California Surfer Earns $50K for One Massive Mexican Wave at Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca Orange County Register
go to original May 5, 2014

Greg Long at Puerto Escondido • 2014 Ride of the Year Award Winner (Billabong XXL)

ANAHEIM – San Clemente big-wave surfer Greg Long took home top honors for Ride of the Year at the Billabong XXL Awards at the City National Grove of Anaheim, reflecting the recognition of his peers and making him $50,000 richer for a wave he caught in Mexico last year.

“The fear is an underlying motivator, and turning the fear into something positive is what big-wave surfing does for me,” he said. “When you’re riding a big wave you’re so focused, and it’s like time goes into slow motion.”

Long nearly drowned after a massive wipeout at Cortes Bank, about 100 miles west of San Diego, in December 2012, but it wasn’t long before he got back on the big waves. He rode the winning wave just six months after the accident, in which he was held down under several waves, left unconscious and in need of an airlift from a Coast Guard helicopter.

The winning wave was ridden June 7 at Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico, and captured on film by videographer Mike Mortimer.

... Only a handful of elite surfers take on waves 40 feet and larger, and the XXL awards is a way to recognize the brave – if not insane – group of athletes. A total of $120,000 was given out through the night, recognizing such episodes as Wipeout of the Year along with Biggest Wave.

Read the rest at Orange County Register

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