Danilo Couto captures Billabong XXL 'Ride of the Year'

Danilo Couto © Billabong XXL

Big Wave News

Kauai Surfer Sion Milosky Posthumously Wins Best Performance Honors | française ci dessous

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 30 April, 2011 : - - The eleventh annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards fueled by Monster Energy climaxed in Anaheim, California last night as Brazilian Danilo Couto scooped top honors for Ride of the Year. Couto earned $50,000 and the keys to a new Toyota Tacoma truck for a paddle-in wave conquered at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii during one of the biggest swells of the year.

Couto, who has been living in Hawaii for many years in his personal quest to ride bigger and bigger waves, was ecstatic as he accepted his award from skateboard legend Tony Hawk. "I've been feeling really good for two months, ever since I caught that wave,” said Couto. “I couldn't sleep for days, knowing I had done something so special. To be a part of surf history, to have an impact ... it's special."

Prior to this winter’s paddle-in assault, the Jaws break had long been regarded as a spot so difficult to ride a jet-ski tow in assist was required.

Regarded as the Oscars of big wave surfing, the Billabong XXL Awards recognize the biggest and heaviest waves ridden and documented over the past 12 months. More than 2200 big wave riders, industry VIPs, surf retailers and stoked fans packed the Grove Theater in Anaheim to witness astonishing rides from Fiji, Tasmania, France, Hawaii, Ireland, California and Australia.

Over 1000 images and videos were submitted for judging, with winners decided by a panel of 400 surfers, photographers and surf media editors. All the winners and highlights of the night may be seen on the event website at BillabongXXL.com and at Facebook.com/BillabongXXL

Hawaiian Shane Dorian officially surfed into the record books for paddling into his own outrageous wave at Jaws, Maui (judged to be 57 ft on the face), easily winning the Monster Paddle Award. Dorian also captured the Monster Tube Award for his heroics later on the same wave, as he pulled into one of the greatest barrels of all time.

Shane Dorian © Billabong XXL

"It was an epic swell, a real late season swell,” recalled Dorian. “I didn't really catch a lot of big waves throughout the whole year…I was just stoked the swell came my way, near my house in Maui, and we scored. The Monster Tube award is pretty special --I mean every surfer wants to get tubed, right?"

Hawaii’s, Keala Kennelly took the Girls Performance of the Year Award, breaking the four-in-a-row stranglehold Brazilian Maya Gabeira had held on that category. Benjamin Sanchis, flying all the way from France to attend the festivities, took top honors for the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award with a wave measured at 67 feet on the face.

"I'm not only happy for myself, but I'm stoked for Europe”, said a beaming Sanchis. “This is a big win and I'm really proud, I'm really happy. The wave, Belharra, is about 30 minutes from my house. It wasn't even a big day for that spot, it gets bigger for sure.”

Rides at Belharra Reef (in the Basque Country near the French/Spanish border) have been nominated numerous times in XXL history, but this was the first victory for the famed European break.

Kauai surfer Sion Milosky -- who tragically drowned last month at Maverick’s in Northern California -- posthumously won the Surfline Best Men’s Performance Award for a string of outstanding high surf sessions. Milosky was the first top-level big wave surfer to die while surfing big waves since the XXL awards were established in 2000.

Milosky’s wife, children and father accepted the award on Sion’s behalf following an emotional tribute by friend and previous Ride of the Year winner Ken “Skindog” Collins of Santa Cruz. Several winners donated their prize money to the Milosky Family Fund, including Shane Dorian and Australian Mark Mathews, who captured the Verizon Wipeout Award.

For the first time ever, the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards were taped for an immediate airing on FUEL TV less than 48 hours after the gala evening. The show airs Sunday night, May 1 at 6 PM Pacific Time (9 P.M. Eastern) and features a long list of celebrity presenters including skateboarder Tony Hawk, fighter Tito Ortiz and band members from Metallica and Incubus.

In all, over $130,000 in cash and prizes was awarded to the world's greatest big wave surfers in this edition of the Billabong XXL Awards fueled by Monster Energy. Verizon is the official communications provider and Toyota is the official vehicle of the event. Surfline.com is the exclusive surf forecast of the XXL. The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine, Air Tahiti Nui and Contour.

Benjamin Sanchis © Billabong XXL/Bastiene Bonnarme

Billabong XXL Big Wave Results:

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER WINNER:
(Surfer prize $50,000 - Plus Toyota Tacoma year lease)
Danilo Couto

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER SECOND:
(Surfer prize $5,000)
David Scard

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER THIRD
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Mark Healey

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER FOURTH
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Michael Brennen

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER FIFTH
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Benjamin Sanchis

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR VIDEO:
(Video prize $5,000)
Elliot Leboe

WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 – wave was 67 feet)
Benjamin Sanchis

WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE PHOTO AWARD
(Photographer prize $4,000 )
Bastien Bonnarme

WINNER MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 - wave was 57 feet, a new record!!)
Shane Dorian

WINNER MONSTER PADDLE PHOTO AWARD
(Photo prize $4,000)
Batel Shimi

WINNER SURFLINE BEST MEN’S PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Sion Milosky

WINNER BILLABONG GIRLS BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Keala Kennelly

