Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards
Surfing Gladiators Honored at 2009 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 18 April, 2009 : – -Â Grove Theatre Anaheim — The gladiators of big wave surfing took center stage in California last night for the ninth annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards.
Regarded as the Oscars of big wave surfing, the XXL awards recognize the biggest and ugliest waves ridden over the past twelve months as judged by a global panel of 250 surf industry, former pros and big wave specialists. Over 2000 people packed the Grove Theatre in Anaheim to witness mind-blowing rides from Chile, Europe, South Africa, Australia, Mexico, California and French Polynesia. Â
Californian big wave surfer Greg Long, 26, took top honors at the gala ceremony and was handed $50,000 for winning the Ride Of The Year Category. Long’s entry came from a ride he conquered during the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event on July 26th 2008 at Dungeons, a renowned high surf location off Cape Town.
Of all the entries in the Ride Of The Year Category, Long’s was the only wave ridden without the assistance of a PWC (Jet-Ski). Paddling into a monster Dungeons peak and banking off the bottom into a huge tube ride… Details