Courtney Conlogue (USA) claimed victory today at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach, defeating Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves at the world-renowned Bells Beach in the Australian state of Victoria.
The second stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach enjoyed classic conditions today with world’s best female surfers pushing the boundaries of high-performance surfing once again.
The Final match-up witnessed Conlogue compete against Fitzgibbons, the two-time event winner, in an all out brawl for the opportunity to claim the second CT event win and ring the prestigious Bell. The women went wave for wave, throwing up massive scores, but it was the Californian who captured the win.
“I definitely wanted to get the score on that last wave, and I wanted to put a little more pressure on,” Conlogue said. “I knew I needed an eight, but I wanted a nine. I figured I might as well lose the event knowing that I threw everything I had into it.”
A runner-up at the opening event of the season last week on the Gold Coast, Conlogue continued the momentum this week at Bells Beach, landing herself on the winner’s dais and atop the Jeep WSL Leaderboard heading into the third event of the year.
“I am really happy to be starting the year with this momentum, a first place win here and a second place win at Snapper,” continued Conlogue. “It is a long season ahead and after experiencing last year’s rollercoaster of emotions, this is definitely a high, but I know it is going to be a grind. Obviously I want to win a World Title, but it is not going to be an easy feat. I know I had a good start, but there are still eight more contests ahead.”
Fitzgibbons opened up strong in the Final, showcasing her clean rail-to-rail surfing. After an early elimination at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Fitzgibbons charged through this event to make her way to the Finals. Fitzgibbons threw down an 8.10 and an 8.33, but Conlogue answered back with a 9.03, giving her the narrow 0.10 lead over Fitzgibbons.
“Running down those stairs after fourteen years of coming here never gets old,” Fitzgibbons said. “I just love it when my opponent is at their best. Courtney was in really great form this whole event and when my opponents are going out there and trying to better themselves, as a competitor I revel in that challenge. I cannot wait to push my level to get better and better.”
Semifinal 1 saw Carissa Moore (HAW), three-time World Champion and defending event Champion, eliminated by Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS). Moore, who has three consecutive wins at Bells, locked in a strong 8.17 right off the bat, but did not earn enough on her second ride to defeat Fitzgibbons’ 16.16 two-wave combined score, which included a massive 9.33 point ride.
“I still put up some good scores, but I think I made the mistake of letting priority go, but she just had a higher first wave,” Moore said. “If I would have kept priority, she would have gotten the last wave anyway. It was a weird rhythm. I tried to let go of the first heat of the day and enjoy this moment, but unfortunately it did not work out and it is okay.”
Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), 2015 Rookie of the Year, faced Conlogue in the second Semifinal of the day. Weston-Webb charged with a 15.67 two-wave combined score, but could not close the 1.16 point gap needed to advance.
The Women’s Quarterfinals witnessed Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), six-time World Champion, battle rival Carissa Moore (HAW), three-time World Champion, in Heat 2 for the opportunity to enter the Semifinals. With both athletes gunning for a fourth Bells victory, the two went all out to post major scores. The two CT superstars have faced-off multiple times, Moore with nine wins and Gilmore with six wins. Moore posted a near perfect 19.23 to earn a spot in the Semifinals.
“I think I freaked myself out in my heat at Winkipop where I just sat for so long, so the heat before us today started to slow up, so I thought that if a wave came I would catch it ” Gilmore said. “It was probably a bad idea because the first set had four decent waves in it, and I went on the first one, Carissa got the nine. From there on, I felt my rhythm was off. It never really came together for me. Carissa absolutely smoked me. She is Bells Champion, she is World Champion and I really admire the way she surfs. These things are okay though, it makes me just want to improve.”
Tyler Wright (AUS), current World No. 1, was eliminated from the competition by Conlogue in Heat 3 of the Quarterfinals. Conlogue controlled the heat with two solid seven point rides. Wright, who ended the heat with a 13.13 two-wave combined score, was not able to find the second wave to close the 1.87 point gap to continue to the Semifinals.
“When you see a bunch of sets, it is not really a good sign for your heat and it gives you a heads up that your heat might be a touch slower, but there was still ample opportunity,” Wright said. “Looking back I was a little eggy when I first walked up, but honestly I look at it now and know that I gave myself opportunity. There was one wave where I may not have capitalized as much as I could of, and the other I did great, so a lot of positives coming out of that.”
