WSL Awards
Courteous of the WSL site.
If you think awards season peaked with the Oscars, think again. The world’s best traded sunlight for spotlight February 25 as they hit the red carpet for the 2015 World Surf League (WSL) Awards—the night that celebrates the achievements of the 2014 season, and officially opens the 2015 WSL Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour year. The new season kicks off February 28 with the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro Gold Coast.
Accolades and awards were given to those that have contributed to the sport, including the Heat of the Year, Breakthrough Performers and the WSL Champions. Here’s the full list of Awards winners and nominees:
Men’s Wave of the Year
Winner: Kelly Slater at the Billabong Pro Tahiti
John John Florence at the Billabong Pro Tahiti
Kai Otton at the Billabong Pro Tahiti
Jordy Smith at the J-Bay Open
Joel Parkinson at the J-Bay Open
Gabriel Medina at the Billabong Pipe Masters
Women’s Wave of the Year
Carissa Moore at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast
Courtney Conlogue at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast
Tyler Wright at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
Sally Fitzgibbons at the Fiji Women’s Pro
Winner: Stephanie Gilmore at the Swatch Women’s Pro Trestles
Carissa Moore at the Target Maui Pro
Men’s Move of the Year
Winner: Julian Wilson’s J-Bay Alley-Oop
Filipe Toledo’s Trestles Air
John John Florence’s Bells Beach Punt
Women’s Move of the Year
Malia Manuel’s Fiji Top Turn
Winner: Lakey Peterson’s Trestles Aerial
Tyler Wright’s Bells Beach Carve
Men’s Heat of the Year
Hurley Pro Trestles Round 4, Heat 3: John John Florence vs. Kelly Slater vs. Adriano De Souza
Billabong Pipe Masters Final: Gabriel Medina vs. Julian Wilson
Winner: Billabong Pro Tahiti Semifinal 1: Kelly Slater vs. John John Florence
Women’s Heat of the Year
Target Maui Pro Final: Tyler Wright vs. Carissa Moore
Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach Round 3, Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons vs. Courtney Conlogue vs. Nikki Van Dijk
Winner: Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach Semifinal 2: Stephanie Gilmore vs. Tyler Wright
Men’s Breakthrough Performer: John John Florence (HAW)
Women’s Breakthrough Performer: Johanne Defay (FRA)
Men’s Runner-Up: Mick Fanning (AUS)
Men’s World Champion: Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Women’s Runner-Up: Tyler Wright (AUS)
Women’s World Champion: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
“Every heat last year was do or die,” Gilmore said during her acceptance speech. “The level of talent on tour has never been higher and the surfing has never been more exciting. To come away with a win in that kind of environment was incredibly rewarding on a personal level and it gives me great confidence heading into the year and women’s surfing for the future.”
The Quiksilver Pro and the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, the opening stops of the 2015 CT season, kick off February 28, 2015 and will be webcast LIVE on the WSL homepage.
Great write-up, Aaron. I’m pumped for the new WSL season to start! 
Yeah boi!
Quik pro kicks off tomorrow! Cant effin wait!
Plenty of Aussie representation in there, as always. Kelly’s still taking out awards, of course…he’ll probably still be doing it a decade from now. He’s immortal.