File this in the ‘what the actual hell just happened file?!’ but it’s legit from the WSL themselves…
-This partnership and technology will allow for advancements in athlete training, access to surfing for people of all levels and increased fan engagement globally
May 24, 2016, Santa Monica, CA — WSL Holdings, the parent company of the World Surf League (WSL), today announced an agreement in principle to acquire a majority stake in the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC). The partnership between the WSL and KSWC will be dedicated to promoting the growth of high-performance surfing around the world. KSWC’s revolutionary technology creates a number of possibilities for the future of the sport. The WSL and the KSWC envision the build-out of a global network of WSL-branded high-performance training centers utilizing this wave technology.
For Kelly Slater, the 11-time world champion, the creation of this wave technology is the realization of a lifelong dream and a 10-year project, and today’s announcement brings his two worlds together. “While surfing for me will always be about adventure, travel and the ocean, this wave brings a new opportunity to the sport without taking away the soulfulness that attracted many of us to surfing in first place,” said Slater. “Surfing great waves in a controlled environment adds a new dimension, as there is no hassling for waves, no stress over who got the best wave – they are all good. Everyone can relax, have fun and focus on improving their surfing.”
“It’s beyond my dreams that this wave will be a canvas for the global advancement of this great sport in partnership with the WSL,” he added. “It will democratize surfing and provide incredible training opportunities for athletes as well as aspirational surfers in areas with no ocean waves.”
The WSL sanctions and organizes the highest-level professional surfing competitions for men, women, big wave, longboarders and juniors.
“The WSL proudly represents the best in men’s and women’s competitive surfing globally, and the amazing man-made wave technology developed by Kelly Slater and his team is a revolutionary innovation that has the power to dramatically enhance every aspect of our sport,” said Paul Speaker, CEO of the WSL. “We share the same vision and passion for growing high-performance surfing, and are beyond excited to work together under one roof to bring the sport to levels and places never before possible.”
KSWC technology creates an opportunity for surfers to practice and develop ever-higher levels of performance in a repeating environment, with unprecedented opportunities for surrounding camera and sensor arrays providing immediate and perfectly accurate feedback on their progress. This is the first repeatable man-made wave that convincingly delivers the power and shape of ocean waves most sought after by accomplished surfers, including a hollow barrel allowing for long tube rides. While high-performance surfing is the core mission of both the WSL and the KSWC, the wave technology is flexible and can also create variable waves for beginner and intermediate surfers.
WSL Commissioner Kieren Perrow recently visited the first KSWC site, and said the wave surpassed his expectations. “Up until a few weeks ago, I had never ridden Kelly’s Wave, and when I did, I was blown away by the experience,” Perrow said. “It is incredible to see this wave in action – it has more energy and power than I expected and this technology holds a lot of potential for the future development of surfers just starting out and those already competing on our Championship Tour.”
While competition in a man-made environment will offer previously impossible opportunities such as the creation of surrounding spectator environments, as well as certainty of scheduling, WSL CEO Speaker emphasized that nothing could ever replace the magic and mystery of world-class competition in the ocean. “We do believe that all stakeholders – athletes, fans, broadcast and corporate partners – will be super energized by the advent of Championship Tour-level competition with man-made waves,” he said, “but the ocean will always be our home, and the great waves on our tour will always remain the backbone of our competitive schedule.”
Speaker added: “No firm plans have been made for the inclusion of a man-made wave-based competition. We will be evaluating all the possibilities in the coming months with the Commissioners’ Office and the WSL athletes.”
WSL Holdings is the parent company of the World Surf League (WSL). The transaction is subject to the negotiation of mutually agreeable definitive documentation, among other customary conditions. Both WSL and KSWC will continue to operate independently as separate entities following the closing of a transaction. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com and KSWaveCo.com
With the Pacific leg of the World Tour looming (gals from May 29, chaps from June 5) it’s that time of year when the pros are emptying their boardbags of small-wave Rio sleds and weighing up what boards to chuck in to take on potentially huge Cloudbreak and the girthsome tunnels of Teahupo’o.
