Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards
Presented by Monster Energy

Australia Provides Shake Up for Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards

World Best Tame Monster Waves at Shipsterns Bluff Tasmania

www.billabong.com  & www.billabongxxl.com  |     Check the video courtesy of NineMSN

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 March, 2006 : - - Just two weeks before the cut-off date for the 2006 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy, a handful of the world’s best surfers have battled monstrous surf off the Southern tip of Tasmania in Australia over the weekend. 

With swells reaching 5m (15-18ft), a group of big wave adventurers including three times world champion Andy Irons (Haw), former world number two Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta), young Australian charger Laurie Towner (Angourie), Dylan Longbottom (Gold Coast) and Brendan Margieson (Gold Coast) towed and paddled into heaving caverns at Shipsterns Bluff, a rarely surfed isolated right hander named after the 100ft cliff which towers over the break. 

The monumental session is set to cause a major shake up for current contenders in both the Monster Tube and Monster Paddle in categories for the Billabong XXL awards which will be announced on the 14th of April in California.  With entries coming primarily from huge surf ridden in Hawaii, Mexico, California and Tahiti, Australia will now be represented solidly after the session was captured on land and in the water by video and stills cameramen.

Irons, who is in Australia for the first leg of the professional world tour was more than happy to join the crew for the one day journey and proved his big wave expertise is applicable at any break, riding the twisting terror’s with consummate ease.  Irons, who had towed into heavy sessions both in Hawaii and last years huge surf at Teahupoo just prior to the Billabong Pro Tahiti, rates Shipsterns and one mean mother of a wave. 

“Shipsterns is radical, it’s a really challenging wave, one of the toughest I have ever surfed,” said Irons.  “With the staircases in it and the way it hits the reef, it is so powerful, and with the cold water you’re not really penetrating the surface when you fall.  I have never really surfed a barrel that changes so much as it goes along.” 

Hawaiian Andy Irons, who is in Australia for the first leg of the professional world tour was more than
happy to join the crew for the one day journey and proved his big wave expertise is applicable at
any break, riding the twisting terror’s with consummate ease.  Irons, who had towed into heavy
sessions both in Hawaii and last years huge surf at Teahupoo just prior to the Billabong Pro
Tahiti, rates Shipsterns and one mean mother of a wave........
photo : Tim Jones/Billabong XXL (click image to enlarge)

“I have never surfed anything like that, other than Hawaii, Tahiti and Fiji, nothing even comes close,” said Irons.  “Parko talked me into this trip while the contest was on and when it was done he asked me if I was still keen and I said, yeah let’s do it.  I was stoked to be down there with guys like Margo and Dylan as well, they showed me such a good time.” 

19-year-old Towner, who scored one of the best waves of the season in Hawaii last year added another feather to his cap during his first ever surf at Shipsterns, paddling into one of the biggest waves ever to be ridden at the break without Personal Water Craft (PWC) assistance.  With Irons calling the wave solid 15-foot (5m) and wide enough to drive a double decker bus through the middle, Towner’s ride is the latest worthy entry in the USD $10,000 Billabong XXL Monster Paddle in category, placing the Northern NSW country kid alongside some of the most revered big wave surfers in the world. 

“I was just hoping to get a few waves, I was lucky to get a couple of good ones,” said Towner.  “Andy was right next to me on that big one calling me in.  At the start I was paddling slow just having a bit of a look at the wave and as it jacked up I paddled a bit faster and it let me into it.” 

For Towner, surfing alongside childhood heroes Irons and Parkinson and being pushed by the ever charging Longbottom was a defining moment in his young surfing career.  Currently rated fourth on the tough ASP Australasian Junior series, Towner has further elevated his status as one of the hottest prospects to emerge from the Australian junior ranks in recent years.  His maiden Shipsterns session one he is not likely to forget for some time. 

“They are some of the best surfers in the world,” said Towner.  “I was out there just looking at what they were doing and seeing how crazy they are in those kinds of waves.  I had never tow surfed before so it was good to watch those guys and see how they were positioning themselves.” 

