Local surfer Tom Lowe has taken out the prestigious Surfer of the Year title at the international Big Wave Challenge awards in Los Angeles.
The award recognises big-wave surfers from around the world, with Tom receiving the top title after a remarkable year that has seen him return to the water following serious injury.
The win comes just over a year after Tom suffered severe head trauma in a wipeout at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, and three years after another serious wipeout at the same break.
His return to big-wave surfing was described as the ‘comeback of a lifetime’ after he paddled into a giant barrel at Mullaghmore in Ireland just six months after his 2025 accident.
The ride came during one of the winter’s biggest swells and was particularly significant because the conditions had previously been considered suitable only for tow-in surfing.
Tom’s Mullaghmore ride was also named as one of three finalists for Ride of the Year at the awards.
Originally from Britain, Tom is a familiar face around Raglan, where he keeps a low profile despite his international big-wave reputation and rarely seeks the limelight.
Tom was a finalist for Surfer of the Year alongside South Africa’s Grant “Twig” Baker and American Mason Hyce Barnes.