The events of yesterday, when some of the world’s best free surfers had a dig at maxing Cloudbreak, leading to Aaron Gold’s, sphincter clenching for all involved drowning / rescue / resuscitation, must be weighing heavily on their minds.
The session took a dark turn, no longer an amuse bouche for the Fiji WSL stop, but a serious heads up. No other stop on the tour has the potential for being so outrageously big and perfect. Sure Teahupo’o gets nuts but there’s a point where paddling it is beyond human physics and it goes Code Red for the tow crew.
Cloudbreak, as it has occasionally shown, can be massive and perfect. Outside of the realm of what tour surfers expect or in some cases have any experience in. We all remember the kerfuffle that happened the year the event was put on hold as Cloudy went mental.
With a distinctly dismal Brazil event this year the WSL sorely need the Pacific to deliver. If it’s massive and clean they’ll have no option but to run. Unless the surfers vote not to surf. In which case the public will be baying for blood. And the free surfers that are keen to take it on will garner all the coverage. Again.
It’s a tricky proposition. Surfing Cloudbreak, or Teahupo’o at size, in the name of ‘sport’, is frankly nuts. Even though the surfers now have the option of life-vests under their suits and some of the world’s best water rescue guys on hand.
Mick’s tussle with a shark live was terrifying; a warning shot across the bows. No one wants to be holding the tiller of the professional sports organisation that leads to someone drowning live on the internet in the name of entertainment.
How many sports involve such risk? Sure you might break a leg playing footy or get concussed playing rugby. Tennis elbow is an issue. A ping-pong ball in the eye sure does smart. Sure F1 and most motorsport comes with a healthy dose of life threatening but it’s not an unruly track that kills you.
Few competitive sports compare. It’s hard to comprehend getting brutally beaten into a coral razor garden while half the Pacific tears you a new one … all as you struggle to not pass out.
Which leads us to the question: How many sports expect that you risk drowning, wounding and even death to get a score?
This is why watching surfing in serious surf is so magnetic. It transcends sport. It’s not about scores, rash-vests and sponsored messages. It’s man v nature. Plain and simple. It explains why big wave events draw the crowds. It’s why the Pacific leg is the most anticipated part of the tour. Big, clean 10-15 foot Cloudbreak and ‘edge-of-ridable Teahupo’o’ is what we want.
In an age where visual is all and being able to grab the hoi-polloi’s attention in three seconds or less before they scroll on is key. Big, bombing, blue barrels will do that. Here’s hoping the conditions are at the fine line between crazy and awesome.
John John Florence claimed victory yesterday at the Oi Rio Pro, Stop No. 4 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, besting rookie Jack Freestone (AUS) in punchy four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) waves at Postinho.
“I love coming back here to Rio,” Florence said. “This is where I won my first World Championship Tour event. The waves are really similar to Hawaii with their power. Everyone here in Brazil has been so supportive. If it was not for everyone’s support on the beach cheering us on every wave, I do not know if I would have been as stoked. Thank you to everyone.”
Today’s emphatic victory vaults Florence from 13th to 3rd on the WSL Jeep Leaderboard, well within striking distance of the frontrunner position. Florence previously defeated Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Dusty Payne (HAW) en route to the Final today.
“Obviously I want to try to win a World Title, but I am going to take it heat by heat, event by event,” continued Florence. “Hopefully I will come out on top, but we will see. The waves have been challenging and everyone has been surfing so well, so I am stoked to be here and win this event.”
Today’s win marks the Hawaiian’s third elite tour victory, having previously finished atop the field here in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and in France in 2014.
