South Coast, NSW. Video credit: Tim Bonython
BIGGEST PADDLE-IN
Dean Bowen - South Coast, NSW. Video credit: Tim Bonython
Paul Morgan - Hammerheads, NSW. Image credit: Nathan Smith
Justen 'Jughead' Allport - Image credit: Tony Harrington
Courtenay Gray - Margaret River, WA. Image credit: Steven Scarvelis
Jeff Rowley - Deep South, VIC. Image credit: Anonymous
After a hectic season of charging and a weeklong wait at the hands of the judging panel, the finalists in Surfing Life's Oakley Big Wave Awards will find out at 9pm tomorrow night whether they walk away victorious with a share of the $35,000 prize pool.
Biggest Wave, Biggest Slab, and Biggest Paddle-In categories have been decided upon and the countdown to Thursday's gala presentation evening at the Bondi Openair Pavilion has begun.
With 300 strong crowd, including a who's who of the surf and media industry, and a grand total of $35,000 up for grabs across the three categories, finalists would be forgiven for feeling a little nervous.
Huge, crazy rides have been thrown into the mix from renowned big-wave stars, pitched up against colossal waves charged by unknown country kids, lifeguards from Tasmania, veteran Western Australian watermen, and one of the nation's top junior pro surfers.
The Awards, now in their ninth year, have come to highlight a side of surfing that's way beyond both the recreational mainstream and the professional competitive arena -- a zone where seemingly normal people take seemingly outlandish risks, and achieve huge things with seemingly little concern for fame or renown -- Surfing Life and Oakley reward their spectacular achievements.
A comprehensive press release and wrap of the awards outcome, along with high resolution images and video of the winning rides will be available shortly after the event's conclusion.
Stay tuned to www.surfinglife.com.au for up-to-date news, post-event images and video.
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