Surfline have announced Jamie O’Brien as the winner of their annual Wave Of The Winter competition, adjudging him to have caught and successfully ridden “the single best wave of the contest period on the North Shore.” His prize comes in the form of a cheque for $25,000; watch Kalani Chapman spring the surprise on him, and hear O’Brien’s own analysis of his winning wave, here on the Surfline website. The winning footage, which can be seen above, was captured by Tatiane Araujo, who receives a cheque for $5,000.

The singularly illustrious judging panel, comprised of Gerry Lopez, Pancho Sullivan, Shawn Briley and Ross Williams, awarded Mason Ho the Clif Bar Overall Performance Award, given to the surfer who “demonstrates, more than any other, outstanding skill, commitment to both the sport and community, courage and style while consistently riding the most challenging waves on the North Shore.”

Here’s another angle of the winning wave.