WSL Takes Big Waves to International and Timeless Levels

Ross Clarke Jones riding out at Storm Surfers 3D Documentary WSL 2015 Big Waves Awards

Big Waves do not discriminate nor do they care for country limits. They will break just the same on coasts or hidden deep inside the ocean. Big Waves show the young or the experienced the same respect, they are timeless and spaceless, bound to forces beyond human dimensions.

A wide range of Global locations where big waves break and a selected group of International Big Wave Riders were honored openly at the WSL Big Waves Awards.

On May 1st International Surf Magazines covered the Big Waves WSL Awards unanimously. The Big Wave Award ran side by side the kickstart of the 2015 Big Wave World Tour of WSL in Chile. WSL Big Wave Tour has selected main big wave locations for riders to take on surf to “another level” all throughout this year.

When it comes to Big Waves WSL assures that...“Best in Biggest”.

“During a yearlong window, submissions poured in from breaks around the world,” WSL said on the process of reviewing riders for the Big Wave Awards.

"It was another spectacular year of big wave surfing, all around the globe," said Bill Sharp, Big Wave Award Event Director and Founder.

"This year there is a complete assortment of countries where amazing waves were ridden. It might even be the most internationally represented season ever in the 15 years since I started the Big Wave Awards."

Two days later on May 3rd the WSL Big Wave Tour was kickstarted in Chile. Coming months is all about Latin America and American continent for WSL. Big Wave Tour will take to Chile, Peru, Mexico, Oregon US, Spain, Hawaii and back to Mexico. Why? Because that is where some of the best and biggest waves are breaking.

“The kickoff to the 2015-2016 Big Wave Tour BWT season saw two days of heavy waves and heavier matchups,” WSL with a talented eye for Big Wave detection reported from the inaugural days at the Quiksilver Chile Ceremonial.

At the Big Wave Awards 2015 Makuakai Rothman took the trophy for Big Wave Tour Champion while Matahi Drollet took the trophy for XXL Big Wave award sided by other nominees such as Mick Corbett, Dean Morrison and Brad Norris. The ceremony also recognized and honored Big Wave Women Category and a wide range of photographers putting their talent on the frontline of breaks to capture the moment.

For the XXL Biggest Waves Sebastian Steudtner from Germany took the lead for his ride in Nazaré, Portugal. But another nominee flashes back from the past and introduces a the “timeless” factor.

Ross Clarke-Jones from Avoca Beach, New South Wales, Australia was also nominated for surfing at Nazaré, Portugal on December 11, 2014. The Big Wave rider is known for many things but internationally opened surf to a whole new publìc through the Storm Surfers 3D documentary.

Who is Ross Clarke Jones? Storm Surfers explains their view on the Big Wave Awards of WSL.

“Just when you thought Ross Clarke Jones was heading towards a well earned retirement… he goes and goes and does this,” Storm Surfers says. The group also provides testimony that Big Wave riding does get better with time and maturity.

“Ross ...carves a huge turn then makes it past the ensuing avalanche for a clean exit on a giant wave at Nazaré, Portugal,” Storm Surfers says. “And like that the rider obtains a nomination at the WSL Big Wave Awards 2015”.

For those who have not seen the documentary Storm Surfers it might serve well to known that it is perhaps the first serious 3D Surf Documentary. It reveals an extreme expedition which includes incredible logistics from weather experts to airplane, helicopter, two ships, water motor bikes, film crew and an open ocean search for Big Waves.

“Storm Surfers 3D is an epic, character-driven adventure documentary following two best friends on their quest to hunt down and ride the biggest and most dangerous waves in Australia. Aussie...and chase giant storms across the Great Southern Ocean,” the Australian based organization still active explains.

They say their “holy grail” is to discover and ride new waves that have never been surfed. Ending the documentary they ride out waves 75 kilometers from land breaking massive volume of water off the continental shelf, deep ocean, incredible flow.

Back in Chile at Stop 1 of the Big Wave Tour WSL communicated that they flew the Big Wave Wave Tour 2014-2015 trophy to Makuakai Rothman all the way from headquarters in California to Chile. Rothman was unable to be at the Big Wave Awards because he was surfing in Chile. It still proves that being out there in the water is better than sitting through awards ceremony... riding the big waves seems to be for Rothman idea of fun.

Ocean Life News in Brief

Ocean Level Increase Dropping Oceans Floor: International Press reported on December 5 on the findings of new research which assures that due to ocean level increase the ocean floor is sinking. The study published online in Geophysical Research Levels used mathematical equations to accurately measure the Ocean's floor impact driven by the increased of water volume weight. Using data from 1993 to 2014 researchers found that ocean level increase is causing the Ocean floor to drop globally by the milimeters. Ocean Dead Zones Up By Four: On January 8 New York Daily reported that Ocean Dead Zones have quadrupled.Researchers warned in a new study that oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, where animals and plants are struggling to survive, have increased fourfold and it may not be reversible. The new study was published in the Journal Science. The increase of Dead Zones was linked to climate change. La Niña´s Polar Wave Hitting Hard the US -Freezing Oceans: International Press reported on the Polar Wave hitting hard the US. The event is linked by experts to the influence of La Niña. “For the past couple of weeks, parts of North America have been chilling down to record temperatures, with massive snowfall and icy cold conditions putting life at a standstill for many,” media reported. The US East Coast has been particularly badly hit with the likes of Boston down to Philadelphia reaching bone-chilling lows of near 0°F , with icy winds making it feel closer to around -10°F to -20°F. Officially 18 were dead and 100 million affected. Government of Bali Declares a Garbage Emergency: On January 5 Ocean Conservancy reported on a New Waste Management Emergency in Bali. Massive amounts of ocean debri are affecting the island. The situation has reached its peak as the Government of Bali declared a “Garbage Emergency”. Clean up works have began. “Ivory Coast Village Swallowed by Ocean Increase,” Aljazeera Reports: On January 8 Al Jazeera reported that ocean increase levels are affecting infrastructure in the Ivory Coast. “Rising tides and more frequent, devastating storms are slowly destroying what is left of Lahou-Kpanda, the offshoot of what was once a major colonial town near the mouth of the Bandama River, the longest river in Ivory Coast,” Al Jazeera reported. Arctic Ocean Radioactive Levels on the Rise: IFL Science reported on January 3 on the findings of new report which assures that radioactive levels in the Arctic Ocean are on the rise. “Concentrations of radioactive radium-228 in the Arctic Ocean increased between 2007 and 2015,” the report reads. While levels have not yet reached a mark of concern the trend is worries experts. Lauren Kipp of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution addressed the issue. New World Wide Ocean Turtle Study Says 90% of Plastic Pollution Cases Result in Death: Earth Sky Org reported on January 7 that hundreds of marine turtles die every year after getting tangled in trash in oceans and on beaches. A research published in the journal Endangered Species Research took on a World-Wide Survey covering the major oceans where turtles live. They discovered that 91 % of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Double Whirlpools Discovered for First Time: December 4 Press reported that Double Eddies have been registered for the first time in History. Tangled up Double Eddies can travel great distances affecting ecology significantly. Eddies are a natural part of the ocean environment but double whirlpools had only been theorized by mathematicians.