Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2008 Official Results In: Twiggy Wins

Big Wave Africa Weblog Eleven

Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2008 Official Results In: Twiggy Wins

By Miles Masterson

Sat 26 July 2008 1630h

The Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2008 is done and dusted and the official results are now in: South Africa's Twiggy Baker has won. What an insane contest, the 15 to 20 foot sets and clean conditions a fitting way to celebrate the event's 10th year. After the prizegiving, conducted in front of a huge and vocal crowd from the Nauticat, quayside in Hout Bay Harbour, the full final results are: Twiggy Baker (RSA) in first, Carlos Burle (BRZ) second, Greg Long (USA) third, James Taylor (RSA) fourth, Anthony Tashnick (USA) fifth and Mark Healy (HI) in sixth.

South Africa’s Baker, who hails from Durban, dominated the half hour final with two bomb waves, which he rode resolutely, scoring 8.2 and 9. Like previous winner John Whittle, also of Durban, Baker modestly attributed his victory to luck, saying he was fortunate the winning waves came his way, before he dedicated the win to his late father, who passed away 20 years ago to the day last weekend.

Runner up Burle spent the latter half of the heat chasing Twiggy’s scores, but couldn’t quite find the second big set he required. The same counted for 2003 BWA victor Long, who scored a perfect 10-point tube ride earlier in the day and caught the first wave of the final, taking off deep on a massive wall and riding it high and critical in the pocket, but spent the rest of the time scratching around trying to find a back-up wave.

Taylor, a first time BWA invitee, and BWA regular Tashnick both acquitted themselves well by catching solid waves, scoring 7.3 and 6.7 respectively, but both also failed to find a decent second ride. Healey, who had been charging through the early rounds, pushed it too far in the final, as he took two bad slams early on and was relegated to the Nauticat with a burst eardrum.

Healey didn't go home unrewarded though, taking out the R5000 DaKine Ikaika Award for doing the extraordinary at the 2008 BWA, committing to late drops and surviving the resultant hideous wipeouts during his memorable debut performance at Dungeons. The R30000 Sensi Thread Biggest Wave Award went to James Taylor, and the R5000 Von Zipper Deep Throat Award to Carlos Burle for taking off the deepest and showing the most bravado throughout. Naturally, the R10000 Billabong Biggest Tube Award went Greg Long, for his groundbreaking backdoor barrel at Dungeons. "As long as I'm still standing and riding a surfboard, I'll be back for this event," smiled the well-deserving Long.

A special mention and congratulations must also go to contest co-directors Johnny Paarman and Gary Linden for putting it on the line and giving the Green Light this morning, and in doing so facilitating this undeniably historic day in world surfing, and what turned out to be - without a doubt - the most epic Big Wave Africa event to date. Thoughts also go to the South African surfers who were injured in the contest: Jason Ribbink (concussion), Mike Schlebach (dislocated shoulder), and Charles Reitz in yesterday's practice session (broken ribs). Get well soon boys and hopefully we'll see you fighting fit next year.

Photos and video footage of Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2008 have been loaded to the galleries , so go check out all the digital evidence.