With just a smidge more than a week left until the 2008 Billabong XXL winners are announced, I decided to take another run through and check out the finalists for each category. Now wrapping up it’s eighth year of running, the Billabong XXL is building prestige and helping to progress and grow big-wave surfing in ways beyond imagination. Hundreds of entries are coming in from breaks all over the world, many of which were unknown until recent years. Each year the entries get crazier and more difficult to fathom. 2008 has undoubtedly seen that trend continue.

It’s going to be difficult to decide where the $50,000 grand prize for Ride of the Year ends up. Take a look at this years entries and I’m sure you’ll agree. Mikey Brennan’s Shipstern beast and Carlos Burle’s Ghost Tree ride were both mind-blowing in their own right. However, I would have to guess that this years winner will come from one of three entries from waves ridden at Teahupoo. Ian Walsh, Shane Dorian, and Manoa Drollet all pulled themselves into deep monstrous lefts at the famed break, and in doing so have given the judges work to do when deciding who to hand the $50,000 check to.

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Tags: Billabong

Posted by Shaun on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 in Surfing.

• -Shane Dorian, Teahupoo Shine at Billabong XXL
• -2007/2008 Billabong Freewave Challenge Announces Finalists
• -Billabong’s Freewave Challenge
• -Billabong Freewave Challenge Winners Announced
• -Billabong Expanding Rapidly