Paddle Power At Billabong Xxl » Greg Long and Grant Baker take top honours

PADDLE power came back into the ascendancy as the gladiators of big wave surfing took centre stage 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 12 months, as judged by a global panel of 250 surf industry former pros and big wave specialists.

Big Wave Winner ... Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Tafelberg Reef, South Africa on August 9, 2008.© 2009 - Brenton Geach/BillabongXXL.com

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. South African big wave pioneer Grant Baker, 35, (pictured left) was awarded two honours: taking out both the XXL Biggest Wave Award and the Surfline Men’s Best Overall Performance. More than 2000 people packed the Grove Theatre in Anaheim to witness mind-blowing rides from Chile, Europe, South Africa, Australia, Mexico, California and French Polynesia.

Rate this article: 1 2 3 4 5