- WSL / Kelly Cestari
- WSL / Kelly Cestari

This year's Big Wave Awards, held on May 2, will be a historic one. With the introduction of the newest award category, the Women's Paddle Award, a new World Record holder will be announced.

"We are excited to announce that this year's awards will present two new categories, the Women's Paddle Award and the Women's XXL Biggest Wave Award," said Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL CEO.

"As the Women's Paddle Award is brand new, the Big Wave Awards night will announce the World Record holder for the Largest Wave Surfed (Paddled) by a female. We were honored to celebrate Maya Gabeira's World Record last October with the opening of the Big Wave season, and now we will award the next female Big Wave World Record holder in the new paddle-in category."

Current World Record holders for the Largest Wave Surfed, Maya Gabeira and Rodrigo Koxa, are both expected to attend the awards show.

"This is a milestone for female big wave surfing," said Deputy Commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer. "And this is only the beginning. The World Record announcement will allow us to further recognize the women who continuously push the boundaries of our sport."

The Big Wave Awards will present awards across eight categories: Ride of the Year, Women's XXL Biggest Wave Award, Women's Paddle Award, Men's Paddle Award, Men's XXL Biggest Wave Award, Women's Best Performance presented by Hydro Flask, Men's Best Overall Performance Award, and Wipeout of the Year Award.

The WSL Big Wave Awards' competition window concludes at the end of March and spans the previous 12 months. This year's event will be held at the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach. Tickets can be purchased at: https://beachlifefestival.com/.

World Surf League
Download it for free on the App store. Download it for free on Google Play.