Jaws Surfer Wins Ride of the Year at Billabong XXL Awards

Shane Dorian surfs Jaws at Peahi on Oct. 9, 2012. Photo by surf images.com.

By Rodney S. Yap

Kailua-Kona surfer Shane Dorian won two Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards Friday in Anaheim, Calif., including Ride of the Year for his epic paddle-in performance at Jaws in Peahi on Oct. 9, 2012.

Dorian, 40, who was was nominated in a record five of the seven Billabong XXL categories, received the $50,000 Ride of the Year award at The Grove in Anaheim. He also won the first award presented, the $5,000 Tube award for the same wave at Jaws.

Dorian rode a 58-footer at Jaws in Peahi to win the 2012 Billabong XXL paddle award.

Haleiwa’s Keala Kennelly was the only other Hawaii surfer to win, Women’s Best Performance ($5,000), riding a Jaws wave. Haiku surfer Paige Alms was nominated in the same category as Kennelly.

Kailua-Kona’s Shane Dorian and Maui’s Granger Larsen arrive at the 2013 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards at The Grove on Friday, May 3. Photo by www.gettyimages.com.

Santa Cruz surfer Shawn Dollar, 32, also won two XXL awards for a wave he caught at Cortes Bank, a break 100 miles off the coast of Baja, Calif., in December. He collected a total of $30,000 for the ride, winning the Paddle award ($20,000) and the Biggest Wave award ($10,000).

The contest committee looked at photo and video evidence before ruling Dollar’s wave to be 61 feet. The mark snapped the previous record of 58 feet set by Dorian in 2011. Dollar had owned the previous mark of 57 feet, set at Maverick’s, which won him the paddle award in 2010.

Dorian won the 2012 Billabong XXL paddle award for his 58-footer at Jaws in Peahi.

“It was an epic swell, a real late-season swell,” Dorian said during his acceptance speech last year. “I didn’t really catch a lot of big waves throughout the whole year… I was just stoked the swell came my way, near my house in Maui, and we scored.”

The Men’s Best Performance award went to Greg Long of San Clemente.

Watch video and see photos of all the Billabong XXL Awards nominees at www.billabongxxl.com.

2013 Billagbong XXL Big Wave Award Winners

Ride of the Year — $50,000
Shane Dorian (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Oct. 9, 2012

Paddle — $20,000

Shawn Dollar (Santa Cruz) at Cortes Bank, Baja California, Dec. 21, 2012

Biggest Wave — $10,000

Shawn Dollar (Santa Cruz) at Cortes Bank, Baja California, Dec. 21, 2012

Tube — $5,000

Shane Dorian (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Oct. 9, 2012

Men’s Best Performance — $5,000
Greg Long (San Clemente)

Women’s Best Performance — $5,000
Keala Kennelly (Haleiwa, Hawaii)

2013 Billagbong XXL Big Wave Award Nominees

Ride of the Year 

Shawn Dollar (Santa Cruz) at Cortes Bank, Baja California, Dec. 21, 2012
Shane Dorian (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Oct. 9, 2012
Greg Long (San Clemente) at Jaws, Oct. 10, 2012
Reef McIntosh (Hawaii) at Cloudbreak, Fiji, June 8, 2012
Dave Wassel (Hawaii) at Cloudbreak, Fiji, June 8, 2012

Paddle

Shawn Dollar (Santa Cruz) at Cortes Bank, Baja California, Dec. 21, 2012
Shane Dorian (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Oct. 9, 2012
Grant Baker (South Africa) at Cortes Bank, Baja California, Dec. 21, 2012
Matt Meola (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 31, 2012
Makua Rothman (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Oct. 9, 2012

Biggest Wave

Shawn Dollar (Santa Cruz) at Cortes Bank, Baja California, Dec. 21, 2012
Shane Dorian (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Oct. 9, 2012
Danilo Couto (Brazil) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland, Jan. 27
Kealii Mamala (Hawaii) at Nazare, Portugal, Jan. 28
Antonio Silva (Portugal) at Nazare, Portugal, Jan. 28

Tube

Shane Dorian (Hawaii) at Jaws, Hawaii, Oct. 9, 2012
Peter Conroy (Ireland) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland, Jan. 21
Reef McIntosh (Hawaii) at Cloudbreak, Fiji, June 8, 2012
Dave Wassel (Hawaii) at Cloudbreak, Fiji, June 8, 2012
Ramon Navarro (Chile) at Cloudbreak, Fiji, on June 8, 2012

Men’s Best Performance

Shane Dorian (Hawaii)
Mark Healey (Haleiwa, Hawaii)
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa)
Kohl Christensn (Haleiwa, Hawaii)
Greg Long (San Clemente)

Women’s Best Performance

Paige Alms (Haiku, Hawaii)
Anastasia Ashley (San Clemente)
Keala Kennelly (Haleiwa, Hawaii)