With another epic winter season well behind us at this point, it’s time to hand out some hardware. The 2022 Red Bull Big Wave Awards are in, with a mix of familiar faces and emerging talent represented in the various categories, all pushing the limits of what’s humanly possible on a surfboard. Those categories are: Biggest Paddle, Biggest Tow, and Ride of the Year, with each category split between men’s and women’s.
November 2 was a day to remember at Jaws. Here’s Annie Reickert, enjoying. Photo: Aaron Lynton//Red Bull
Biggest Paddle and Biggest Tow are pretty self-explanatory – tow or paddle into the biggest wave you can, and ride out of it. Ride of the Year awards were categorized committed big-wave riding, taking into consideration the size of the wave ridden, but focusing on the level of performance demonstrated by the rider. With $350,000 in prize money on the line for both athletes and filmers, and over 300 submissions from the event window of April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, the judging panel had its work cut out. Consisting of WSL judges, big-wave specialists, and former pro surfers, this past spring those judges determined winners and runner-ups in each category, with first through fifth place being awarded.
Justine Dupont won Biggest Tow with this wave from January 8. Photo: Thomas Slavik//Red Bull.
On the women’s side, Justine Dupont continued her run of dominance, taking home Ride of the Year for her bomb at Teahupo’o last August, and Biggest Tow for a Nazaré bomb ridden during one of the super swells this January. However, on the paddle-in side, rising star Annie Reickert took home the top honors for a Jaws wave caught and ridden on November 2.
Francisco Porcella, putting the “deep” in “steep and deep.” Photo: WSL
In the men’s comp, two of three categories were won on a single day at Jaws – November 2. Italy’s Francisco Porcella was awarded the Ride of the Year for his wave from that day, and Billy Kemper took home the Biggest Paddle award. As for Biggest Tow, that went to a relatively new face, Mason Barnes of North Carolina, who chatted with us about the experience earlier this year.
“Huge congratulations to this year’s Red Bull Big Wave Awards winners,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer of the WSL. “The level of commitment we’ve seen this season has been amazing and I’ve been really impressed with all the nominated rides. Justine Dupont has to be the standout for me this season, with two award wins and nominations in every category, she’s really cemented her dominance in the big wave world!”
Scroll through the YouTube playlist above for the winning entries, and check out the full list of awarded rides, below.
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Ride of the Year
Women’s Winners:
1. Justine Dupont at Teahupo’o on August 13, 2021
2. Paige Alms at Jaws on January 9, 2022
3. Justine Dupont at Teahupo’o on October 6, 2021
4. Annie Reickert at Outer Reef Kahului on December 5, 2021
5. Michelle des Bouillons at Nazaré on February 10, 2022
Men’s Winners:
1. Francisco Porcella at Jaws on November 2, 2021
2. Billy Kemper at Jaws on November 2, 2021
3. Mikey Brennan at Shipstern Bluff on March 26, 2022
4. Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca at Nazaré on February 25, 2022
5. Pedro Scooby at Nazaré on December 13, 2021
Mason Barnes of North Carolina on February 26, riding the biggest tow wave by a male this year. Photo: Laurent Pujol//Red Bull.
Biggest Tow
Women’s Winners:
1. Justine Dupont at Nazaré on January 8, 2022
2. Michelle des Bouillons at Nazaré on December 11, 2021
3. Justine Dupont at Nazaré on January 8, 2022 (wave two)
4. Justine Dupont at Nazaré on January 8, 2022 (wave three)
5. Michelle des Bouillons at Nazaré on December 13, 2021
Men’s Winners:
1. Mason Barnes at Nazaré on February 26, 2022
2. João Macedo at Nazaré on February 25, 2022
3. Pedro Scooby at Nazaré on January 8, 2022
4. Nic Von Rupp at Nazaré on January 8, 2022
5. Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca at Nazaré on January 8, 2022
Billy Kemper of Hawaii won Biggest Paddle for this bomb at Jaws on November 2. Photo: Marco Arellano//Red Bull.
Biggest Paddle
Women’s Winners:
1. Annie Reickert at Jaws on November 2, 2021
2. Justine Dupont at Nazaré on November 19, 2021
3. Katie Mae McConnell at Himalayas on January 22, 2022
4. Paige Alms at Jaws on November 2, 2021
5. Raquel Heckert at Himalayas on January 22, 2022
Men’s Winners:
1. Billy Kemper at Jaws on November 2, 2021
2. Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca at Nazaré on January 12, 2022
3. Pedro Calado at Nazaré on January 12, 2022
4. Jamie Mitchell at Nazaré on February 9, 2022
5. Ben Andrews at Mavericks on January 11, 2022
