93,000  –  Videographer prizes total $9,000
Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 6, 2015 (Video by Ryan Moss.)
Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on February 10, 2016. (Video by Dan Norkunas.)
Nathan Florence (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on May 28, 2015. (Video by Tim Bonython.)
Tyler Larronde (Haiku, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick’s, California on February 4, 2016. (Video by Josh Pomer.)
Albee Layer (Haiku, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on February 25, 2016. (Video by Elliot Leboe.)
Aaron Gold at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 15, 2016 (3/5).
The Paddle Award goes to the surfer who paddles into and successfully rides the biggest wave of the year. The winning surfer will receive $25,000 and the $5,000 will go to the photographer who captured the ride. This year’s nominees showcased an incredible display of big wave surfing with rides at Maverick’s, California from local Ben Andrews and Nicaraguan Manny Resano. Brazilian Pedro Calado and Hawaiian Aaron Gold earned their nominations with giant rides at Jaws. Hawaiian Mark Healey, Big Wave Tour veteran, secured his nomination on a towering left at Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
PAD16NOM_PCaladoJawsJan15Servais
PADDLE AWARD NOMINEES:
Surfer prize $25,000 – Photographer prize $5,000
Ben Andrews (San Francisco, California, USA) at Maverick’s, California on February 4, 2015 (Photos by Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte. Video by Larry Haynes.)
Pedro Calado (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 15, 2016. (Photos by 808Photo.me, Brent Bielmann, Brian Bielmann, Wangdu Hovey and Tom Servais. Video by Dan Norkunas.)
Aaron Gold (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 15, 2016. (Photos by 808Photo.me, Brent Bielmann, Brent Broza, Aaron Lynton and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Elliot Leboe.)
Mark Healey (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on May 3, 2015. (Photos by Nikki Brooks, Ben DeCamp, Astrid Fonseca and Edwin Morales. Video by Jaciel Santiago.)
Manny Resano (Playa Popoyo, Nicaragua) at Maverick’s, California on December 7, 2015. (Photos by Sachi Cunningham, Benjamin Ginsberg and Frank Quirarte. Video by Rafael Sauro.)

The TAG Heuer XXL Biggest Wave Award goes to the surfer who, by any means available, catches and rides the biggest wave of the year. The winner will receive a $20,000 prize, along with a $4,000 TAG Heuer Watch. The photographer of the ride will receive a $5,000 prize. Finalists include rides from Pedro Scooby, Garrett McNamara and Mick Corbett at Nazaré, Portugal across the entry window. Two of the five nominated rides took place on February 25, 2016 at Jaws, Maui including entries from Niccolo Porcella and Yuri Soledade.
McNamara Aleixo Nazare
TAG HEUER XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD NOMINEES:
Surfer prize $20,000 – Photographer prize $5,000
Mick Corbett (Perth, WA, Australia) at Nazaré, Portugal on February 19, 2016. (Photo by André Bernardo.)
Garrett McNamara 
(Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Nazaré, Portugal on November 1, 2015.
(Photos by Bruno Aleixo, André Botelho, Vitor Estrelinha, Jorge Figueira and Manuel Ricardo. Video by Timelapse Media.)
Niccolo Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on February 25, 2016. (Photos by Erik Aeder, Rick Dombrowski, Dooma Photos, Paul Karaolides and Zack Williams. Video by Marcus Rodrigues.)
Pedro Scooby (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 27, 2015. (Photos by Bruno Aleixo, Helio Antonio, Vitor Estrelinha, Pedro Miranda and Hugo Silva.  Video by André Callado.)
Yuri Soledade (Haiku, Maui, Hawaii) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on February 25, 2016. (Photos by Brian Berkowitz, Jimmie Hepp, Elliot Leboe, John Patao and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Elliot Leboe.)
Mick Corbett at Nazare, Portugal on February 19, 2016 (A). Photo by Andre Bernardo. A TAG Heuer XXL Biggest Wave entry.
WSL
The Pure Scot Barrel of the Year is awarded to the surfer who rides the single most spectacular tubing wave of the year. This award is judged on the impact generated by still photographs. The winner will receive $10,000 and $4,000 will go to the photographer. Greg Long, 2015/16 Big Wave Tour Champion, received a nomination for his heavy tube at the 2015 Pe’ahi Challenge. Keala Kennelly pulled into a massive barrel at Teahupoo, Tahiti to solidify her nomination and make her the first female to be nominated for an open gender category. Mark Mathews received a nomination for his ride at the Australian slab, The Right. Big Wave Tour competitor, Ian Walsh received a nomination for his colossal ride at Jaws. Tom Butler charged Ireland’s Mullaghmore Head and received a nod for his gigantic barrel at the infamous European big-wave break.

PURE SCOT BARREL OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES:
Surfer prize $10,000 – Still photography prize $4,000
Tom Butler (Newquay, Cornwall, England) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland on October 28, 2015. (Photo by Ian Mitchinson.)
Keala Kennelly (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 22, 2015. (Photos by Kirvan Baldassari, Brent Bielmann, Tim McKenna and Isaac Sokol.)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 6, 2015. (Photos by Erik Aeder, Kelly Cestari, Richard Hallman, Paul Karaolides and Sofie Louca.)
Mark Mathews (Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia) at The Right, Australia on June 26, 2015. (Photo by Jack Sherriffs.)
Ian Walsh (Haiku, Maui, Hawaii) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 28, 2016. (Photos by Richard Hallman and Aaron Lynton.)
Teahupo'o, Tahiti
A panel of judges will review the nominated rides and the winners will be revealed at the invitation-only Big Wave Awards on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California.

Nominees for the TAG Heuer Wipeout of the Year Award, Women’s Best Overall Performance Award and Surfline Overall Performance Award will be announced Tuesday, March 29, 2016.

For more information, log onto WorldSurfLeague.com.