A surfer in mid-30s was in a critical condition in Taranaki Base Hospital last night after being found floating beside his board in metre-deep water off the coast near New Plymouth.

The 2012 Billabong Rio Pro, Stop No. 3 of 10 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, kicked off competition at the secondary venue of Arpoador and the event’s top seeds dominated the clean two-to-four foot (1.5 metre) lefthanders on offer for Round 1.

The five nominees for the Ride of the Year category of the 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are hereby presented for your evaluation: Nathan Fletcher at Teahupoo, Ryan Hipwood at Cloudbreak, Greg Long at Puerto Escondido, Garrett McNamara at Nazaré and Jeff Rowley at Jaws. For more details and to view all the still photos see the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

?The XXL Biggest Wave Nominees in the 2012 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards?. The five nominees for the XXL Biggest Wave category of the 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are put forth for your analysis: Andrew Cotton at Mullaghmore Head, Garrett McNamara at Nazaré, Axi Muniain at Agiti, Ollie O'Flaherty at Mullaghmore and Damien "Taco" Warr at Cow Bombie. For more details and to view all the still photos see the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

This northern summer it will be 100 years since the man known to Hawaiians simply as 'The Duke' decided to show the world how to surf.