West Oz surfer takes out Oakley/ASL Big Wave Awards 43 year old big surf maestro Damon Eastaugh has won Australia’s major giant-surf prize – again! Capping a record breaking year for the Oakley/ASL Big Wave Awards, Damon, from Margaret River in Western Australia, collected $20,000 for the Biggest Single Ride Award, presented at a fired-up awards evening at the Bondi Pavilion last night. It was his second victory in the Awards – Damon also won the 2004 Biggest Ride. The winning ride, caught at a deepwater reef known as Cow Bombie near Margaret River on July 5 last year, was estimated by Awards judges at between 48 and 52 feet in height. It’s without doubt the biggest wave ever ridden in Australasian waters in the sport’s history. Even this colossus of a wave was barely enough to pip fellow entrants Alex “Alfy” Cater and Paul Paterson, who both rode massive waves that same day, said head judge Nick Carroll. “The panel went back and forth for ages,” Carroll said. “Alfy and Paul had huge bombs too, and we were really torn. But Damon got the edge in the end…we couldn’t get past his crazy beast of a wave.” Eastaugh was “towed-in” to his winning ride by Paterson, using a PWC to access the reef and match the speed of the huge waves. The win cements Eastaugh’s reputation as one of Australia’s quiet surfing legends. Having passed on a promising pro surfing career as a junior competitor in the 1980s, Damon focused on school and work and is currently a top winemaker in the renowned south-west vineyard country. Clearly, this hasn’t stopped him surfing. “You shit yourself, but you’re loving it,” he says of the big surf challenge. “When the reward is so big it overwhelms the fear.” Biggest Paddle-in Ride Award and $5,000 went to Daniel Kereopa of New Zealand. This Award, open only to surfers who ride waves without PWC assistance, was won by Daniel following a session last year at Papatowai reef off NZ’s south island. Daniel paddled for eight hours in eight-degree water to snare the winning ride. Best Overall Performance Award and another $3,000 was taken out by Western Australia’s Damien “Taco” Warr, for his impressive rides at Cow Bombie throughout the big wave season.