'Twiggy' nominated for award

2008-03-22 22:03

Durban - South Africa's Grant "Twiggy" Baker from Durban has been nominated as a finalist in the 2008 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy which will be decided at the eighth annual awards gala for the 'Oscars' of surfing in California on April 11.

Baker is one of five finalists in the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award for his ride on one of the biggest waves ever seen at Cortes Bank, a seamount 160km off the coast of California, on January 5.

The Durbanite, who rose to international big wave prominence by winning the 2006 Mavericks Surf Contest in California, was elated that the efforts of he and tow-in partner Greg Long (California) had been acknowledged by the nominations.

"I'm totally stoked," Baker said. "There are so many guys charging and chasing every big swell all over the world these days that it's a real honour to be nominated."

"What a year its been," Baker continued, "Greg won the Biggest Wave award last year and he's been nominated for the Paddle-in and Best Overall awards this year. Hopefully we can win them all and then take it to the next level in the future."

Baker confided that Long, who won the Mavericks paddle-in event this year with Baker the runner-up, is coming to South Africa for three or four months during the South African winter. They are hoping that the Billabong XXL awards will be a stepping stone for their ambitions to earn invitations to the Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in honour of Eddie Aikau, a paddle-in event at Waimea Bay in Hawaii that is the world's longest running big wave contest.

Baker faces stiff opposition for the award, notably from 2001 XXL winner Mike Parsons who, along with tow partner and fellow Californian Brad Gerlach, also participated in the epic adventure to the Cortes Bank in January.

The two teams and project leader and photographer Robert Brown set off at dawn into the tail end of a Pacific storm, traversing the 160km to the Cortes Bank with one jetski on the boat and the other being ridden in relays by the four surfers. Arriving at midday, the two tow-in teams were confronted with the biggest waves any of them had ever seen. After a couple of hours in the water they packed up and headed back to shore, docking just before the next storm hit the coastline.

The following weekend Long and Baker finished 1-2 in the 2008 Mavericks event to cap a phenomenal week of big wave surfing.

Other contenders for the XXL Biggest Wave event include Gerlach, the 2006 award winner, and Tyler Fox (California) for rides at Ghost Trees in December and Frenchman Vincent Lartizen for his ride at Belharra Reef in the Bay of Biscay in January.

The winner will receive $15 000, a Honda Aquatrax watercraft and an HSA rescue sled in honour of their accomplishment.

- SAPA