hiya wa howa aswat

The nominees for the 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards have been announced. Apparently, we live in an Anglophone world.

Grant Baker, Shane Dorian, Billy Kemper, Greg Long, and Shaun Walsh have been nominated for "Ride of the Year". Surprisingly, there is not a single European wave in the most important category, despite the extraordinary winter stunts captured in Nazaré, Mullaghmore Head and Belharra.

This year all five nominees are paddle-in waves, reflecting the sport's general trend toward its traditional approach, with three rides taking place at Jaws, one at Dungeons, and another one in Puerto Escondido.

In the "Paddle Award", Grant Baker, Shawn Dollar, Aaron Gold, Mark Healey, and Mark Mathews keep Billabong XXL as an anglophone contest for anglophone riders and spots. No European waves and rides, too.

The "Biggest Wave" trophy, with a mere 10,000 dollars of prize money, looks like a big wave recycling center of the Old Continent.

In this division, Carlos Burle, Andrew Cotton, Gautier Garanx, Francisco Porcella, and Ian Walsh will certainly not express the glory of their feats with the widest smiling faces.

The 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards has been unofficially nominated for the most unfair surfing competition ever. Lobbies? What lobbies?

2014 Billabong XXL "Ride of the Year" Nominees:
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa on August 6, 2013.
Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Hawaii on March 2, 2014.
Billy Kemper (Haiku, Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii on January 19, 2014.
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 7, 2013.
Shaun Walsh (Kuau, Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii on January 19, 2014.

2014 Billabong XXL "Paddle Award" Nominees:
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Sunset, South Africa on August 5, 2013.
Shawn Dollar (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on January 21, 2014.
Aaron Gold (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Hawaii on January 23, 2014.
Mark Healey (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Hawaii on November 13, 2013.
Mark Mathews (Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia) at Jaws, Hawaii on January 23, 2014.

2014 Billabong XXL "Biggest Wave" Nominees:
Carlos Burle (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at Nazaré, Portugal on October 28, 2013.
Andrew Cotton (Braunton, North Devon, United Kingdom) at Nazaré, Portugal on February 2, 2014.
Gautier Garanx (Bayonne, France) at Belharra Reef, France on December 22, 2013.
Francisco Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) at Jaws, Hawaii on January 22, 2014.
Ian Walsh (Haiku, Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii on January 22, 2014.


2014 Billabong XXL "Tube Award" Nominees:
Kai Lenny (Paia, Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii on January 19, 2014.
Alain Riou (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on May 13, 2013.
Koa Rothman (Sunset Beach, Hawaii) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on May 13, 2013.
Laurie Towner (Angourie, New South Wales, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on April 12, 2013.
Raimana Van Bastolaer (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on May 13, 2013.