The Final got off to an exciting start with an exchange that saw Florence deliver an aggressive two-turn combination for a solid 7.00, while Freestone failed to complete his ride, earning a 3.17. Florence continued to heat up, posting more excellent scores. With only ten minutes into the Final, Florence threw up a near-perfect 9.70 by locking in a dynamic two-turn combination. The Hawaiian proved to be unstoppable, finishing with an impressive 18.97 heat total by landing a massive air to earn another near-perfect score, a 9.27, putting the Australian in an impossible combination situation.
Freestone, who suffered an injury after the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, returned to Rio in full force after a two-event absence. Today marks Freestone’s first Final appearance and highest career finish on the Championship Tour. To reach the Final, the rookie previously dispatched 2014 WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Miguel Pupo (BRA). Freestone’s second place result will move him from 37th to 19th on the Jeep Leaderboard.
“I am very happy,” Freestone said. “It was a long week and I just had to take it heat by heat. To come back from an injury and get second place is amazing, and I am over the moon. I would just like to thank everyone here in Brazil for all of their support. I would like to congratulate John on a crazy win. It was a great time here in Rio.”
Freestone upset the competition by eliminating Medina in Semifinal 2. Medina, the crowd-favorite who previously posted two perfect 10-point rides in the event, was poised to make a Finals appearance, but the rookie threw down an aggressive performance to advance. Medina secured a near-perfect 9.07 with his backside full rotation air, but Freestone continued to chip away with his two-turn combinations. Freestone hammered down a 7.83 and 8.67, forcing Medina to chase a 7.43. Medina was not able to find the waves to combat Freestone’s lead and will walk away with a 3rd place finish, his best of 2016. Today’s results see Medina move up nine places from 18th to 9th on the Jeep Rankings.
“I am stoked to get this result,” Medina said. “I feel like I am back and last year was a great year for me because I was fighting for the Title. I wish I was in the Final against John because that would be sick, but I am so happy with my finish. Hopefully I can keep doing well. I am excited for Fiji and the great waves. I love that place.”
Semifinal 1 witnessed Florence eliminate Adriano de Souza (BRA), reigning WSL Champion. With eight previous match-ups between the two former event winners, this heat adds a sixth win to Florence’s tally. Florence got an early lead by tying together barrels and aggressive railwork, putting pressure on De Souza to post high-scoring rides. Florence furthered his lead with a huge combination maneuver to earn a near-perfect 9.80 and backed that up with an 8.93. De Souza, with only a 12.66 heat score, was caught in a combination that he wasn’t able to escape.
After a slow start on the Australian leg, today was De Souza’s first Semifinal appearance of the year. De Souza’s 3rd place finish will move him up to 6th place on the Jeep Leaderboard heading into Fiji.
“This is a good result,” De Souza said. “I’ve been working so hard to be in a Final, but it was not enough. I think John has the best rhythm with the ocean and his talent is unbeatable. I am happy with my performance from the start of the event to the Semifinal. It was great to have all the support of my family and friends here in Brazil, as well as all the fans. I wish so much to be in the final, but I am happy.”
De Souza previously dispatched 2016 WSL Rookie Davey Cathels (AUS) in the second heat of the Quarterfinals. Cathels put out a solid effort to knock out the reigning World Champion, but fell short by only 2.97 points. Cathels will walk away with a 5th place finish, his highest on the CT.
Florence eliminated Dusty Payne (HAW), injury replacement and former CT charger, in the opening Quarterfinal match-up. Florence found his way out of two deep barrels to earn a 15.17 two-wave score. Payne, with an 8.50 heat total, was not able to find the near-perfect 9.67 he needed to defeat Florence.
The next stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour will be the Fiji Women’s Pro from May 29 – June 3 followed by the Fiji Men’s Pro from June 5 – 17, 2016.
