The cbdMD Jaws Big Wave Championships is the world’s premier paddle-only big wave event, taking place at the famed Pe’ahi surf break on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. Rich with the sport’s history of innovation and progression, the contest brings the world’s elite male and female athletes together at the ultimate proving ground to compete for the coveted Championship.
History-making performances have solidified Jaws’ reputation as the pinnacle for big-wave surfing over the past decade. Jaws has hosted some of the biggest waves ever witnessed in competition, and winning this event sets the standard for the sport.
In the men’s division, 24 competitors are divided into four heats of six surfers for the first round. Heats are generally 45 minutes and surfers may catch as many waves as they wish with a panel of five judges scoring each ride on a scale of 1 to 10. Each competitor’s two best waves are counted, with their best wave score doubled. The three highest-scoring surfers advance to the semifinals, which run in the same format, and the top three from the Semifinals advance to the Final.
The women’s division runs in a similar format with 10 competitors participating in two five-surfer Semifinals with the top three surfers in each heat advancing to the Final. |