As the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards head into the final week of the year-long event period, a massive swell hitting Europe has produced new entries from Ireland which could affect the outcome of the event.
“We’d been tracking that swell for about a week,” Andrew Cotton, 32, from Croyde, Devon, United Kingdom. “All these swells that hit Ireland can be hit and miss with wind and this one couldn’t make its mind up. I’ve spent so many swells on that headland with the wind howling but not quite in the right direction and I honestly thought that this was going to be another swell like that. Al Mennie and myself camped out at Mullaghmore the night before and couldn’t believe our luck at first light the next day.
“It had been a fairly disappointing winter compared to the previous year and it was far from perfect that day,” continued Cotton. “After watching for about 30 minutes and deciding to pick a few off, Al towed me into an absolute bomb. It was my first wave of the day. It felt like a reminder of how good it can get there and why I put the time and effort in.”
Take a look for yourself…
The 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards feature an array of categories including the $50,000 Ride of the Year, Monster Paddle, Monster Tube and the Verizon Wireless Wipeout of the Year. There are also “world champ” awards for the Surfline Best Overall Performance (male) and the Billabong Girls Best Performance (female). The event features over $130,000 in cash prizes for the surfers and photographers.
For more info, check out the Billabong XXL website.
