Shane Dorian at Jaws

This week the nominees for the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards were announced. Sion Milosky, 35 year old Hawaiian surfer, is nominated for multiple awards. Milosky, who we tragically lost in early march, will be the first nominee for a XXL award posthumously. Below are just a couple of the catagories but to get the full list of nominees click here.

FIVE BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $50,000 plus a year lease on a 2012 Toyota Tacoma truck - Video prize $5,000)

Michael Brennan (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on April 10, 2010. (Video by Tim Bonython.)

Danilo Couto (Bahia, Brazil) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on February 8, 2011. (Video by Elliot Leboe.)

Mark Healey (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Outer Reef, Oahu, Hawaii on January 20, 2011. (Video by Ariel Willeford.)

Benjamin Sanchis (Hossegor, France) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland on February 13, 2011. (Video by Yannock Lousouarn.)

David Scard (Caloundra, Queensland, Australia) at Cloudbreak, Fiji on September 20, 2010. (Video by Talon Clemow.)

FIVE MONSTER PADDLE AWARD NOMINEES (Surfer prize $15,000 - Photo/video prize $4,000)

Danilo Couto (Bahia, Brazil) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on February 8, 2011. (Photos by Eric Aeder, Tracy Kraft and Batel Shimi.

Video by Justin Clark, Giora Koren and Elliot Leboe.)

Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Hawaii, on March 15, 2011. (Photos by Eric Aeder, Bob Bangerter, Tracy Kraft, Bruno Lemos, Mike Neal and Batel Shimi. Video by Frank Berthuot, Giora Koren and Bruno Lemos.)

Mark Healey (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick's, California on November 2, 2010. (Photos by Mike Jones, Don Montgomery and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Chris Killen.)

Sion Milosky (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Outer Reef, Oahu, Hawaii on February 8, 2011. (Photo by Daniel Russo. Video by Larry Haynes.)

Mark Yazbeck (Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia) at Waimea Bay, Hawaii on January 20, 2011. (Photos by Bruno Lemos, Al Mackinnon and Terry Reis. Video by Bruno Lemos.)