Shannon Reporting Maria Fernanda interview on Big Wave Awards

In the Shannon Reporting Maria Fernanda interview, Reporting described co-hosting the Big Wave Awards with Bill Sharp, where she said $105,000 was available across categories with equal prize money for men and women. Speaking with Maria Fernanda after returning to Puerto Escondido from California, she also reflected on Justine Dupont’s return to winning after becoming a mother and why she objects to judging pregnant surfers for staying in the water.

What did Shannon Reporting say about hosting the Big Wave Awards with Bill Sharp?

Shannon Reporting said co-hosting the Big Wave Awards with Bill Sharp gave her a chance to help recognize rides she already knew well. She considers the event important for big-wave surfing and was glad to see it return, particularly because its awards extend beyond the surfers to the people who capture their rides.

Reporting said $105,000 was on the line across different categories, with equal prize money for men and women. A videographer or photographer could also receive a prize for recording an awarded ride. That decision can be complicated, she noted, because multiple people sometimes film the same wave.

From her understanding, the judging pool included more than 200 people. She described it as reaching across the surf industry, including big-wave surfers and photographers. Reporting did not present the awards as a single judgment of one wave: the range of categories gave different kinds of performances a chance to be recognized.

The hosting format also let her speak to athletes after their nominations were shown. Because she was familiar with the nominated rides, she could ask about the surfing behind them rather than simply announce a result.

What did Shannon Reporting say about Tom Lowe and Nacho at the Big Wave Awards?

Shannon Reporting said Tom Lowe won surfer of the year while Nacho won ride of the year. She thought Lowe had produced enough striking paddle waves to merit several nominations, and she valued the chance to ask him about pushing paddle surfing after his nomination was shown.

Tom Lowe’s paddle waves in Puerto Escondido and Ireland

Reporting had recently seen Lowe in Puerto Escondido. She also pointed to his rides in Ireland when explaining why she thought he could have received four different paddle-wave nominations. His surfer-of-the-year award stood out to her because she had seen how much he was doing in the water, not just the moment presented onstage.

When Lowe seemed unsure what to say into the microphone, Reporting drew him back to progressive surfing. She asked why pushing the limits of paddle surfing and big waves mattered. Having a microphone go to each athlete after a nomination was shown made that kind of exchange possible.

Nacho’s ride-of-the-year award

Reporting initially recalled Lowe as the ride-of-the-year winner, then corrected herself: Lowe was nominated, but Nacho won for a left barrel she considered similar in its intensity. She saw the separate awards as a way for the event to recognize both a particular ride and a surfer’s work across the year.

What did Shannon Reporting say about Justine Dupont’s return as a mother?

Shannon Reporting said Justine Dupont returned to winning big-wave awards remarkably quickly after becoming a mother. Dupont appeared onstage three times at the Big Wave Awards and, Reporting said, was nominated in almost every category. Reporting introduced her surfer-of-the-year award by acknowledging both her motherhood and her return to the sport.

Reporting remembered how other women surfing big waves reacted when Dupont was pregnant. She recalled Polly and women charging Nazare recognizing that Dupont’s time out of the water might open a rare opportunity to win ride of the year. What struck Reporting afterward was how quickly Dupont was back in contention.

She also pointed to Mikaela as a mother who had been involved in big-wave events for years. Reporting objected to the idea that a return to surfing after having a child was unprecedented, saying that women’s earlier experiences do not always receive the same attention.

For Reporting, Dupont’s story includes the work beyond the awards stage. She said Dupont brings her child on surf trips while continuing to surf, making the return to competition only one part of the story.

What did Shannon Reporting recall about Polly and Bethany Hamilton surfing while pregnant?

Shannon Reporting recalled watching Polly take on a large barrel at Sunset while heavily pregnant and knowing that Bethany Hamilton competed at Pipeline during a pregnancy she had not made public. The two memories shaped Reporting’s view that pregnant athletes’ decisions deserve to be understood through their experience, not judged from a distance.

Watching Polly at Sunset

Reporting estimated that Polly was perhaps eight months pregnant when she surfed the barrel at Sunset. She remembered being in the water, hoping Polly would make the wave, and seeing the men around her make sure nobody dropped in. The combination of Polly’s ride and Reporting’s nerves made the day hard for her to forget.

Bethany Hamilton’s private pregnancy at Pipeline

Reporting said Hamilton competed at Pipeline when she was about four months pregnant and chose not to tell the public until the contest was over. Reporting recalled asking Hamilton directly and hearing that she wanted to avoid media discussion before competing. Reporting presented that choice as Hamilton’s to make, rather than a detail the public was owed at the time.

Why does Shannon Reporting defend Tia Blanco’s choice to surf while pregnant?

Shannon Reporting defended Tia Blanco after seeing critical comments on a post about her surfing while pregnant. Reporting’s point was that Blanco is an accomplished surfer and that an outing at Oceanside could feel routine to her. People outside that experience, she argued, should be careful about judging the choice.

Reporting described Blanco as one of the best surfers she knows. She found some of the responses to Blanco’s post disheartening because they treated the act of going surfing without considering the surfer’s ability or familiarity with the conditions.

Reporting put her objection plainly:

you’re not walking their shoes.

She also emphasized the mental side of continuing to do a familiar sport. In her view, staying active and connected to the ocean can help someone remain motivated and happy. Her argument was about respecting an experienced surfer’s circumstances, not claiming that every surfer’s situation is the same.

What did Shannon Reporting say about support and storytelling for women surfers?

Shannon Reporting said the stories of surfing mothers deserve more attention, from the time they spend away from the water through their return. She also wants more women behind the camera, bringing a different perspective to coverage that can otherwise focus chiefly on the biggest wave of the day.

Support through pregnancy and a return to surfing

Reporting said she could not readily name brands that supported athletes throughout pregnancy and their return, apart from the support she associated with Justine Dupont. She named Adidas and Red Bull in discussing Dupont, while acknowledging that Dupont’s quick return may be part of why her case stands out.

Reporting stressed that returning is not only a matter of entering the ocean again. She spoke about time away before labor, childbirth and healing afterward. Those experiences are part of what she wants recognized when a mother resumes surfing and competition.

A different perspective behind the camera

As someone who works with video, Reporting said she hoped to see more women showing other sides of surfing. A report centered on the biggest wave can miss the people and experiences around it. Her comments about mothers, awards and the people filming rides all returned to the same concern: which parts of a surfer’s story receive attention.

Who is Shannon Reporting?

Shannon Reporting is a surfer, broadcast announcer, producer, videographer and editor.