The nominees for the 2024 SURFER Big Wave Challenge have been announced, and top athletes and photographers will gather in Nazaré, Portugal for the awards ceremony on October 19. Competing for over $160,000 in prize money and prestigious awards, the event is often referred to as the “Oscars of Big Wave Surfing.”
**Men’s Ride of the Year** nominees include Australian surfer Soli Bailey for his remarkable ride in Fiji, alongside Hawaiians Nathan Florence and Albee Layer for their rides in Ireland and Maui, respectively. In the **Women’s Ride of the Year** category, Laura Enever has received two nominations for her performances in Tahiti and Tasmania. She will face competition from California’s Bianca Valenti, who made an impressive run at the Mexican Pipeline.
In the **Biggest Wave** category, Brazil’s Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca leads with two incredible rides at Nazaré, Portugal. Steve Roberson, only 15 years old, is also nominated for his wave at Jaws in Maui. On the women’s side, three waves at Nazaré are in contention, ridden by Portugal’s Joane Andrade, Brazil’s Michelle des Bouillons, and the UK’s Laura Lou Crane.
In the **Men’s Paddle** category for waves caught using arm power alone, South Africa’s Grant “Twiggy” Baker is nominated for his ride at Dungeons off Cape Town. He faces Jojo Roper and Alo Slebir, who both had remarkable drops at Mavericks, California. For the **Women’s Paddle** category, nominees include Domi Charrier, Corrie Gray, and Katie McConnell, who caught waves in Chile, Hawaii, and Mexico, respectively.
The fan-favorite **Wipeout of the Year** contenders include Kipp Caddy at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania, and both Trevor Carlson and Bianca Valenti, who had wipeouts at Mavericks, California.
Nominations were selected by a panel of expert surfers and photographers, with final voting to determine the winners at the awards ceremony, which will be streamed live on Surfer.com.
Summary of Main Categories:
– **Men’s Ride of the Year**: Soli Bailey, Nathan Florence, Albee Layer
– **Women’s Ride of the Year**: Laura Enever, Bianca Valenti
– **Men’s Biggest Wave**: Lucas Chianca, Steve Roberson
– **Women’s Biggest Wave**: Joane Andrade, Michelle des Bouillons, Laura Lou Crane
– **Men’s Paddle**: Grant Baker, Jojo Roper, Alo Slebir
– **Women’s Paddle**: Domi Charrier, Corrie Gray, Katie McConnell
– **Wipeout of the Year**: Kipp Caddy, Trevor Carlson, Bianca Valenti
– **Surfers of the Year**: Lucas Chianca, Nathan Florence, Jojo Roper (Men); Laura Enever, Katie McConnell, Bianca Valenti (Women)
Additional categories include Young Gun (best performance under 18) and Videographer of the Year, with winners announced at the ceremony.
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