THE BILLABONG XXL BIG WAVE AWARDS OFFICIAL RULES
Rules and event format © 2004 & © 1997
by Sharp Media, Inc.

1) Summary: The Billabong XXL Award will be won by the surfer who, by any means available, catches and successfully rides the single biggest wave of the winter based on analysis of the available images. The prize will be awarded in the amount of $1000 a foot, but with a minimum award of $60,000. The photographer who captures the winning still or video image will be awarded $5,000.

2) Event Period: The contest begins at first light on April 1, 2003, and ends at dusk on March 31, 2004. All entries must be received by April 7, 2004. The Billabong XXL event period runs on an annual cycle, with the next competition beginning April 1, 2004 and concluding on March 31, 2005, and so on, until further notice.

3) Competitors: The Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards is open to invited qualified watermen who have earned the respect of their peers by demonstrating the ability to ride extremely large waves without unnecessarily endangering themselves or others. Invitations to the Billabong XXL Awards have been decided by the Invitation Committee made up by a panel of distinguished big wave safety experts and surfers. A current list of invitees can be found at www.BillabongXXL.com. Additional athletes may be added to the invitee list at any time by the Invitation Committee or by a majority vote of the existing entered Invitees. WHILE INVITATIONS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO ALL WORTHY SURFERS, SOME NAMES MAY HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LIST AT THE REQUEST OF CERTAIN ATHLETES AND/OR THEIR SPONSORS.

4) Location: All rides by invited, entered contestants at all surf spots in the world may be considered for the Billabong XXL Award.

5) Surfer Entries: a) For a surfer to participate, he/she must BE INVITED, and complete an official Surfer Entry Form and Release prior to any big-wave attempts. The original completed and signed Surfer Entry Form must be delivered by mail or other means to Billabong XXL Entries, 1441 Superior Avenue, Suite E, Newport Beach, CA 92663. The Surfer Entry Form includes a release of liability in case of harm to the surfer and a photo release allowing the Billabong XXL event to use images of the winning ride in future advertising and promotion OF THE EVENT.
b) Once a surfer is entered and has caught a noteworthy wave, he/she may nominate a particular ride for the prize by submitting a Ride Entry Form. In order to allow timely authentication of entered rides, Ride Entry Forms must be submitted within seven days of the date of the ride and in no case later than April 7, 2004. Photos submitted by photographers may be displayed on the XXL website prior to receipt of Entry Forms, but are not considered Official Entries until forms are received.
c) There is no limit to how many rides a surfer may enter into consideration for the prize, although each ride must be entered separately and a signed Surfer Entry Form and Release must already be on file with the Billabong XXL event director. Surfers must be 18 years of age or older and experienced in handling high-surf conditions.
d) Surfers are encouraged to coordinate with any or all photographers/videographers who may have captured images of the ride in question to ensure they enter the images in the contest.

6) Photographer Entries:
a) For a photo sequence or video clip to be considered for the Billabong XXL Award, the surfer depicted in the image must enter as outlined above. To enter an image or images, photographers should fill out an official Image Entry Form for each image and sign the release. The original completed and signed Image Entry Form along with the properly packaged photographs or videotapes must be delivered by Registered Mail, Federal Express or other appropriately secure means to Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, 1441 Superior Avenue, Suite E, Newport Beach, CA 92663. A digital image of sufficient clarity must be submitted within 7 days. Where required for verification or reproduction purposes, original transparencies must be submitted within 14 days of the ride. Billabong is not responsible for damage to or loss of entries while in transit.
b) Still photographers are advised that sequential images of the start and end of the ride are essential to proving that the ride was indeed successful and should be included in the submission.
c) All images/video deemed worthy of consideration will be displayed on the Billabong XXL web site.
d) In order to allow timely authentication of entered images, Image Entry Forms must be submitted within seven days of the date of the ride. Delays due to legitimately extenuating circumstances may be allowed by the Contest Director.
e) There is no limit to how many rides a photographer may enter into consideration for the prize, although each ride must be entered separately.
f) Photo contestants must be 18 years of age or older.

g) Water photographers must be experienced in handling high-surf conditions.
h) The Billabong XXL staff recognize that these may be images of historic significance and that entering photographers may be obligated to make them available for editorial use by employer publications. Therefore, if necessary, Billabong XXL staff will scan or otherwise duplicate submitted images (after verifying authenticity) and return them to the photographer as quickly as is practicable. In the case of winning photographs or tapes, the photographer may be required to resubmit originals to claim the prize.
i) Due to the potential emergence of other events or sweepstakes attempting to use formats substantially similar to those innovated by the XXL, photos must be entered into the Billabong XXL on an exclusive basis. Photographers officially entering images to other events may be disqualified from receiving the $5000 XXL photo prize.

7) Photographic Details:
a) Necessity: Photographic images of the ride will be the only evidence accepted in determining the Billabong XXL prize. Personal testimonials, "expert" opinions, buoy readings or any other data purporting to establish the height of a wave will not be considered.
b) Angles: Preference may be given to photographic still images or video clips that are shot from those angles that minimize distortion of a wave’s true height. Photos shot from near sea level from the shore or from a personal watercraft or boat from some distance in front of the wave do the best job of showing a wave’s actual trough-to-crest face height. Photos shot from high vantage points such as sea cliffs or helicopters often fail to define where the face ends and the flats begin, and such factors are known and will be taken into consideration.
c) Film and Video Stock: Both video and photos will be considered with equal weight. Reproduction is an essential requirement of the winning image and therefore technically superior film stocks in the 35mm format such as Fuji Velvia are given preference, but if lighting requirements demand grainier films or other formats then those too will be considered on their merits. Video should be submitted on Mini-DV, Beta, Digital Beta or appropriate original digital format. Motion picture film should be transferred to one of the above video formats.

