Surfing Life Peer Poll Awards

Winners Crowned at the Surfing Life Peer Poll Awards

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 11 April, 2009 : - - The 17th Annual Surfing Life Peer Poll Awards were run and won last weekend, on Saturday the 11th of April, in Torquay. A culmination of months spent polling every surfer on the ASP World Championship Tour by Surfing Life magazine editors, the awards recognised those surfers who excelled throughout 2008 as voted by their peers.

Across nine prestigious and hotly contested categories, winners were crowned from a field of nominees including the world’s best surfers and some of the brightest new stars rising through the ranks.

The Rip Curl Pro Search Indonesia was deemed the Best World Championship Tour Event of 2008. Australia’s Surfing Life Editor Tim Fisher agreed with the world’s best surfers, ‘It’s hard to beat an event that consistently takes the surfers to new and exciting locations every year and 2008 blessed the Indonesian event with perfect conditions in a perfect location.”

The Best Barrel Rider of 2008 and proud new father Bruce Irons, who couldn’t be present on the night, made his acceptance speech from his home of Kauai, Hawaii, with baby rattle in hand. This is the second year in a row that Bruce has claimed this award, solidifying his presence as one of the greatest barrel riders of this generation.

Contributing more than 30 years of his life to professional surfing, mentoring and coaching some of the world’s best surfers, creating the ASP World Tour as we know it today and still surfing better than most men half his age, the Living Legacy Award could not have gone to anyone else this year but Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew.

Of the award, ‘Rabbit’ said, “We all come in here harbouring the secret desire to win an award tonight. You look at the list, and you narrow down the categories you might be up for. I thought maybe, Best Tuberider, then I realised, damn it, I don’t think I even got a barrel last year, so I was out of that one.

Then I thought, maybe Next Big Thing, but I don’t think I’ll ever overtake Al Hunt on that one. Then I looked at the Living Legacy award, and I didn’t see much more corporate blond out there tonight, so… You know, the living part of that is excellent.

“As surfers we all have a big journey, and when one surf trip finishes you’re looking for the next one, and that’s what I’m doing now."
Living Legend and Surfing Life Peer Poll Living Legacy recipient, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew said.

It was Sydneysider Dayyan Neve voted te Most Underrated Surfer throughout 2008. The award emphasised the respect and admiration held toward Dayyan and his surfing by the rest of the World Tour Surfers.

“I thought I’d be going for best tuberider with this photo (looking at his award, a framed print of himself at the Rip Curl Search event). I’m just keeping the Manly tradition alive. Richie Lovett won this award two years in a row so I’m going to have to go for it this year. Thanks ASL.” Dayyan said.

Californian Dane Reynolds was acknowledged for his surfing above the lip by winning The Best Aerial Surfer Award, confirming that his peers are as impressed as the general public are with his explosive and progressive surfing.

The ASP World Tour surfers are in the best position to gauge the talent and skills of the junior surfers rising through the ranks and this year they voted two Australians as the winners of the Snickers® Next Big Thing – Julian Wilson and Sally Fitzgibbons.

 “Julian and Sally have the world at their feet. ASL has been tracking, filming and writing about them for a long time now and it’s great to see they are getting consistent recognition by the surfers who are both their peers and heroes” said ASL editor Tim Fisher.

Current two-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore was emphatically voted as The Best Female Surfer by her peers for her remarkable performance in 2008. Clearly elated by the award, Steph expressed, “To all the girls, it’s nice you still like me … we’ll see how long that lasts.” laughed Steph Gilmore as she accepted her award.

Kelly Slater went above and beyond expectations in 2008 and it was only fitting that his peers awarded him The Best Male Surfer title for his performance – an award he has now received 10 times over the past 17 years. For a man who has won almost everything there is to be won in the surfing world, “my mantelpiece is collapsing” Kelly noted, “Wow, up against a line of heavy Aussies there… Gee, don’t want to get stabbed on the back here in Bells.” laughed Kelly Slater as he accepted his tenth award.

Peppers, at The Sands Resort, was the idyllic venue for the event and MC Randy J Daniels and DJ Mr Moonshine ensured the world’s best surfers and the movers and shakers of the surfing industry helped the winners celebrate their victories.

The nine prestigious categories, their nominees and winners announced on the night were as follows:

Best World Championship Tour (WCT) Event:

Nominees
o The Quiksilver Pro Snapper Rocks
o The Rip Curl Search Indonesia
o The Boost Mobile Pro Trestles
o The Quiksilver Pro France

Winner
o The Rip Curl Search Indonesia

 
Best Barrel Rider

Nominees
o Kelly Slater
o Bruce Irons
o CJ Hobgood

Winner
o Bruce Irons

Best Aerial Surfer

Nominees
o Taj Burrow
o Dane Reynolds
o Jordy Smith

Winner
o Dane Reynolds

Most Underrated Surfer:

Winner
o Dayyan Neve (Aus)

Living Legacy

Winner
· Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew (Aus)

Snickers® Next Big Thing – Female

Nominees
o Carissa Moore
o Sally Fitzgibbons
o Malia Manuel

Winners
o Sally Fitzgibbons (Aus)

Snickers® Next Big Thing – Male

Nominees
o Owen Wright
o Julian Wilson
o Dusty Payne

Winner
o Julian Wilson (Aus)

Best Female Surfer

Nominees
o Silvana Lima
o Melanie Bartels
o Stephanie Gilmore
o Layne Beachley
o Sofia Mulanovich

Winner
o Stephanie Gilmore (Aus)

Best Male Surfer

Nominees
o Bede Durbidge
o Joel Parkinson
o Kelly Slater
o Taj Burrow
o Dane Reynolds

Winner
o Kelly Slater (USA)

- Advertisement -


Pre-release 30% online discount expires mid-April

About Australia’s Surfing Life: ASL has become Australia's biggest selling surfing magazine by successfully marrying an obsessive commitment to photo and design excellence with a knowledgeable and humourous commentary on all aspects of surfing. It is regarded as the worlds most well designed surfing magazine. ASL's commitment to excellence is backed up by standards of customer service that remain unparalleled in the industry.

About Morrison Media: Morrison Media is a unique and progressive publishing company. It’s been Morrison Media’s continued commitment to all areas of quality and service that has enabled the company to grow as it has since 1985. Morrison Media published titles include Australia’s Surfing Life, Slam, Riptide, Kiwi Surf, Australian Longboarding, Powderhound, Australian Snowboarder, Freerider MX, Trailbike Adventure, Frankie magazines and Visions, the Complete Guide to Surfing and Surf Stories books. Morrison Media is Australia’s leading independent action sports publisher with over ten titles across print, online and multimedia.

www.surfinglife.com.au

What's your take on this?
Post your thoughts: SV Forum

New Survey: Map Surfing’s future 

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts

New! B2B News ASBE-Surf   |  Receive News-Alerts

Leila Fischer

Awards - Surfersvillage