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.)
‘Come to Iceland!’ they said. ‘Don’t like the weather? Wait 5 minutes!’ they said.
A week in the land of Ice and Fire with Josh Mulcoy, Dane Anderson, Aaron Bierman, and Ian Battrick. Special thanks to Kevin Walsh, Mark McInnis, and all the hospitable locals who shared their frozen paradise with us.
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach witnessed high drama today as a bevy of top seeds were knocked out of the competition in the back half of Men’s Round 3.
The second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour (CT), the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, saw massive scores and hard-fought match-ups go down in four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) waves at the world renowned Bells Beach.
Mick Fanning (AUS), three-time WSL Champion and four-time event winner, blazed through Round 3 to eliminate event wildcard Dusty Payne (HAW). Fanning and Payne charged for waves in the opening heat of the day, but it was Fanning who solidified the win with two eight-point rides. The Australian will continue to chase a fifth Bells Title.
“Down here at Bells you can see the huge crowd and it’s amazing, and you hear everything out there, which is really cool,” Fanning said. “Just looking back on this whole grandstand and this natural amphitheater, it is such a beautiful place. This is one of my favorite events. I am just wanting to put on a performance and enjoy my time here.”
The 2016 WSL rookie class came out swinging today with huge upsets in elimination Round 3 with Conner Coffin (USA), Caio Ibelli (BRA) and Davey Cathels (AUS) eliminating Joel Parkinson (AUS), John John Florence (HAW) and Gabriel Medina (BRA), respectively.
Conner Coffin (USA) knocked out CT veteran and three-time event winner, Joel Parkinson (AUS) in Heat 9. Parkinson unleashed a variety of clean maneuvers to earn a 14.56 two-wave combined score, but the Californian rookie turned on his power game to defeat the CT veteran with two eight-point rides.
“The waves are really fun when you get the right one, but you have to pick them,” Coffin said. “That was my goal against Joel, just to pick the right waves and give my best. The last time I surfed against Joel, man-on-man, was at Trestles a couple of years ago when I had a wildcard from Hurley, and he smoked me. I learned a lot from surfing against him that time, so it is nice to have had those opportunities in the past and use that going forward.”
Caio Ibelli (BRA) charged against John John Florence (HAW) to defeat the CT superstar by only 0.04 points. Florence locked in a 15.50 two-wave combined score, but Ibelli chased to better his situation right until the final buzzer to secure the win.
“I found those last two waves halfway through the heat,” said Ibelli. “I decided to trade my board for a bigger board than I was riding yesterday and it worked. I am really happy to make it through this heat.”
Davey Cathels (AUS) defeat Gabriel Medina (BRA) to end his run for a Bells victory with a 15.40 two-wave combined score. Medina, the 2014 WSL Champion, experienced a slight hiccup with a lost board in the last ten minutes of the heat and was not able to find the waves for a comeback against the rookie.
“When I’m up against those good guys, I am not worried I am going to get beat because it can happen,” said Cathels. “I am excited to come up here and take out some big names. I am happy the way I surfed that heat. I had a gameplan and stuck to it. I was trying to sell Gabriel on some bad waves and I just tried to pick smart with bigger ones.”
Heat 10 saw Kelly Slater (USA), eleven-time WSL Champion and four-time event winner, eliminated from the competition by Michel Bourez (PYF). Although Slater dropped the highest scoring ride of the heat, an 8.37, he could not find the 6.46 required to close the gap on Bourez.
The day’s action was capped off with the WSL Heritage Series heat between 1988 World Champion Barton Lynch (AUS) and two-time World Champion (1987, 1991) Damien Hardman (AUS). Despite the challenging lineup, but icons surgically dismantled the tricky Bells conditions on their backhand, with Lynch walking away the victory.
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.
For more information, log onto WorldSurfLeague.com
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Remaining Round 3 Results:
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.60 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.57
Heat 8: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.33 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 13.26
Heat 9: Conner Coffin (USA) 16.27 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.26
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.83 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.70
Heat 11: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 15.54 def. John def. John Florence (HAW) 15.50
Heat 12: Davey Cathels (AUS) 15.40 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.07
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Round 4 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA), Nat Young (USA), Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Mason Ho (HAW)
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Conner Coffin (USA)
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Davey Cathels (AUS)
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach witnessed high drama today as a bevy of top seeds were knocked out of the competition in the back half of Men’s Round 3.
