etnies

Three of our big wave boys are in the running for Billabong's XXL Awards!

1. Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award Nominee (winner wins $50K): Mark Mathews / Maroubra, Australia
2. Monster Paddle Award Nominee (winner wins $15K): Derek Dunfee / La Jolla, CA
3. Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award Nominee(winner wins $50K): Benjamin Sanchiz / Hossegor, France

Congratulations to these big wave hellman!

The biggest waves and best rides from around the world vie for $130,000 as surfing's top big wave event prepares for its annual awards ceremony on April 17th.

The finalists for the 2009 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy were announced today following yet another remarkable year of surf. Following 12 months of enormous swell events from Europe to South Africa to Australia to California and beyond, over 550 entered images have been distilled down to this year’s elite nominations. Video and still images of all the top rides are now available for viewing on the updated event website at BillabongXXL.com.

The winners will be announced on Friday, April 17, 2009 at the ninth-annual invitation-only awards gala at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California before 2,250 surf world VIPs. The entire night’s festivities will be webcast live on the event website and will also be the focus of a one-hour television special airing on the ESPN2 network on the evening of May 29.

Stay tuned!