8) Judging Procedures:
a) Selection of Finalist Rides: After the closing date of the contest window, a Qualifying Panel will evaluate the entries received for adherence to the Rules, and from the Qualified Entries nominate five Finalist Rides. The Qualifying Panel will also select the definitive images/video of each of the five rides.

b) Judging Panel: The Billabong XXL Award judging panel will consist of eight judges and a head judge who will only vote in case of a tie. Four judging panel positions will be assigned to respected big-wave surfers who are not in contention for the Billabong XXL Award. The balance of the panel will consist of representatives from Surfline.com, Surfer Magazine, Surfing Magazine and Transworld Surf Magazine. No direct employees of Billabong or any other company involved in the sponsorship of individual athletes will be voting members of the judging panel. Head judge and mediator for the Billabong XXL Award panel will be Bill Sharp, the creator of the XXL event and K2 Big Wave Challenge.
c) Methodology: Following the expiration of the contest period, the judging panel will be convened. The panel will consider the five Finalist Rides one at a time, making an effort to assign an approximate objective measurement of the height of each wave. Using the This-Many-Times-Overhead formula and taking into consideration the angle of the photo or video and the height of the surfer, each of the Finalist Rides will be given an Estimated Face Height in feet. The EFH for each ride will be compared and the judges will debate the merits of each Finalist Ride and then a secret ballot vote will be taken. If there is not unanimous consensus on the first vote, further analysis and discussion will take place, followed by a second vote. The Finalist Ride garnering the most votes in the second ballot will be deemed the winner. While the semi-objective EFH rating will be an important tool in the discussion, the subjective opinion of the judging panel will be the deciding factor and their decision will be final and binding.

d) Attendance: After the final decision is made, an awards ceremony will be held at a location to be announced where the winners will be honored. Winning surfers and photographers MUST be present at the ceremony in order to receive the cash prize(s).
e) Safety: The single most important statement to be made in outlining the rules for this event is that safety must be of the highest importance. Any attempts that are dangerous, discourteous or unsportsmanlike are strictly prohibited and will under no circumstances be considered for the prize. Contestants are expected to demonstrate the same high level of dedication to safety that has defined the top levels of big-wave surfing in recent years. This award is meant to honor and reward those individuals who have for years demonstrated great surfing skill -- it will not acknowledge any instances of reckless bravado. It is in no way intended to encourage unqualified surfers to take risks for which they are unprepared.

f) Successful Ride Defined: For a ride to be deemed successful, the surfer must complete the original drop and proceed onward while in control and under the power of only the wave and gravity. Completion of a bottom turn or, in the case of a closeout, beating the lip or whitewater to the bottom, will be regarded as having met these criteria. The ruling of the Qualifying Panel as to the success of a ride will be final.
g) Surfer and Surfboard Defined: While not meant to stifle innovation, to claim the Billabong XXL Award, the surfer must ride the wave in a manner and on equipment consistent with recent surfing history. Only stand-up surfing will be considered. No self-powered equipment is eligible -- naval ships plunging through mid-ocean storm swells do not qualify.
h) Wave Height Defined: The wave height to be measured will be the distance from the lip to the trough of the wave at its highest moment during the ride as measured above and below the surfer. If a surfer catches a wave on the shoulder, the height of the wave in the vicinity of his point of entry will be counted, not the height of the wave at the peak. The bottom trough measurement will be taken from what is agreed to be the lowest point relative to the extended slope of the wave face to which either a surfer or the whitewater of the broken wave may ever reach. Height of the wave between these points will be the overriding factor in deciding the winner -- thickness or "heaviness" of the wave will only be considered if a tie-breaker is required for two waves that appear to be of nearly identical height.

i) Multiple Riders: Occasionally, group rides occur in big-wave riding, but due to safety considerations, drop-ins are discouraged for the XXL Big-Wave Awards. In the case of multiple riders on a wave worthy of consideration for the prize, only the surfer closest to the breaking part of the wave will be eligible.
j) Cheating: Computer manipulation opens up the possibility for fraud. In order to eliminate the chances of a fake or enhanced ride being considered, original transparencies or negatives must be submitted, and all will be examined for authenticity. Any candidate rides taking place at relatively obscure locations that are not witnessed by a large number of observers will be subject to special scrutiny. Digital photos may be subject to additional verification procedures.
k) By Any Means Necessary: Acknowledging the widespread use of personal water craft among the big-wave elite, the XXL Big Wave Awards will consider both tow-in and paddle-in rides for the grand prize. The XXL Awards should recognize both disciplines in order to accurately gauge the largest wave of the winter tackled by a human being. Users of PWC are expected to observe all applicable regulations. Use of PWCs in close proximity to paddle-surfers in a dangerous or discourteous manner will be grounds for disqualification from the Billabong XXL event and removal of the offending surfer from the invitation list. Such discipline will be at the discretion of the Invitation Committee.
l) On second thought: The Billabong XXL event and the Contest Director reserve the right to add, amend or adjust the rules of the contest as appropriate to accommodate real-life developments. A list of winners will be posted on or about April 15, 2004, on the Billabong XXL web site.

m) Rules and competition formats associated with this event are copyright protected and may not be copied, adapted or otherwise applied to other events without written permission from Billabong and Sharp Media, Inc. Entire contents © 2003 by Sharp Media, Inc.

Contacts:
Surfers, photographers and working media covering the event may obtain additional information or rulings on specific questions by contacting:

Bill Sharp
Billabong XXL Event Director
1441 Superior Avenue
Suite E
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Phone: 949-548-6740
Fax: 949-548-5572
E-mail: SurfNewsEd@aol.com