To all the budding surfers out there who aspire to challenge themselves at Maverick's, Jaws or some ungodly place in Australia called The Right, we share five examples why that might not be such a great idea.
The accompanying video contains footage showing what are deemed the five most savage wipeouts of the past 12 months (video is posted below).
I'd choose either the last clip, involving Chris Shanahan (top image), or the first, involving Brett Burcher.
Both were pummeled unmercifully at The Right, and as viewers can see, the wave is a vicious monster.
Shanahan would definitely win if this were a free-fall competition, and Burcher probably is still having nightmares about his ragdoll-style, over-the-falls body slam.
They're among many elite surfers participating in the yearlong Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, which will be announced on May 3 at a ceremony at The Grove theater in Anaheim.
Premier categories are Ride of the Year, Best Overall Performance (men and women) and Biggest Wave.Surfers do not aspire to end up in the Wipeout of the Year category, of course, but most enjoy the ribbing they receive during the awards party.
This year, for the first time in contest history, the public can vote on which surfer endured the most humbling spill. Will it be Burcher or Shanahan? Or will Joao de Macedo, Tom Dosland or Axi Muniain shine red-faced in the XXL spotlight?
I'm still trying to decide between Shanahan and Burcher.
--Pete Thomas
--Photo showing Chris Shanahan's frightening free-fall is via Darren McCagh/Billabong XXL
Shanahan "wins"! OUCH. Looks like Teahupoo in reverse ... brutal.
Posted by: Pat Downs | Apr 14, 2013 at 08:58 PM
narly, dude tries body surfing that wave... crazy
Posted by: brandon | Apr 13, 2013 at 11:11 PM
These guys have balls of steel. I'mg glad they are all still with us. The ocean can humble anyone!
Posted by: Scott Sansenbach | Apr 12, 2013 at 10:17 PM