BIGGEST WAVES AND BEST RIDES OF THE YEAR CAN BE SEEN ON TUESDAY, MAY 18 AT 9:30 PM PACIFIC
NEWPORT BEACH, CA — (May 17, 2010) — A TV special on the 2010 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy will air on ESPN2 Tuesday, May 18 at 9:30 P.M. Pacific Time (12:30 A.M. late night on the East Coast).
The one-hour documentary brings together the most thrilling moments from the last year of big wave riding from all around the world and delves into the mindsets of the surfers who are pushing the limits like never before.
And in a big wave year regarded as one of the greatest in history, there are plenty of highlights including Shane Dorian recounting his first ever-day at Maverick’s where the Hawaiian scored one of the best paddle-in tube rides ever achieved at the notorious Northern California breaks — followed by his near-death experience during a two-wave hold-down the following day.
Other segments follow the amazing push in big-wave paddle surfing and a pair of monumental swells which intersected with the running of the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau contest at Waimea Bay in Hawaii and the Maverick’s Surf Contest on the West Coast.
The four days of action produced a flurry of nominations, culminating in Santa Cruz surfer Shawn Dollar winning the Monster Paddle title with a world-record 55-foot wave and South African Grant “Twiggy” Baker collecting the Ride of the Year crown and its $50,000 reward.
The first big swells to hit the legendary break of Jaws on the Hawaiian Island of Maui in some five years offered several massive days suitable for tow-in surfing, with an unknown German transplant by the name of Sebastian Steudtner winning for the biggest wave of the year, an enormous 66-foot left.
Steudtner tells how he was taken in as a youngster by a traditional Hawaiian family and taught the waterman’s path, leading over many years to his overnight fame.
This year there were also amazing performances by an unprecedented array of women in big waves including big Jaws rides by Hawaiians Bethany Hamilton and Keala Kennelly, a crazy Australian barrel by Layne Beachley and a precise traverse through a serious tube at Tahiti’s Teahupoo by Billabong Girls Best Performance category winner Maya Gaberia of Brazil.
Adding to the drama, a last-minute Tahiti swell just three days before the end of the event period in March blew the Monster Tube division wide open with some astonishingly large barrels at Teahupoo including a winner for local Raimana Van Bastolaer.
All this and more (including the Verizon Wipeout of the Year results) make this year’s Billabong XXL presentation on ESPN2 a must-see event for anyone who follows big wave surfing. Tune in or set your DVR now!
For more information on the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards and to see all the highlights and winners for this year, see the event website.
To view or embed a 30-second preview commercial of the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards Show presented by Monster Energy use this link.
Â
Â
