Who were the strongest XXL swell chasers last year | Red Bull Big Wave Awards 2021

Nothing is simple in the world right now, but if you're the kind of surfer who chases XXL swells around the planet, then you're used to switching your plans every time the wind and weather change their minds. This year, the World Surf League and Red Bull switched things up a little as well and the 2021 Red Bull Big Wave Awards were the result. Chris Coté and Rosy Hodge were in charge of hosting the live show in Los Angeles, as we shocked our winners with a string of door-knock videos to announce the results. As you can imagine, the surprise nature of the reveal caught a lot of our winners off-guard and led to some genuinely candid moments of emotion. On the ladies side of things Frenchwoman Justine Dupont took home three-quarters of the bacon, claiming Ride Of The Year, Performer Of The Year and the Biggest Tow award for her wave of a lifetime at Jaws. The only trophy left went to Paige Alms, who successfully defended her Biggest Paddle award with yet another Jaws bomb to keep the trophy in Maui. For the men, Kai Lenny reminded us once again that he's built slightly differently and claimed both Performer Of The Year and the Biggest Paddle award. Peter Mel brought the house down, with his incredible Mavericks wave earning him Ride Of The Year, an honour he touchingly dedicated to his recently-passed mother. German heavy water specialist Sebastian Steudtner claimed the Biggest Tow trophy, with yet another Jaws bomb to add to his resume. The full list of results is below, but first be sure to hit play on the video above to savour some of surfing's heaviest hitters caught completely unawares and out of their comfort zones for the rarest of fleeting moments. Enjoy. Ride Of The Year – Women Justine Dupont – Jaws, 16/1/21 – Slater Berosky Maya Gabeira – Nazaré, 5/2/21 – Cesinha Feliciano Keala Kennelly – Himalays, 2/12/20 – Ken Kosada Paige Alms – Todos Santos, 11/1/21 – Mike Nulty Michelle de Bouillons – Nazaré, 22/2/21 – Cesinha Feliciano Ride Of The Year – Men Peter Mel – Mavericks, 8/1/21 – Curt Myers Kai Lenny – Jaws, 2/12/20 – Elliot Leboe Kai Lenny – Jaws, 16/1/21 – Marcus Rodrigues Grant Baker – Mavericks, 11/12/20 – Richard Hallman Conor Maguire – Mullaghmore, 28/10/20 – Clem McInererney Performer of the Year – Women Justine Dupont Maya Gabeira Paige Alms Keala Kennelly Michelle de Bouillons Performer of the Year – Men Kai Lenny Peter Mel Grant Baker Sebastian Steudtner Conor Maguire Biggest Paddle – Women Paige Alms – Todos Santos, 11/1/21 – Ryan Craig Keala Kennelly – Himalayas, 2/12/20 – Ken Kosada Justine Dupont – Mavericks, 8/12/20 – Pedro Bala Bianca Valenti – Mavericks, 12/1/21 – Curt Myers Justine Dupont – Jaws, 17/1/21 – Maui Cartel Biggest Paddle – Men Kai Lenny – Jaws, 2/12/20 – Sebastian Tronolone Jr. Peter Mel – Mavericks, 8/1/21 – Pedro Bala Billy Kemper – Jaws, 2/12/20 – Sebastian Tronolone Jr. Grant Baker – Mavericks, 11/12/20 – Richard Hallman Peter Mel – Mavericks, 8/12/20 – Marcus Chambers Biggest Tow – Women Justine Dupont – Jaws, 16/1/21 – Sebastian Tronolone Jr. Maya Gabeira – Nazaré, 29/10/20 – Jorge Leal Justine Dupont – Nazaré, 29/10/20 – Above Creators Maya Gabeira – Nazaré, 5/2/21 – Luis de Sá Justine Dupont – Mavericks, 1/1/21 – Pedro Bala Biggest Tow – Men Sebastian Steudtner – Nazaré 1, 29/10/20 – Jorge Leal Kai Lenny – Jaws, 16/1/21 – Marcus Rodrigues Connor Maguire – Mullaghmore, 28/10/20 – Clem McInerney Sebastian Steudner – Nazaré 2, 29/10/20 – Jorge Leal Lucas Chianca – Nazaré, 29/10/20 – Pedro Miranda ___ Experience the world of Red Bull like you have never seen it before. With the best action sports clips on the web and original series, prepare for your "stoke factor" to be at an all time high. Subscribe to Red Bull Surfing on Youtube: https://win.gs/SubToRedBullSurfing Get the FREE Red Bull TV apps for all your devices: http://onelink.to/yfbct7 Watch Red Bull TV: http://win.gs/WatchRBTV Red Bull on Facebook: http://win.gs/redbullfb Red Bull on Instagram: http://win.gs/RedBullInstagram

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