Saturday was a historic night for big wave surfing that saw everyone who’s anyone descend on Huntington Beach for big wave Oscars night. (For a complete rundown of all the winners from the night click here.)
And while the majority of the night celebrated men and women taking surfing to new heights (literally), and, namely, completed rides, one award deserves another round of applause.
Every single Wipeout of the Year nomination is horrifying in its own right. What’s more, no surfer goes after a nomination for the category. It’s almost like NASCAR awarding a driver for the best crash of the year. It’s not something anyone wants necessarily.
But if every big wave successfully ridden in this world is about narrowly escaping a two story building crumbling behind you, every wipeout serves as a reminder that, yeah, sometimes Mother Nature ain’t having it.
Back in January, Wilem Banks paddled for this monster at Maverick’s, got hung up on the lip, ejected, and went into freefall. This wave ultimately won Banks $5k for Wipeout of the Year – a small consolation prize for something an onlooker rightly puts as “F-ed up.”