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Final Results:
1 – John John Florence (HAW) 18.97 2 – Jack Freestone (AUS) 16.13
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Semifinal Results:
SF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 18.73 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.66 SF 2: Jack Freestone (AUS) 16.50 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.67
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 15.17 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.50 QF 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.97 def. Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.00 QF 3: Jack Freestone (AUS) 12.50 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.60 QF 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.77 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 6.00
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Remaining Round 5 Results:
Heat 4: Adam Melling (AUS) 10.80 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.00
A heated final day at the Oi Rio Women’s Pro, the fourth stop on the Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, saw Tyler Wright (AUS) claim victory at Barra da Tijuca defeating Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)in a hard-fought Final.
The win today in Rio is Wright’s third of the season, following previous triumphs on the Gold Coast and at Bells Beach. Back-to-back event wins see her take first place on the Jeep Leaderboard and Wright will wear the leader jersey at the upcoming Fiji Women’s Pro. Wright previously dispatched Carissa Moore (HAW) and Johanne Defay (FRA) en route to the Final today.
“This is the best I’ve ever felt,” Wright said. “Over the last six months so many things have happened and it has given me a lot of perspective on the way I want to run my career and surf my heats. I want to say a massive thanks to my family. They make it all worthwhile.”
“I am so excited to win here in Brazil,” continued Wright. “It is fun and there are so many things you need to take into account, and you have to just flow with it. I think this was the most challenging of any event and any final. It was hard work and I am stoked.”
The all-Australian Final match-up saw a close battle between Wright and Fitzgibbons. Showcasing her power surfing and control, Wright set the bar early on by dropping an excellent 8.67. Wright continued to back up her opening ride, putting pressure on Fitzgibbons to land a solid score. With ten minutes left on the clock, Fitzgibbons hammered a critical section to earn 7.17 and begin to close the gap on Wright. In the closing minutes Fitzgibbons was left searching for 5.94 while massive sets out the back pushed the athletes further from the take-off. Fitzgibbons was out of position to attempt a final attack and Wright, with a 13.10 two-wave score, defeated Fitzgibbons by 2.76 points to take the win.
Today is the second Final berth for Fitzgibbons this season, who also finished runner-up at Bells Beach. The result will see the two-time Rio event winner move up one place on the Jeep Leaderboard from 6th to 5th. To reach the Final Fitzgibbons took down Courtney Conlogue (USA) and Malia Manuel (HAW).
“It was a great effort by Tyler and huge congratulations to her,” said Fitzgibbons. “In the Final, I was just hoping for one more wave at the end. I could feel that win. I had put myself back into contention, and I loved the challenge today. I really feed off the energy of the crowd. The fans here are so passionate about surfing, so it is a pleasure to come here and perform.”
2015 event winner Courtney Conlogue (USA) will relinquish the Jeep Leader Jersey after being defeated by Fitzgibbons in Semifinal 1. With an event win at Bells Beach and runner-up finishes on the Gold Coast and at Margaret River, today’s result marks Conlogue’s first absence from the Finals this season and sees her move to 2nd place on the Jeep Leaderboard.
The bout between Conlogue and Fitzgibbons saw multiple lead changes, as both surfers put everything on the line to advance to the Finals. Fitzgibbons held onto a 14.10 heat score, leaving Conlogue to chase a 6.61. In the dying seconds of the heat, Conlogue had one last opportunity to post the required score, but could not stick the landing.
“This finish is a positive, as third is a keeper result at the end of the season,” Conlogue said. “But I was definitely hoping to get the win and it was a bit frustrating to not catch those skis. I just have to learn from what went on in that heat, so I can draw off of that knowledge for Fiji. Things were zig-zagging all the way through the final minutes. I have to brush my knees off and get ready for the next one.”
Wright took down Carissa Moore (HAW), reigning three-time WSL Champion, in Semifinal 2. Moore has yet to secure a spot in the Finals this season, with a Semifinal finish at each event of the season so far. The World Champion will head into Fiji in third place on the Jeep Leaderboard.
