NEWS
By RICK FIGNETTI | April 20, 2006
It was a night to remember at the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards at the Grove Theatre in Anaheim Friday night. Dozens of limos were parked outside and cameras were flashing as a star-studded field of spectators showed up. Surf stars were hanging, like the nose-ride king from the 60s, David Nuuhiwa; off-the-wall tube specialist Shaun Tompson; former world champ "P.T." Peter Townend; big-wave standouts Peter Mel and Darryl "Flea" Virostko; Surfing mag editor Evan Slater; Surfline guru Sean Collins and more.
NEWS
January 15, 2004
RICK FIGNETTI The first big, macking northwest swell of the year hit this week, giving us some pretty good-sized waves at our Surf City beaches. On Monday, as the swell filled in, the size increased through the afternoon. The pier was a couple-feet- plus overhead, with some pretty nice workable rights on the north side. The south side was working, too, with both rights and lefts. Down at the Cliffs, it was even bigger as the outside reef Box Cars started to break.
NEWS
March 17, 2005
RICK FIGNETTI The first World Championship Tour surfing event, the Quiksilver Pro, was run in some fun surf at Snapper Rocks, Australia. Local surfer Mick Fanning, back from injury, was in top form to take the win and cash purse of $30,000. Fanning had a nasty injury in Indo last year and had to take a lot of the 2004 season off. He would've missed the cut, but was awarded a wildcard injury slot from the Assn. of Surfing Professionals to surf this new season.
NEWS
April 28, 2005
RICK FIGNETTI The Grove was rocking the other night for the Billabong XXL Surf Awards ceremony, with shots of thundering monster waves and surfers who were going for it in life or death situations. Surfers from around the globe were in hunt of the biggest wave in a few different categories. Catching the biggie of the year, a face measurement of 68 feet, was veteran rider, Sunset Beach resident and Hawaiian waterman Dan Moore. Moore, 48, toed into Jaws' giant right-hand wall at Maui on Dec. 15. Early in the session, Moore lost his board and got bashed in the face while retrieving it, suffering a concussion and bruises.
FEATURES
By Rick Fignetti | April 22, 2010
Coming up Friday is one of the biggest and most fun gigs for the surfing world — the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards at the Grove of Anaheim. This pertains to the biggest waves ridden from March 21, 2009, to March 19, 2010. Some of the different categories will be Ride of the Year, which usually features the gnarliest, most advanced and committed surfers going for it in big-time surf. The guys pull into barrels that don’t look makeable. This will win $50,000. Some surfers up for the award are Hawaiian Shane Dorian, who had some heavy giant suck-out rides at that super-hollow left Teahupoo in Tahiti on March 17. Also, on that same day, Tahitians Manoa Drollet and Raimana Van Bastolaer scored some huge barrels and got spit out of a few impossible ones.
NEWS
March 10, 2005
RICK FIGNETTI A big storm went by last week and sent some Aleutian juice down the California coastline, as the buoy readings picked up the swell big time. That sent Mavericks contest organizer and founding surf spot pioneer Jeff Clark scurrying to get the "Mavs" Big Wave event started. Big-wave riders came flying in from Hawaii and Brazil, along with some of the new guard big-wave shredders from the West Coast to Half Moon Bay. The contest was on, with surf running 25 to 40 feet, breaking off the point and pretty decent shape the first part of last week through last Wednesday's finals.
NEWS
December 4, 2003
RICK FIGNETTI The first big west swell finally started hitting the North Shore of Hawaii the past few days. And when we think of big waves, we think of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Classic at Waimea Bay. The specifications are that the surf be at least 20 feet, and in true Hawaiian style that's 40-foot faces. That's pretty gnarly, and there's definitely a life-or-death situation going on out there. There is the possibility of drowning or getting hit by your board and being knocked out unconscious in the danger zone.
NEWS
By RICK FIGNETTI | January 11, 2007
It's big-wave time, right smack in the middle of winter here in Cali. Way up north last Saturday was the opening day's ceremonies for the annual big-wave contest at Maverick's. The waiting period runs from Jan. 1 to March 31, during which 24 qualifying surfers will be on standby, waiting for the call that the massive waves have arrived. Maverick's is a point break off a harbor entrance at Half Moon Bay, and can handle the big northwest 30- to 40-foot waves that roll down the coastline this time of year.