In addition to the culmination of the women’s event, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach men’s event completed Round 4 and the opening half of Round 5 today, setting itself up for a potential finish this weekend.
The first half of Men’s Round 5 saw Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current World No. 1, defeat presumed 2016 Title contender Julian Wilson (AUS) in Round 5 Heat 2 to advance to the Quarterfinals. Trailing Wilson for a majority of the heat, Wilkinson answered back with two huge tail-drifts giving him a 9.57. Both competitors earned a 16.57 two-wave combined score, but because Wilkinson had the highest single scoring ride – the 9.57 – he was given the win.
In non-elimination Round 4, Mick Fanning (AUS), three-time World Champion and four-time event winner, faced Jordy Smith (ZAF) and 2016 WSL Rookie Conner Coffin (USA). Coffin posted a massive 9.13 point ride to control the heat and challenge the CT heavyweights. Coffin held onto the lead and will advance straight to the Quarterfinals.
“I was definitely the underdog,” Coffin said after his heat. “Those guys are surfing so well. To get to surf heat like that in waves like that is unreal. It is nice to have some clean offshore walls and get to land some turns. Those are the waves I love to surf. To surf them with two of my favorite surfers – guys I’ve looked up to forever – is awesome.”
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7:30 am local time to assess conditions for a possible 8 am start tomorrow morning.
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will be webcast LIVE atWorldSurfLeague.com.
Rip Curl Women’s Pro Final Results:
1 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 16.53 2 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.43
Rip Curl Women’s Pro Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.16 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.37 SF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 16.83 def. Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 15.67
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.)
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)
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.)
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. 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. 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.)
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.)
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.
Australians Matt Wilkinsonand Tyler Wright emerged victorious today, claiming the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast titles respectively, in clean three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at Snapper Rocks.
The opening events on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast pres. by BOQ showcased the world’s best surfing, massive upsets and a significant tone-setting for the season ahead.
Wilkinson’s victory today marked his maiden on the elite Championship Tour with the Australian putting on an exciting performance throughout the event, pushing scorelines and knocking out top-seeded opponents. The goofy-footer unleashed a variety of technical maneuvers to solidify his position atop the ranks of the Jeep Leaderboard. Wilkinson previously dispatched reigning World Champion Adriano De Souza (BRA) and last year’s event winner, Filipe Toledo (BRA).
Wilkinson faced Kolohe Andino (USA) in the Final and the frontside verse backside match-up did not disappoint. The two battled wave for wave, with multiple lead changes throughout. Wilkinson took an early lead with an 8.60 opening score and held off Andino until halfway through. Andino took the lead and stayed busy as the time ticked down, while Wilkinson waited for a wave. The Australian’s patience paid off with a 5.60 point ride at the six minute mark to regain the lead. With thirty seconds left on the clock Andino caught a wave to chase the 7.38 score needed, but Andino’s efforts were not enough. Wilkinson won the event 14.22 to 13.66.
“I started this year with a win in the Qualifying Series and to win this event felt amazing. I did not expect this but I was hoping for it,” said Wilkinson. “My heat against Adriano is the kind of heat where I usually lose. I just got the score right at the end and it gave me the fire to make me feel like the ocean was on my side. I surfed well with so much pressure on, and I knew I hadn’t gotten a great Snapper wave this whole event, and that first wave of the Final had two really nice sections at the start. I am so stoked to win.”
“I was hoping to make it in the top five or ten this year, and I have been at the back end of the teens for the last few years, so this is a different start,” continued Wilkinson. “I feel like I have matured a lot in my heat surfing and in my surfing in general. Hopefully I can put a lot of heats together this year and win the Title.”
“There are so many great surfers that went out early in this event or did not make the final, so I am stoked, but obviously I wanted to win that final really bad,” Andino said. “I guess it is like the first loser, so it is going to fire me up even more. I am excited for the rest of the year. Obviously, I’ve got big goals and big plans, but it’s a long year. I’m trying to stay even-keeled with my attitude in surfing.”
The final match-up of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast saw Tyler Wright (AUS) battle Courtney Conlogue (USA) in an epic clash. Wright looked smooth and powerful, claiming a win at the first event of the season and climbing the Jeep Leaderboard ranks to earn the top spot. Throughout the competition, Wright stayed focused and committed, winning each heat leading up to the Final. Today was the 10th match-up for Wright and Conlogue, adding a 7th win to Wright’s tally.
