Contests 03/22/2008
Billabong XXL - Ride of the Year
The finalists for the 2008 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy were announced today, marking the culmination of what is likely the greatest year in big wave surfing history. After 12 months of amazing conditions from Chile to South Africa to Europe to Tahiti to Hawaii to California to Mexico, over 500 entered images were narrowed down through the votes of the surfers and photographers themselves, producing this year’s elite nominations. Video and still images of all the top rides are now available for viewing on the updated event website at BillabongXXL.com.
The winners will be announced on April 11, 2008 at the eighth-annual invitation-only awards gala at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California before 2,000 surf world VIPs. The entire night’s festivities will be webcast live on the event website and EXPN.com and will also be the focus of a one-hour television special airing on the ESPN2 network on the evening of May 29.
I’ve been sitting here watching all of the nominees over and over again for the Wave of the Year Award, and it’s a really hard call. Dorian‘s wave is amazing the way he stalls and then gets rag-dolled at the end. Ian‘s is so white and frothy and bumpy, Carlos‘ wave at Ghost Trees is just incredibly big and clean, and the mid-face air drop negotiation of Michael Brennan at Shipstearns is pretty mind-blowing too, but I think I’m going to have to give it to Manoa. His wave is so big and clean and crazy and deep, that halfway through it looks exactly like something out of the Kelly Slater Pro Surfer video game.
What do you guys think? Who do you think should win and why?
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