GIANT WINTER SURF KICKS UP ACTION IN BILLABONG XXLBIG WAVE AWARDS
New Event Categories Announced, Fresh Website Launches With Epic Hawaiian Entries

IRVINE, CA -- (December 22, 2004) -- The Fifth Annual Billabong XXL
Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy moved into high season this week with the launch of a fresh event website, the arrival of dozens of astonishing entry images and the announcement of several new categories of big wave achievement.  All thenewest information
and latest entry photos for the 2004-05 competition can be viewed at www.BillabongXXL.com.

After a relatively slow beginning to the NorthernHemisphere's big wave season, a pair of huge swells slammed intothe Hawaiian Islands in the last week, producing XXL-worthy rides at spots like Waimea Bay on Oahu and the famed Jaws/Peahi break on Maui's north coast.  The massive waves heralded the arrival of winter thisweek and served to powerfully announce a period which statistically sees the year's highest waves stirring the North Pacific basinthrough January and February. 

The recent Hawaiian action joins an assortment ofcontender waves from around the world which have been successfully ridden since the current XXL cycle began on April 1, 2004.  South Africa, Tahiti, Chile and California have already produced entries to date.The surfer who rides the biggest single wave inthe 12 months ending March 31, 2005, will be crowned the new BillabongXXL champ and receive a check in an amount equal to $1000 per foot of face height.  The reigning XXL king is Pete Cabrinha of Haiku, Maui, whose 70-foot wave at Jaws last January earned $70,000 and aspot in the new Guinness Book of World Records.  The XXL prize is the single largest cash award given out in the sport of surfing each
year. 

Other traditional categories returning this year include the Monster Paddle-In Award for the largest wave caught using only arm power, and the Monster Barrel Award for the tuberide of theyear.  Both categories have received fresh entries in recentdays from the spate of mammoth swells.

Surfline.com is the official surf forecast of the Billabong XXL and will once again present the Jay Moriarity BestOverall Performance Award and its $5000 reward to the surfer who consistently pushes the sport forward at the greatest number of venues over the course of the entire year.Billabong USA's Vice President of Marketing, Graham Stapelberg, today announced two brand new categories for this year'sprogram, honoring the biggest wave paddled into by a female, and thebest tow-team of the year.  "Given the advances in women's surfingin recent years, we felt it was high time that a special categoryhonored the ladies' big-wave exploits," said Stapelberg.  "Last year there were several rides by women which would have dwarfed the biggest waves ridden by 99% of the men out there, so their time has indeed come." 

All other categories are open to qualified surfers
of either sex. "Additionally, we also felt it was time that the spirit of teamwork which has helped pushed big wave surfing andsafety to a new these new levels be recognized," said Stapelberg.  "The Best Team Award will honor the pair of surfers who worked together in
the most seamless fashion and amassed the best combined total ofwave heights."Both new categories will carry $5000 awards.Also new this year is the official announcement ofthe XXL's 100-foot-wave bonus.  Originally announced in 2001as part of the Billabong Odyssey's quest for giant surf, the 100foot wave mark -- if and when it is ever crossed -- will earn thesurfer a bonus $100,000 on top of the traditional $1000 per foot XXL Award base prize. The Billabong Odyssey's ongoing mission will continueits focus on non-competitive adventures to new breaks in exoticregions and deploying special teams for extraordinary highsurf episodes.The Fifth Annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards will be presented on the evening of Friday, April 22,2005, at the Grove
Theater in Anaheim, California in a galainvitation-only ceremony.New entries in the competition continue to arrivedaily and fresh still photos and video clips will be posted on the BillabongXXL.com website throughout the holidays. 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Bill Sharp    SurfNewsEd@aol.com    949-548-6740