Wright opened up Semifinal 2 against Moore with a huge frontside hook to earn an 8.77, the highest score of the heat and the Semifinal match-ups. Wright controlled the Semifinal with a 13.60 two-wave score, forcing Moore to chase a 7.68. Moore was not able to find the waves to combat Wright.
Six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) was eliminated in the Quarterfinals by Moore. The heat marked the seventeenth head-to-head match-up between the two CT superstars, adding a tenth win to Moore’s tally. The Hawaiian got off to a quick start to lock in an excellent 8.77 and continued to better her heat total with a 7.07. Caught in a combination situation, Gilmore struggled to find the scores to close the gap on Moore. Gilmore will walk away with a 5th place finish and moves down one place to 6th on the Jeep Leaderboard.
“I think with the few days in between competition I probably got a little too relaxed,” Gilmore said. “I keep putting together great performances, but they sort of fall apart as the event goes on. This event is really testing, it tests your patience and your focus. I definitely struggled out there. I am just having a love affair with the Quarterfinals. But I am looking forward to Fiji. There is a big swell heading there and it is probably a great time to practice and take as many boards as you can out there. We will see what happens.”
Oi Rio Women’s Pro Final Results:
1 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.10 2 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 10.34
Oi Rio Women’s Pro Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.10 def. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.00 SF 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.60 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 10.10
Oi Rio Women’s Pro Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.73 def. Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.30 QF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 16.50 def. Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 11.10 QF 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.87 def. Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.70 QF 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.84 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 7.50
2016 Samsung Galaxy Top 5 (after Oi Rio Women’s Pro): 1 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 35,200 pts 2 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 32,500 pts 3 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 26,000 pts 4 – Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 23,400 pts 5 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 22,950 pts
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 3: Nat Young (USA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW) Heat 4: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS) Heat 5: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) vs. Davey Cathels (AUS) Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Lucas Silveira (BRA) Heat 7: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Marco Fernandez (BRA) Heat 8: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 9: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Jack Freestone (HAW) Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Matt Banting (AUS) Heat 12: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
So the Oi Rio Pro has been rolling on with not exactly the greatest surf ever and some disturbing side stories. But aside from all that the one thing everyone’s talking about, well, ‘talking’ is like quiet arguing right? Is Medina. He stomped a thing. He got a 10. The commentators and a bunch of media called it a backflip. Half the punters went, ‘Woooo! Backflip! Rad!’ the other half went, ‘Dude that’s so not a backflip.’
Thing is backflips, rodeos and most above the lip spins and rotes aren’t something we see a lot of. Let alone ever do. And even the standard air reverse isn’t named correctly. Skate and snowboard types facepalm every time this happens. Spinning about in every axis is their domain. Not ours. 98% of surfers will ever even do a straight credit card air. Let alone a backflip.
So when the commentators automatically call ‘backflip’ you’ve got to give them some leeway. Even ex-pros, World Champs like Pottz, who pretty much brought the air game to the tour, ain’t ever done a rodeo. Or backflip. If they did drop a ‘whoa! Medina drops a corked 540’ then the bulk of the fans, those that aren’t in anyway au fait with skating/snowboarding would be all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Medina, Jordy, Julian, Filipe, John John, Albee and friends are the elite crew that live in this domain. It’s going to take a while for the rest of us to catch up…
Just so you know Wikipedia defines ‘cork’ thusly:
Spins are corked or corkscrew when the axis of the spin allows for the snowboarder to be oriented sideways or upside-down in the air, typically without becoming completely inverted (though the head and shoulders should drop below the relative position of the board).
Here’s a pointer which explains it pretty well:
And below is Medina’s move broken down. For it to to be a backflip it would be more on the vertical axis and he would be inverted under his board, more like the stuff Flynn Novak did and this example:
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.
“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.”
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.
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 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)
The WSL Big Wave Tour commences its 2016/2017 season on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. For more information log onto WorldSurfLeague.com.
