{"id":15661,"date":"2010-04-23T23:46:10","date_gmt":"2010-04-24T06:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/?p=15661"},"modified":"2010-04-25T10:16:55","modified_gmt":"2010-04-25T17:16:55","slug":"2010-billabong-xxl-award-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/?p=15661","title":{"rendered":"2010 Billabong XXL Award Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Xxl<\/a>On Friday night (April 23, 2010) big wave surfing’s finest (and those who love them) packed into Anaheim, California’s The Grove<\/strong> for the 2010 Billabong XXL<\/a><\/strong> Awards. We didn’t attend but Mavsurfer.com’s<\/a><\/strong> Frank Quirarte<\/strong> did (click here to check out all his photos<\/a><\/strong>) and we’ll cut right to the results:<\/p>\n

Ride Of The Year<\/strong>
\n1: Grant Baker<\/strong> (Durban, South Africa) at Maverick\u2019s, California on February 13, 2010. (Video by Noel Robinson<\/strong>) (Surfer prize $50,000 \u2013 Video prize $5,000)
\n2: Ramon Navarro<\/strong> (Pichilemu, Chile) at Waimea Bay, Hawaii on December 8, 2009. (Surfer prize $5,000)
\n3: Shane Dorian<\/strong> (Kona, Kauai, Hawaii) Maverick\u2019s, California on February 13, 2010. (Surfer prize $1,500)
\n4: Raimana Van Bastolaer<\/strong> (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on March 17, 2010. (Surfer prize $1,500)
\n5: Mark Healey\/Shane Dorian<\/strong> (Sunset Beach & Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Waimea Bay, Hawaii on December 7, 2009. (Surfer prize $1,500)<\/p>\n

Biggest Wave<\/strong>
\nSebastian Steudtner<\/strong> (Nuremburg, Germany) at Jaws, Maui on December 7th, 2009. (Photo by Batel Shimi) (Surfer prize $15,000 and a Honda Aquatrax watercraft with HSA sled \u2013 Photo\/video prize $4,000)<\/p>\n

Paddle In<\/strong>
\nShawn Dollar<\/strong> (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Mavericks, California on February 13th, 2010 (Photo by Fred Pompermayer<\/strong>) (Surfer prize $15,000 \u2013 Photo\/video prize $4,000)<\/p>\n

Biggest Tube<\/strong>
\nRaimana Van Bastolaer <\/strong>(Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on March 17th, 2010. (Photo by Ben Thouard<\/strong>) (Surfer prize $5,000 \u2013 Photography prize $2,000)<\/p>\n

Best Overall Male Performance<\/strong>
\nShane Dorian<\/strong> (Kona, Hawaii) (Surfer prize $5,000)<\/p>\n

Best Overall Girls Performance<\/strong>
\nMaya Gabeira<\/strong> (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (Surfer prize $5,000)<\/p>\n

Wipeout<\/strong>
\nBrook Phillips<\/strong> Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania, Australia on October 19th, 2009.<\/p>\n

Follow the jump for all the details. . .
\n2010 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards Results are in<\/strong><\/p>\n

ANAHEIM, CA \u2014 (April 24, 2010) \u2014 Grant \u201cTwiggy\u201d Baker from Durban, South Africa took top Ride of the Year honors in the premier category of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy, at a glittering function in Anaheim, California last night.<\/p>\n

Baker, 36, pocketed US $50,000 for his incredible ride on an enormous wave which he paddled into during the Maverick\u2019s Surf Contest at Half Moon Bay in Northern California on February 13, 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is for my country, South Africa! We have the FIFA (soccer) World Cup later this year and we\u2019re a proud nation,\u201d Baker said in his victory speech after thanking the El Nino weather conditions for producing an amazing year of big waves around the planet, his fellow nominees for their incredible performances and confessing that he did not have a speech prepared as he did not expect to win.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to all the guys back at Dungeons (in Cape Town) and everyone here tonight. Drinks are on me!\u201d Baker added as he celebrated on stage with the giant check.<\/p>\n

Regarded as the Oscars of big wave surfing, the Tenth Annual XXL Awards recognize the biggest and heaviest waves ridden and documented over the past twelve months anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