Wright and Conlogue went wave for wave to start the heat, but Wright continued to outperform her previous wave scores to give her a control halfway through the Final. Wright showcased her powerful rail-to-rail surfing, with a clean and precise rhythm. Wright landed a 14.67 over Conlogue’s 10.94 to give Wright her second Roxy Pro Gold Coast Title. Wright will wear the yellow jersey going into Bells. This was Conlogue’s highest finish at this event, as it was her first Finals appearance on the Gold Coast.
“The last few months and everything that has happened, it has been such an experience and a crazy one. It brought so much clarity for me and simplified everything so I could come here and absolutely be my best on the day. It made me realize that I want to win a World Title and I want to do it my way.”
“I want to verse the best, and Steph (Gilmore), Carissa (Moore), Courtney (Conlogue) and all the girls on Tour, they are all the best. I just want to do my own thing. I’ve known for a long time that I could win and it is having that belief and going out in heats saying ‘Yes, you’ve got this – just get it done.’”
“I want to thank Micro [Glen Hall] for being in my corner and helping me out, as well as my family and Rip Curl and everyone who came down today and supported us. It has been absolutely incredible so thanks.”
“It was an amazing final as I always wanted to have a heat against Tyler, and she surfed absolutely stellar,” said Conlogue. “ I’m really looking forward to being at Bells and starting over again. I thought every heat was a challenge posing obstacles I had to overcome. Your biggest challenge is usually you and the ocean and trying to get yourself on the right waves and creating those opportunities to perform. I am happy to be out here. To be able to surf Snapper with only a few women out there is amazing.”
Filipe Toledo (BRA), defending Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Champ and favorite to win the event, was injured after trying to perform an air-reverse in the Semifinals. Toledo fought through his injury to score a 13.27, but Matt Wilkinson (AUS) came back with a 14.43 two-wave combined score, earning a 6.60 in his last wave to advance to the Finals.
“I went for the air on the last maneuver of the wave and when I was landing the wave just came up on my board and put the pressure on my leg, which went up and sideways,” Toledo said. “I kept surfing after that and it was painful. But now I am good. I am not dying at all, I am just feeling a lot of pain. Besides that, I am happy with my result. I was surfing good and the board was good.”
In a major upset, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) knocked out reigning World Champion, Adriano De Souza (BRA), in the Quarterfinal match-up. De Souza began the heat with a relaxed approach, where Wilkinson took an early lead, but De Souza snagged the lead right back from Wilkinson. Needing a strong second-wave score to defeat the World Champion, Wilkinson caught a buzzer-beater giving him a 0.43 edge to eliminate De Souza.
“He [Matt Wilkinson] has been surfing good with a nice rhythm as well,” De Souza said. “It was a tough heat. He got the score he needed right at the end. I’ll just keep fighting. It is another result where I’ll walk away thinking I can do better, I can improve. I’m definitely hunting for a good result at Bells.”
Stuart Kennedy (AUS) continued his streak of upsets as he eliminated John John Florence (HAW) from the competition with a buzzer-beater ride in the last heat of the Quarters. Kennedy, who gained entry into the event as an injury replacement, earned a 15.23 combined two-wave score to defeat Florence’s 14.00.
“I learned so much coming out of last year and I’m putting it all together this year and figuring out how it all fits together,” Florence said. “The Quarters isn’t a super bad result at all. I am confident going into the next events. I love Bells and Margaret. I am looking forward to doing some carves.”
Carissa Moore (HAW), reigning WSL World Champion and last year’s event winner, was defeated by long-time rival Tyler Wright (AUS) in the Quarterfinals. Moore was not able to find a second wave score to answer back to Wright’s 8.50. Wright beat the three-time World Champion 14.17 to 14.00 despite a strong event showing from Moore who swept all heats leading up to the Quarterfinals.
“Two minutes to go, I still feel like that was a lot of time,” said Moore. “Just the way that the waves were coming in I was losing a little bit of faith there, but wanted to fight all the way to the end. I am stoked for Tyler. It is good to see she is surfing really well and she’s in rhythm with the ocean. I think for me the most disappointing part of it is that I never felt like I opened up the entire event. It’s just one of those events where I didn’t feel like I really clicked. I am super stoked to start off the year with the semis, not bad.”
Highlights from the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.