VERIZON WIPEOUT SURFER AWARD
(Surfer prize $2,000)
Mark Mathews

VERIZON WIPEOUT VIDEO AWARD
(Photo prize $1,000)
Andrew Chisholm

MONSTER TUBE SURFER AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Shane Dorian

MONSTER TUBE PHOTO AWARD
(Photo prize $2,000)
Bruno Lemos

www.billabongxxl.com

Benjamin Sanchis © Billabong XXL

française

Benjamin Sanchis remporte le prestigieux 'Biggest Wave Award' | française ci dessous

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 30 April, 2011 : - - Vendredi 30 avril 2011 en Californie, avait lieu la 11e cérémonie annuelle des Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, présenté par Monster Energy. Considérés comme les Oscars du Surf de gros, les Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards récompensent les surfeurs ayant pris les plus grosses vagues au cours des 12 derniers mois.

Pas moins de 2200 invités, réunissant les meilleurs surfeurs mondiaux et la crème de l’industrie, étaient présents au Grove Theater d’Anaheim pour célébrer la discipline. Un pannel de 400 surfeurs, photographes et médias spécialisés ont élu les gagnants parmi plus de 1000 photos et vidéos postées pendant les douze derniers mois. Retrouvez les meilleurs moments de la soirée sur BillabongXXL.com et sur Facebook.com/BillabongXXL.

Le Brésilien Danilo Couto a remporté la catégorie Ride of the Year et les 50 000 $US de récompense. Il est reparti avec un Toyota Tacoma Truck flambant neuf pour aller prendre les plus grosses vagues Hawaiiennes à la rame à Jaws ou à Maui pendant une année. Danilo Couto, qui consacre sa vie à la quête de grosses vagues à Hawaii depuis plusieurs années, a reçu sa récompense avec émotion des mains du skateur de légende Tony Hawk.

L’Hawaiien Shane Dorian, écrit un nouveau record dans l’histoire du surf avec un monstre de vague de plus de 17 mètres pris à la rame à Jaws et décroche haut la main le Monster Paddle Award. Shane Dorian s’octroit aussi le Monster Tube Award pour l’un des plus beaux tubes de tous les temps pris sur cette même vague.
Benjamin Sanchis, arrivé directement de Tahiti pour l’occasion, a reçu tous les honneurs en remportant le titre le Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award avec une vague surfée à Belharra en février dernier et estimée à 20,4m.

« Je ne suis pas seulement heureux pour moi, mais pour l’Europe », explique Sancho. « C’est une sacrée victoire, je suis vraiment fier et très content. La vague de Belharra se trouve à 30mn de chez moi. Ce n’était pas un jour si gros que ça pour ce spot, ça peut être bien plus gros ! »

La fameuse vague de Belharra située au large de Saint Jean de Luz dans le pays Basque avait déjà valu bon nombre de nominations dans l’histoire des Billabong XXL mais c’est la toute première fois qu’elle engendre une victoire.

L’hawaiienne, Keala Kennelly remporte le Girls Performance of the Year Award, après quatre années de victoire consécutive de la Brésilienne Maya Gabeira.
Le surfeur Hawaiien Sion Milosky (Kawai), victime d’une noyade tragique le mois dernier à Maverick’s au nord de la Californie, a été récompensé à titre posthume par le Surfline Best Men’s Performance Award. Milosky est le premier chargeur de gros à avoir trouvé la mort en surfant depuis la création des XXL Awards en 2000.

Les Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards sont présentés par Monster Energy. Verizon Wireless est le fournisseur d’accès officiel, Surfline est le site officiel de prévisions surf des XXL, Toyota le partenaire véhicule officiel et Contour le partenaire Caméras officiel. L’événement est parrainé par Surfing Magazine et Air Tahiti Nui.

Résultats des Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards 2011:

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR
Gagnant: Danilo Couto (Surfer prize $50,000 - Plus Toyota Tacoma year lease)
2e : David Scard (Surfer prize $5,000)
3e : Mark Healey (Surfer prize $1,500)
4e : Michael Brennen (Surfer prize $1,500)
5e : Benjamin Sanchis (Surfer prize $1,500)

Video Award: Elliot Leboe (Video prize $5,000)

BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
Gagnant : Benjamin Sanchis (Surfer prize $15,000 – Vague de 20,4m !)

Photo Award : Bastien Bonnarme (Photographer prize $4,000 )

MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
Gagnant : Shane Dorian (Surfer prize $15,000 – Vague de 17,4m Nouveau record!!)

Photo Award : Batel Shimi (Photo prize $4,000)

SURFLINE BEST MEN’S PERFORMANCE AWARD
Gagnant : Sion Milosky (Surfer prize $5,000)

BILLABONG GIRLS BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD
Gagnant : Keala Kennelly (Surfer prize $5,000)

VERIZON WIPEOUT AWARD
Gagnant : Mark Mathews (Surfer prize $2,000)
Video Award : Andrew Chisholm (Photo prize $1,000)

MONSTER TUBE AWARD
Gagnant : Shane Dorian (Surfer prize $5,000)
Photo Award : Bruno Lemos (Photo prize $2,000)

www.billabongxxl.com

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