Presentate le nomination per il billabong xxl 2007

Il francese polinesiamo Manoa Drollet e lo spagnolo Axier Munjain di Zarautz sono stati inclusi nella lista dei finalisti per l’edizione 2007 del tradizionale Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presentato da Monster Energy.
In nomi dei finalisti sono stati annunciati da poche ore in California.
Le locations nominate sono Sud Africa, Australia, Spagna, Messico, California, Tahiti e Cile, a dimostrazione di come il big wave surfing sia ormai diventato una realtà in tutto il mondo.
La surfata di Manoa su un mostro nel suo homebreak di Tahiti gli ha valso la nomination nella categoria Monster Tube, mentre lo spagnolo Muniain è entrato nella categoria Monster Paddle, per l’incredibile onda presa remando a Playa Gris il 29 novembre 2006.
I vincitori saranno annunciati il 13 aprile durante la cerimonia finale al Grove Theater di Anaheim, California, trasmetta in LIVE webcast.
Quest’anno i 50.000 dollari di premio andranno alla nuova categoria The Ride of the Year, che premia la performance più incredibile su una big wave documentata nel corso dei passati dodici mesi.

Questi i finalisti delle varie categorie:

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD
(Surfer prize $50,000 – Video prize $5000)
Ken “Skindog” Collins (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 17, 2006
(Video by Josh Pomer)
Manoa Drollet (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 28, 2006
(Video by Kendall O’Brian)
Rusty Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 2, 2006
(Video by Andrew Kopjak)
Andrew Marr (Capetown, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 30. 2006
(Video by Grant Washburn)
Doug Young (Dunedin, New Zealand) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on October 13, 2006
(Video by Christopher Kirkham)

BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 – Photo/video prize: $4000)
Alfy Cater (Yallingup, Western Australia) off the Western Australia Coast on July 5, 2006
(Photos by Russell Ord, Jamie Scott • Video by Rick Rifici)
Alistair Craft (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Ghost Tree, Pebble Beach, California on December 11, 2006
(Photos by Robert Brown, Bart Keagy, Michael Weber)
Damon Eastaugh (Yallingup, Western Australia) off the Western Australia Coast on July 5, 2006
(Photos by Russell Ord, Jamie Scott • Video by Rick Rifici)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 30. 2006
(Photos by Al McKinnon, Shaun Timoney)
Andrew Marr (Capetown, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 30. 2006
(Photos by Al McKinnon, Shaun Timoney • Video by Grant Washburn)

MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 – Photo/video prize: $4000)
Ben Andrews (San Francisco, California, USA) at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California on December 11, 2006
(Photos by Don Montgomery, Frank Quirarte • Video by Larry Haynes)
Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California on December 14, 2006
(Video by Ryan Casey)
Axier Muniain (Zarautz, Spain) at Playa Gris, Spain on November 29, 2006
(Photos by Pablo Azkue • Video by Manex Artola)
Gabriel Villaran (Lima, Peru) at El Buey, Arica, Chile on June 20, 2006
(Photos by Kai Benson)
Dave Wassel (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California on December 15, 2006
(Photos by Fred Pompermeyer • Video by Larry Haynes)

MONSTER TUBE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000 – Photo/video prize: $2000)
Ken “Skindog” Collins (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 17, 2006
(Photos by Edwin Morales • Video by Josh Pomer)
Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 28, 2006
(Video by Kendall O’Brian)
Manoa Drollet (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 28, 2006
(Photos by Tim McKenna • Video by Kendall O’Brian)
Martin Paradisis (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on May 19, 2006
(Photos by Remi Chauvin, Stuart Gibson • Video by Tom Webster)
Doug Young (Dunedin, New Zealand) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on October 13, 2006
(Photos by Sean Collins • Video by Christopher Kirkham)

SURFLINE MEN’S BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Danilo Couto (Bahia, Brazil)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA)
Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA)

BILLABONG WOMEN’S BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Maya Gabeira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Andrea Moller (Maui, Hawaii, USA)
Jamilah Star (Santa Cruz, California, USA)

Le foto delle varie categorie sono visibili sul sito www.BillabongXXL.com