The second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour (CT), the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, saw massive scores and hard-fought match-ups go down in four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) waves at the world renowned Bells Beach.
Mick Fanning (AUS), three-time WSL Champion and four-time event winner, blazed through Round 3 to eliminate event wildcard Dusty Payne (HAW). Fanning and Payne charged for waves in the opening heat of the day, but it was Fanning who solidified the win with two eight-point rides. The Australian will continue to chase a fifth Bells Title.
“Down here at Bells you can see the huge crowd and it’s amazing, and you hear everything out there, which is really cool,” Fanning said. “Just looking back on this whole grandstand and this natural amphitheater, it is such a beautiful place. This is one of my favorite events. I am just wanting to put on a performance and enjoy my time here.”
The 2016 WSL rookie class came out swinging today with huge upsets in elimination Round 3 with Conner Coffin (USA), Caio Ibelli (BRA) and Davey Cathels (AUS) eliminating Joel Parkinson (AUS), John John Florence (HAW) and Gabriel Medina (BRA), respectively.
Conner Coffin (USA) knocked out CT veteran and three-time event winner, Joel Parkinson (AUS) in Heat 9. Parkinson unleashed a variety of clean maneuvers to earn a 14.56 two-wave combined score, but the Californian rookie turned on his power game to defeat the CT veteran with two eight-point rides.
“The waves are really fun when you get the right one, but you have to pick them,” Coffin said. “That was my goal against Joel, just to pick the right waves and give my best. The last time I surfed against Joel, man-on-man, was at Trestles a couple of years ago when I had a wildcard from Hurley, and he smoked me. I learned a lot from surfing against him that time, so it is nice to have had those opportunities in the past and use that going forward.”
Caio Ibelli (BRA) charged against John John Florence (HAW) to defeat the CT superstar by only 0.04 points. Florence locked in a 15.50 two-wave combined score, but Ibelli chased to better his situation right until the final buzzer to secure the win.
“I found those last two waves halfway through the heat,” said Ibelli. “I decided to trade my board for a bigger board than I was riding yesterday and it worked. I am really happy to make it through this heat.”
Davey Cathels (AUS) defeat Gabriel Medina (BRA) to end his run for a Bells victory with a 15.40 two-wave combined score. Medina, the 2014 WSL Champion, experienced a slight hiccup with a lost board in the last ten minutes of the heat and was not able to find the waves for a comeback against the rookie.
“When I’m up against those good guys, I am not worried I am going to get beat because it can happen,” said Cathels. “I am excited to come up here and take out some big names. I am happy the way I surfed that heat. I had a gameplan and stuck to it. I was trying to sell Gabriel on some bad waves and I just tried to pick smart with bigger ones.”
Heat 10 saw Kelly Slater (USA), eleven-time WSL Champion and four-time event winner, eliminated from the competition by Michel Bourez (PYF). Although Slater dropped the highest scoring ride of the heat, an 8.37, he could not find the 6.46 required to close the gap on Bourez.
The day’s action was capped off with the WSL Heritage Series heat between 1988 World Champion Barton Lynch (AUS) and two-time World Champion (1987, 1991) Damien Hardman (AUS). Despite the challenging lineup, but icons surgically dismantled the tricky Bells conditions on their backhand, with Lynch walking away the victory.
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.
For more information, log onto WorldSurfLeague.com
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Remaining Round 3 Results:
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.60 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.57
Heat 8: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.33 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 13.26
Heat 9: Conner Coffin (USA) 16.27 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.26
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.83 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.70
Heat 11: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 15.54 def. John def. John Florence (HAW) 15.50
Heat 12: Davey Cathels (AUS) 15.40 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.07
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Round 4 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA), Nat Young (USA), Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Mason Ho (HAW)
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Conner Coffin (USA)
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Davey Cathels (AUS)
BELLS BEACH, Victoria/AUS (Sunday, March 27, 2016) – The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach witnessed massive waves and huge performances, as the men’s competition blazed through Rounds 2 and 3.
