LOS ANGELES, California/USA (Wednesday, February 28, 2018) – Paige Alms (HAW) officially earned the World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Tour women’s title for the 2017/2018 season.
The 2017/2018 BWT season witnessed incredible performances from the world’s best surfers across three unique competitions — the Puerto Escondido Challenge in Mexico, the Pe’ahi Challenge in Hawaii, and the Nazaré Challenge in Portugal.
“Congratulations to our Big Wave Tour Champions, Paige Alms,” said Mike Parsons, WSL Big Wave Tour Commissioner. “The competitors showcased groundbreaking performances this season in extremely challenging conditions. They truly demonstrate the commitment and courage required to compete and win at this level.
“This season we called on the Puerto Escondido Challenge, the Pe’ahi Challenge, and the Nazaré Challenge. Pe’ahi received a Gold coefficient with 55-foot face waves, and both Puerto and Nazaré received a Bronze coefficient with 35-foot face waves. We were not able to run the Mavericks Challenge this big wave season due to unfavorable conditions but are excited about the opportunity to run starting in October 2018.”
This achievement marks Alms’ second BWT title-clinching, after earning the Big Wave crown last year. Alms successfully defended her Pe’ahi Challenge win in massive waves last October to take the Big Wave Rankings’ lead and further evidence her dominance at the infamous Jaws break.
“Winning a World Title, let alone two, has been a childhood dream since I can remember,” said Alms. “I am so honored to be able to win twice and bring the trophy back home to Maui, where it all started for me. It is an amazing feeling to be at the top with these awards and titles, but to be honest, win or lose, I feel like I’m always winning. Being able to do what I do and share that with my friends and family, I’m winning everyday. I hope that what I am accomplishing in my career will give hope and inspire the next generation to go after their goals and dreams.”
Alms has been charging big waves since she was 15 years old and now looks to be unstoppable amongst her competitors and against monstrous conditions. The Maui surfer earned the Women’s Best Performance recognition at the Big Wave Awards in 2017 after six-straight nominations starting in 2012.
In addition to her big-wave pursuits, Alms was also featured in a 2015 documentary called The Wave I Ride, from director Devyn Bisson. The film portrayed Alms’ journey to the big-wave arena, including both her support system — specifically, her partner and shaper, Sean Ordonez, and her mother — and the odd jobs and training routine that she has juggled along the way.
This year’s Women’s Big Wave Tour witnessed Alms win the Pe’ahi Challenge, with big wave legend Keala Kennelly (HAW) earning second place and Justine Dupont (FRA) in third.
“I believe that having a platform to perform in the best conditions with only six women in the water is one of the best ways to push the level of the sport,” continued Alms. “As big wave lineups get more and more crowded, I really look forward to having these events that allow for an empty lineup and being able to pick and choose our waves that you truly want. I really look forward to having more than one event next season. Although I think Jaws is by far the best wave on the tour, it will be nice to challenge ourselves in other conditions. I am really excited to surf Mavericks with just a handful of surfers out.”
Alms will be recognized at the WSL Awards on March 8 on the Gold Coast of Australia and the Big Wave Awards scheduled for April 28 in Southern California.
WSL 2017/2018 Women’s Big Wave Tour Top 6
1 – Paige Alms (HAW) 10,000 pts
2 – Keala Kennelly (HAW) 8,333 pts
3 – Justine Dupont (FRA) 6,944 pts
4 – Bianca Valenti (USA) 5,787 pts
5 – Andrea Moller (BRA) 4,823 pts
6 – Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 4,019 pts
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.