Danilo Couto has conquered the 2011 Billabong XXL "Ride of the Year". Couto took the main big wave surfing title with his Jaws ride. The Brazilian surfer from Bahia surfed a 20-meter wave and won the prestigious event after reaching the finals for the fifth time.
"I've been feeling really good for two months, ever since I caught that wave," said Couto. "I couldn't sleep for days, knowing I had done something so special. To be a part of surf history, to have an impact ... it's special."
Benjamin Sanchis, from Hossegor, scored the "Biggest Wave" trophy after surfing a giant wall of water at Belharra, France, on February 16, 2011.
"I'm not only happy for myself, but I'm stoked for Europe," said a beaming Sanchis.
"This is a big win, and I'm really proud; I'm really happy. The wave, Belharra, is about 30 minutes from my house. It wasn't even a big day for that spot, and it gets bigger for sure."
The "Monster Paddle" and the "Monster Tube" winner was Shane Dorian and his Peahi wave. He takes home a $50,000 prize money.
"It was an epic swell, a real late-season swell,” recalled Dorian.
"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 Monster Tube award is pretty special. I mean, every surfer wants to get tubed, right?"
The "Wipe Out Of The Year" went to Mark Mathews after a dangerous fall at Shipstern Bluff.
Kauai surfer Sion Milosky - who tragically drowned last month at Maverick’s in Northern California - posthumously won the Surfline Best Men’s Performance Award for a string of outstanding high surf sessions. Milosky was the first top-level big wave surfer to die while surfing big waves since the XXL awards were established in 2000.
The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards 2011 granted Danilo Couto a $50,000 check.
The event acknowledges the achievements of the world's finest surfers in the biggest waves anywhere in the world.
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER WINNER
(Surfer prize $50,000 - Plus Toyota Tacoma year lease)
Danilo Couto
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER SECOND
(Surfer prize $5,000)
David Scard
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER THIRD
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Mark Healey
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER FOURTH
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Michael Brennen
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER FIFTH
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Benjamin Sanchis
BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR VIDEO
(Video prize $5,000)
Elliot Leboe
WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 – wave was 67 feet)
Benjamin Sanchis
WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE PHOTO AWARD
(Photographer prize $4,000 )
Bastien Bonnarme
WINNER MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 - wave was 57 feet, a new record!!)
Shane Dorian
WINNER MONSTER PADDLE PHOTO AWARD
(Photo prize $4,000)
Batel Shimi
WINNER SURFLINE BEST MEN’S PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Sion Milosky
WINNER BILLABONG GIRLS BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Keala Kennelly
VERIZON WIPEOUT SURFER AWARD
(Surfer prize $2,000)
Mark Mathews
VERIZON WIPEOUT VIDEO AWARD
(Photo prize $1,000)
Andrew Chisholm
MONSTER TUBE SURFER AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Shane Dorian
MONSTER TUBE PHOTO AWARD
(Photo prize $2,000)
Bruno Lemos