The second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour (CT), the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, saw stormy four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) waves challenge the world’s best. Every competitor put all on the line to avoid an early elimination and keep their hopes alive to ring the coveted Bell.
Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current rankings leader, faced 2016 WSL rookie Kanoa Igarashi (USA) in elimination Round 3. Wilkinson came out firing with two solid 7-point rides. Igarashi tried to climb back, but was unable to break the combination to challenge the goofy-footer. Wilkinson will continue to do battle in Round 4 for an opportunity to claim a maiden Title at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
“The first wave I finished strong and then every wave after that I started strong and fell off on my last turn,” Wilkinson said. “I obviously can hold back a little on that last turn and make sure I get it done. I think my other scores would have been higher if I had settled down and made sure I finished them.”
The match-up between Adriano De Souza (BRA), reigning World Champion, and event wildcard Mason Ho (HAW) saw multiple lead changes throughout the heat. The two went wave for wave, score for score, each fighting to stay alive in the competition. It was Ho who was able to pull out an 8.17 in the last two minutes to defeat De Souza by only 0.77 points.
“It feels really good to do well in front of all these cool people,” said Ho. “I love coming out to Bells and I spilt my heart all over out there.”
“Bells is one of my favorite waves, but on the last exchange Mason got it,” De Souza said. “I think he surfed better than me. I just want to keep motivated for the next event and that is the one I won last year. I will keep fighting and come home to study my performance. I did my best and I will try to find the points where I can improve and learn from Mason.”
Californian Nat Young (USA) knocked out giant slayer Stuart Kennedy (AUS) to secure a spot in Round 4. Young was able to find two solid scores to eliminate the injury replacement. Although Kennedy caused massive upsets on the Gold Coast, he could not find the scores to advance.
“I work really hard, and I surf and train as much as I can, so I feel like that is part of the reason why I am confident,” Young said. “It doesn’t matter who I am surfing against, I just want to go out there and do well on my standards. Stuart was one of the best surfing at Snapper and I knew he would be carrying that momentum here, but I got that good start at the beginning and it was just tricky out there.”
Italo Ferreira (BRA), 2015 Rookie of the Year, eliminated injury replacement Sebastian Zietz (HAW) in the opening heat of Round 3. Ferreira locked in a critical 9.33 score in the dying seconds of the heat to eliminate Zietz from the event.
“I was super nervous and I just had one chance,” Italo said. “That last wave came through for me to catch, and I cannot believe it. Congratulations to Seabass [Sebastian Zietz] for a great surf. I am so happy to make it through to the next round.”
2016 WSL rookies Caio Ibelli (BRA) and Conner Coffin (USA) powered through Round 2 to defeat Ryan Callinan (AUS) and Jadson Andre (BRA), respectively. Ibelli and Coffin will join fellow rookie Davey Cathels (AUS) in the second half of Round 3 to stay in contention for a Bells victory.
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.
For more information, log onto WorldSurfLeague.com
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.43 def. Tim Stevenson (AUS) 11.67
Heat 2: Mason Ho (HAW) 10.64 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.80
Heat 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.90 def. Timothee Bisso (GLP) 10.50
Heat 4: Dusty Payne (HAW) 13.84 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.94
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.87 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 14.50
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.23 def. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 5.27
Heat 7: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 13.94 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.84
Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.10 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.00
Heat 9: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 16.83 def. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 16.43
Heat 10: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 13.20 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 10.57
Heat 11: Conner Coffin (USA) 14.53 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.20
Heat 12: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.77 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 13.23
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 17.00 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.83
Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 13.50 def. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 7.67
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.44 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 9.67
Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 15.47 def. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 8.37
Heat 5: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 13.37 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.60
Heat 6: Mason Ho (HAW) 15.10 def. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 14.33
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Remaining Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 8: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Conner Coffin (USA)
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 11: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Heat 12: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Davey Cathels (AUS)
Our favourite Brazilian surfs with vigour, flourish and style. We had him as a World Title contender before his unfortunate injury. Watch him tear apart a few session in Aus before the comp.
