Champions Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Gabriel Medina (BRA) celebrate at the WSL Awards ahead of the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast, which starts on Saturday.
Image: WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
COOLANGATTA, QLD/Australia (Wednesday, February 25, 2015) - The world's best surfers tonight traded sunlight for spotlight 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.
Accolades and awards are handed out to those that have contributed to the sport, including the Heat of the Year, Breakthrough Performers and, of course, the WSL Champions.
The award winners:
Breakthrough Performers: John John Florence (HAW) and Johanne Defay (FRA)
Heat of the Year: John John Florence (HAW)/Kelly Slater (USA) at Tahiti & Tyler Wright (AUS)/Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) at Bells Beach
Move of the Year: Julian Wilson (AUS) and Lakey Peterson (USA)
Wave of the Year: Kelly Slater (USA) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
WSL Junior Champions: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) and Mahina Maeda (HAW)
WSL Longboard Champions: Harley Ingleby (AUS) and Chelsea Williams (AUS)
WSL Women's Runner-Up: Tyler Wright (AUS)
WSL Men's Runner-Up: Mick Fanning (AUS)
WSL Women's Champion: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
WSL Men's Champion: Gabriel Medina (BRA)
“Every heat last year was do or die,” Gilmore said. “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.”
“It is because of my support team that I’m here tonight,” Medina said. “My family, my friends, my fellow surfers on tour and my country. Brazil never had a world champion before".
About the World Surf League
The World Surf League (WSL) organizes the annual tour of professional surf competitions and broadcasts each event live at WorldSurfLeague.com where you can experience the athleticism, drama and adventure of competitive surfing -- anywhere and anytime it’s on. The WSL sanctions and operates the following tours: the Junior Tour, Longboard Tour, the Qualifying Series (QS), the Big Wave Tour and the crown jewel of the sport, the WSL Championship Tour (CT) which determines the sport's undisputed world champions. The organization is headquartered in Santa Monica, California with Commercial Offices in New York. The offices are supported by regional centers in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America and South America.