19-year-old Australian surfer Laurie Towner (Angourie, NSW)  - For Towner, surfing alongside childhood
heroes Irons and Parkinson and being pushed by the ever charging Longbottom was a defining moment in
his young surfing career.  Currently rated fourth on the tough ASP Australasian Junior series, Towner
has further elevated his status as one of the hottest prospects to emerge from the Australian junior
ranks in recent years.  His maiden Shipsterns session one he is not likely to forget for some time.
photo : Tim Jones/Billabong XXL (click image to enlarge)

“It’s definitely one of the heaviest waves I have ever surfed but because it’s in Australia I felt a bit safer, it’s not coral or lava bottom like Hawaii and Tahiti,” said Towner.  “Waking up down there and thinking about the waves we were about to surf was pretty scary.  Everyone was pretty psyched when we rocked up, with the crew we had, it was hard not to be.” 

Parkinson, who had surfed the break before and had also been towing into massive waves on the Gold Coast just one week prior, rated the session as one of the heaviest he has ever surfed in Australia.  Suffering perhaps the worst wipe-out of the day on a 12 foot close-out, Parkinson was forced to straighten out, before the equivalent of a five story building collapsed around him, exploding him outwards towards the rocks. 

“I had a pretty nasty wipeout on one set, I had no option but to pull into this thing and the foam just pushed me down,” said Parkinson.  “It felt like a five story building landing on my head.  The last thing I saw was dry reef but luckily it kind of exploded underneath me and sent me into these three somersaults.  It worked me a bit after that but it could have been a lot worse.” 

“I had been down there and ridden it solid before but never that big and it was great to surf with Andy, I’m glad he came,” said Parkinson.  “He couldn’t believe it, being in Australia and surfing such crazy waves.” 

The 24-year-old’s unique tube riding skills held him in fine steed for the remainder of the session, bouncing back from the terrifying pounding to score some of the day’s biggest barrels. “It was unbelievable,” said Parkinson.  “It was a good day, no one got hurt which was the main priority but everyone had some serious wipeouts.   

“Laurie jagged a big one, it probably wasn’t the biggest wave of the day but it was by far the biggest wave anyone paddled into, no one paddled into anything near that big,” said Parkinson.  “Andy was sitting on the shoulder and was pretty keen to have a go but from where Andy was it would have been history for him.  It was such a big wave and Laurie rode it 10 out 10 perfect.” 

Joel  Parkinson  (Gold Coast/Australia) , who had surfed the break before and had also been towing into
massive waves on the Gold Coast just one week prior, rated the session as one of the heaviest he has
ever surfed in Australia.  Suffering perhaps the worst wipe-out of the day on a 12 foot close-out,
Parkinson was forced to straighten out, before the equivalent of a five story building collapsed
around him, exploding him outwards towards the rocks..........
photo : Tim Jones/Billabong XXL (click image to enlarge)

Remarkably, it was almost an identical session for XXL winner Longbottom, who twelve months ago rode a huge barrel ride at the same break to take out the coveted $5000 USD Billabong XXL Monster tube ride award, the only Australian recognized.  The surfer/shaper has forged a solid name for himself over the past 12 months, following the Billabong Adventure Division to some of the craziest locations in Australia.  With the images and footage of the session still to be scrutinized by the XXL judging panel, Longbottom may find himself in a position to be nominated for the prestigious awards two years running. 

The competition runs through March 31, with the awards ceremony scheduled for April 14, 2006 at The Grove Theater in Anaheim, California.  For rules, judging criteria and all event details and particulars, see www.BillabongXXL.com. 

Surfline.com is the official surf forecast of the Billabong XXL Awards.  The event is presented by Monster Energy and is sponsored by Honda Watercraft and Surfing Magazine.

Categories for the 2005/2006 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards include: 

Billabong XXL Award (biggest wave of year)
Surfer Prize: $1000 per foot of face height (minimum $60,000)
Photo Award: $5000

Monster Paddle Award (biggest wave caught using arm power alone)
Surfer Prize:  $10,000
Photo Award: $2000

Monster Tube Award (best big wave barrel ride)
Surfer Prize: $5000
Photo Award: $2000

Surfline Best Performance Award (Best overall by a male surfer)
Prize: $5000

Billabong Girls Best Performance Award (Best overall by a female surfer)
Prize $5000

2006 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards reports:
Report No 1 : Peak season arrives for Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards 
Report No 2 : Billabong XXL Awards to include special event at Jaws 
Report No 3 : Pacific storms produce Billabong XXL Awards entries
Report No 3 : El ganador del premio del Billabong XXL será aquel.... 

www.BillabongXXL.com

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Simon Barratt
Billabong Australia
sbarratt@billabong.com.au 

Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award information
Bill Sharp (In California)
SurfNewsEd@aol.com      

Big Wave XXL Awards - Surfersvillage