Not to put down the good wibes of the sunny afternoon speeding on a retro fish in 1ft surf but this is something else. The other end of the stick. People often ask is surfing dangerous, is snowboarding dangerous blah blah blah… Hell yes, it can be. As can be any sport pushed to the extreme. Try running from east to west coast of United states for instance. Is running dangerous? On the other hand any sport can be just like a walk in the park – fun and safe if you know your limits. (Well unless your sport looks something like this, then you are doomed). Big wave surfing is as extreme and dangerous as it gets but the limits of this years Billabong XXL award nominees are set high. And yeah, girls rip in big waves too.
Billabong XXL nominees for 2006
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
Surfer gets $50,000, video gets $5000.
- Ken “Skindog” Collins (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico (Video by Josh Pomer)
- Manoa Drollet (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti (Video by Kendall O’Brian)
- Rusty Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico (Video by Andrew Kopjak)
- Andrew Marr (Cape Town, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa (Video by Grant Washburn)
- Doug Young (Dunedin, New Zealand) at Teahupoo, Tahiti (Video by Christopher Kirkham)
BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD NOMINEES
Surfer gets $15,000, photo/video gets$4000. {jgxtimg src:=[images/stories/news/surf/billabongxxl500.jpg] width:=[250] style:=[float:right]}
- Alfy Cater at Outer Bombora, Western Australia (Photos by Russell Ord, Jamie Scott, Video by Rick Rifici)
- Alistair Craft at Ghost Tree, Pebble Beach, California on December 11, 2006 (Photos by Brown, Keagy, Weber)
- Damon Eastaugh at Outer Bombora, Western Australia (Photos by Russell Ord, Jamie Scott, Video by Rick Rifici)
- Greg Long at Dungeons, South Africa (Photos by Al McKinnon, Shaun Timoney)
- Andrew Marr at Dungeons, South Africa (Photos by Al McKinnon, Shaun Timoney, Video by Grant Washburn)
MONSTER PADDLE AWARD NOMINEES
Surfer gets $15,000 , photo/video gets $4000
- Ben Andrews at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California (Photos by Don Montgomery, Frank Quirarte )
- Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California (Video by Ryan Casey)
- Axier Muniain (Zarautz, Spain) at Playa Gris, Spain (Photos by Pablo Azkue, Video by Manex Artola)
- Gabriel Villaran (Lima, Peru) at El Buey, Arica, Chile (Photos by Kai Benson)
- Dave Wassel at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California (Photos by Fred Pompermeyer, Video by Larry Haynes)
MONSTER TUBE AWARD NOMINEES
Surfer gets $5,000, photo/video gets $2000).
- Ken “Skindog” Collins at Puerto Escondido, Mexico (Photos by Edwin Morales, Video by Josh Pomer)
- Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti (Video by Kendall O’Brian)
- Manoa Drollet (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti (Photos by Tim McKenna, Video by Kendall O’Brian)
- Martin Paradisis at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania (Photos by Remi Chauvin, Stuart Gibson, Video by Tom Webster)
- Doug Young (Dunedin, New Zealand) at Teahupoo, Tahiti (Photos by Sean Collins, Video by Christopher Kirkham)
SURFLINE MEN’S BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD NOMINEES
Surfer gets $5,000
- Danilo Couto (Bahia, Brazil)
- Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA)
- Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA)
BILLABONG WOMEN’S BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD NOMINEES
Surfer gets $5,000
- Maya Gabeira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Andrea Moller (Maui, Hawaii, USA)
- Jamilah Star (Santa Cruz, California, USA)