2,300 surf-stoked fans packed the Grove Theater in Anaheim to witness mind-blowing rides from Chile, South Africa, Australia, Hawaii, Mexico, California and French Polynesia. In what proved to be one of the best years in big wave surfing history, over 1000 images and videos were submitted for judging. The awards are decided by a panel of 400 surfers, selected surf media and big wave aficionados.<\/p>\n

Sebastian Steudtner (Nuremberg, Germany) finished first in the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave division for a giant tow-in ride at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on a monster wave that took everyone by surprise for its size and speed. It was the first time a German surfer had appeared on the XXL stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels good; it\u2019s what I live for,\u201d said Steudtner. \u201cI moved to Hawaii when I was 16; a Hawaiian family took me in and taught me how to surf. I am honored to win this thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shawn Dollar officially surfed into the record books for riding a paddle-in wave judged to be 55 feet on the face to win the Monster Paddle Award. The previous Guinness Book best was held by Californian Taylor Knox for a 52-foot wave ridden at Todos Santos, Mexico in 1998.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like winning a Gold Medal or winning the World Series,\u201d said Dollar. \u201cIt\u2019s been the most important thing in my life for many years and I\u2019ve accomplished it \u2013 phenomenal!\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2010 Billabong XXL Awards were webcast in over a dozen countries with a worldwide audience that broke records for a surfing awards event. The awards ceremony was webcast live on BillabongXXL.com and simulcast on EXPN.com. The event will be broadcast on the ESPN networks starting May 18.<\/p>\n

In all, over $130,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to the world\u2019s greatest big wave surfers in this edition of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy. Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda is the official watercraft of the event. Surfline.com is the exclusive surf forecast of the XXL. The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine, Air Tahiti Nui and High Surf Accessories.<\/p>\n

FINAL RESULTS:<\/p>\n

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD
\n1st: Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Maverick\u2019s, California on February 13, 2010. (Video by Noel Robinson)
\n(Surfer prize $50,000 \u2013 Video prize $5,000)
\n2nd: Ramon Navarro (Pichilemu, Chile) at Waimea Bay, Hawaii on December 8, 2009.
\n(Surfer prize $5,000)
\n3rd: Shane Dorian (Kona, Kauai, Hawaii) Maverick\u2019s, California on February 13, 2010.
\n(Surfer prize $1,500)
\n4th: Raimana Van Bastolaer (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on March 17, 2010.
\n(Surfer prize $1,500)
\n5th: Mark Healey\/Shane Dorian (Sunset Beach & Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Waimea Bay, Hawaii on December 7, 2009.
\n(Surfer prize $1,500)<\/p>\n

WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
\nSebastian Steudtner (Nuremburg, Germany) at Jaws, Maui on December 7th, 2009. (Photo by Batel Shimi)
\n(Surfer prize $15,000 and a Honda Aquatrax watercraft with HSA sled \u2013 Photo\/video prize $4,000)<\/p>\n

WINNER MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
\nShawn Dollar (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Mavericks, California on February 13th, 2010 (Photo by Fred Pompermayer)
\n(Surfer prize $15,000 \u2013 Photo\/video prize $4,000)<\/p>\n

WINNER MONSTER TUBE PHOTO AWARD
\nRaimana Van Bastolaer (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on March 17th, 2010. (Photo by Ben Thouard)
\n(Surfer prize $5,000 \u2013 Photography prize $2,000)<\/p>\n

WINNER BEST MALE OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD
\nShane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii)
\n(Surfer prize $5,000)<\/p>\n

WINNER BILLABONG GIRLS BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD
\nMaya Gabeira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
\n(Surfer prize $5,000)<\/p>\n

WINNER VERIZON WIRELESS WIPEOUT AWARD
\nBrook Phillips Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania, Australia on October 19th, 2009.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Friday night (April 23, 2010) big wave surfing’s finest (and those who love them) packed into Anaheim, California’s The Grove for the 2010 Billabong XXL Awards. We didn’t attend but Mavsurfer.com’s Frank Quirarte did (click here to check out all his photos) and we’ll cut right to the results: Ride Of The Year 1: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15661"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15661"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15669,"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15661\/revisions\/15669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}