It's been a unique big-wave winter. For months on end previously unseen spots kept popping up all over the map. Now, after every last heroic ride, death-defying drop and hidious wipeouts, the lunatics shall be judged.
Tonight the heavy-water freakshow decends on The Grove in Anahiem, California, for the Billabong XXL Awards. There's $130,000 in prize money on the table, $50,000 going for the XXL Ride of the Year Award, but let us be honest, this isn't about cash, this is about balls. From the Monster Tube Ride to the Verizon Wipeout of the Year, and of course the XXL Biggest Wave and Ride of the Year, this is a chest-pounding contest.
If you reckon yourself an adrenline junkie and can't make the show, no worries, it's being webcast live on BillabongXXL.com. The show is also being made into a one-hour special on ESPN2 airing at 9:30 Pacific Time on May 28, 2009.
Proving the global nature of big wave riding, nominees for this year's awards come from countries including Australia, South America, USA, South Africa, the Basque Country of Northern Spain, France and Hawaii.
And as far as the show goes, Billabong's lined up a host of former world champs, hellmen, and previous XXL winners, not to mention Occy, Andy Irons, Jeff Clark and Greg Noll.
So there you go, watch the show online, and tune in to ESPN Action Sports this weekend for complete, in-depth coverage.
LIVE WEBCAST START TIMES
02:00 GMT
19:00 USA Pacific Time
22:00 USA Eastern Time
23:00 Brazil Sao Paulo/Rio
16:00 USA Hawaii
12:00 Sydney Australia
14:00 Auckland New Zealand
10:00 Asia/Indonesia
04:00 Paris France
04:00 South Africa
BILLABONG XXL NOMINEES
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $50,000, Video prize $5,000):
Brian Conley (San Diego, California) at Boca Grande, Mexico on October 22, 2008. (Video by Brian Conley)
Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania. (Video by Tim Bonython)
James Hollmer-Cross (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania. (Video by Dave Otto)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Dungeons, Tasmania. (Video by Fixerfilm/RedBull BWA)
Garrett McNamara (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti. (Video by Simon Saffigna)
BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $15,000 and a Honda Aquatrax watercraft with HSA sled, Photo/video prize $4,000):
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Tafelberg Reef, South Africa. (Photos by Brenton Geach and Alan Van Gysen. Video by Fixerfilm/Hutchmotion.)
Mark Mathews (Maroubra, N.S.W., Australia) at Cow Bommie, Western Australia. (Photo by Jamie Scott. Video by Tim Bonython.)
Axi Muniain (Basque Country, Spain) at Belharra, France. (Photo by Greg Rabejac)
Benjamin Sanchis (Hossegor, France) at Belharra Reef, France. (Photo by Stephane Salerno)
Damien Warr (Yallingup, Western Australia) at Cow Bommie, Western Australia. (Photo by Jamie Scott)
MONSTER PADDLE AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $15,000, Photo/video prize $4,000):
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Maverick's, California. (Photos by Nikki Brooks, Robert Brown, Todd Glaser, Seth Migdail, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte. Video by Eric Nelson)
Derek Dunfee (San Diego, California, USA) at Maverick's, California. (Photos by Robert Brown, Todd Glaser, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte)
Nathan Fletcher (San Clemente, California, USA) at Maverick's, California. (Photos by Seth Migdail, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte)
Axi Muniain (Basque Country, Spain) at Belharra Reef, France. (Photo by Greg Rabejac. Video by Fred Berho)
James Taylor (Cape Town, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa. (Photos by Nic Bothma, Jeff Flindt and Alan Van Gysen. Video by Fixerfilm/Red Bull BWA)
MONSTER TUBE PHOTO AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $5,000, Photo prize $2,000):
Kerby Brown (Kalbarri, Western Australia) at South Bommie, Western Australia. (Photo by Russell Ord)
Mark Healey (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Yeti, Pacific Northwest. (Photo by Jason Murray)
Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania. (Photo by Rodd Owen)
Dylan Longbottom (Gold Coast, Australia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti. (Photos by Edwin Morales and Fred Pompermayer)
Garrett McNamara (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti. (Photos by Tim McKenna and Fred Pompermayer)
VERIZON WIRELESS WIPEOUT AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize is a G'zOne Casio Boulder Phone with one year of free servicea $2,000 value):
Dean Bowen (Gerroa, New South Wales, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania
Ross Clarke-Jones (Torquay, Victoria, Australia) at Pedra Branca, Tasmania
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Maverick's, California
Ramon Navarro (Pichelemu, Chile) at Santos del Mar, Chile
Grant Washburn (San Francisco, California, USA) at Maverick's, California
SURFLINE BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $5,000)
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA)
Mark Mathews (Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia)
BILLABONG GIRLS PERFORMANCE AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $5,000):
Maya Gabeira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Mercedes Maidana (Argentina)
Jamilah Star (Santa Cruz, California, USA)