Hawai'i surfers Shane Dorian and Ian Walsh are finalists for the top award at the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards.

Promoted as "the Oscars of big-wave surfing," the Billabong XXL event recognizes surfers who rode the biggest waves over the last 12 months.

The winners will be announced today at a ceremony in Anaheim, Calif.

Dorian, who is from Kailua, Kona, and Walsh, who is from Pa'ia, Maui, are among the final five in the "Ride of the Year" category. They both rode giant waves at Teahupoo, Tahiti, last November.

The other finalists are Michael Brennan of Australia, Manoa Drollet of Tahiti, and Carlos Burle of Brazil. The winner will receive $50,000.

Walsh is also a finalist in the "Monster Tube" category, which is for the biggest tube ride.

Mark Healey of O'ahu's North Shore is a finalist in the "Monster Paddle" category, which is for surfers who paddle into big waves on their own (without the aid of a personal watercraft).

Also, North Shore surfers Garrett McNamara and Jamie Sterling are finalists in the "Best Overall Performance" category.

Video and photos of the finalists can be viewed at www.billabongxxl.com. A live webcast of the awards ceremony will also be available through the site at 4 p.m. (Hawai'i time) today.

SHARK SIGHTING AT CONTEST IN AUSTRALIA

The Drug Aware Pro surfing contest in Australia was halted for a few hours earlier this week when competitors sighted a large shark in the area.

Australia's Amee Donohoe was in the water when she saw "a massive fin and wide girth."

"I was paddling back out through the channel and saw this massive fin, it was really wide," she said. "I got a pretty good look at it — good enough to not want to stay in the water."

The contest was restarted the following day, after officials checked the area on personal watercraft and did not see the shark.

The contest features divisions for men and women, and more than 20 surfers from Hawai'i are competing.

HIGH SCHOOL SURF CLUBS RETURN TO ACTION

The second event in the High School Surf Club Challenge is scheduled to run this weekend (conditions permitting) at Nanakuli Tracks beach.

The historic first event in the series was completed last month. It was the first time that a surfing contest was recognized by the state Department of Education as a club sport.

For information, visit www.hspsurf.org.