EXHIBIT a 2019/2020 WSL BIG WAVE AWARDS • OFFICIAL RULES The
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EXHIBIT A 2019/2020 WSL BIG WAVE AWARDS • OFFICIAL RULES The Association of Surfing Professionals LLC d/b/a World Surf League (“WSL”) owns and operates the WSL Big Wave Awards pursuant to these Official Rules, and the Entry Form provided to surfers, photographers and videographers to participate in the Big Wave Awards. The WSL invites surfers riding big waves and videographers and photographers capturing the surfers doing so, to be considered for nomination for, and participation in the WSL Big Wave Awards in specific categories, as set out below. PART A: GENERAL RULES The General Rules will apply to all of the Award Categories (as defined below) in addition to the specific rules that are included within the description of each Award Category in Part B below. Part A and Part B as described in these Official Rules will be referred to as the “BWA Rules”, and may be changed from time to time, effective from the time of delivery of such updated BWA Rules to the individual named in the relevant Surfer, Photographer or Videographer Entry Form and Release (collectively the “Entry Form”) and/or publication of the updated BWA Rules on the WSL website. Where there is a direct conflict between an Entry Form and these BWA Rules, the terms of the Entry Form will apply. 1. Successful Ride For a ride to be deemed successful and eligible to be considered as a Submission (as defined below) to the Big Wave Awards, a surfer must be standing only on their feet on a board and complete the meaningful portion of the wave while in control and under the power of only the wave and gravity (“Ride”). For the Men’s and Women’s Paddle Award and the Wipeout of the Year awards, there are further terms relating to what constitutes a successful Ride (see the Award Category specifics in Part B). For the avoidance of doubt, a “Ride” as defined in this Part A is obviously not applicable for a Submission to be considered for the Wipeout of the Year award. The judges for each Award Category have final discretion on considering the eligibility of a successful Ride and accepting a Submission for consideration for an Award Category. 2. Categories Awards in the following categories are presented through the Big Wave Awards (each a “Category”): a. Men’s Ride of the Year – paddle or tow; b. Women’s Ride of the Year- paddle or tow; c. Men's Paddle Award; d. Men's Biggest Wave; e. Men's Best Overall Performance; f. Women's Biggest Paddle Wave; g. Women's Biggest Wave; h. Women's Best Overall Performance; and i. Wipeout of the Year. 3. Surfers who may be considered for the Big Wave Awards For a surfer to be considered in a Category for a Big Wave Award, they must be invited by the WSL. Once a surfer is invited, they are encouraged to coordinate with any photographers/ videographers who have captured images of a Ride. A surfer will only be considered for an award within the Big Wave Awards if the surfer satisfies the following conditions (each individual then referred to as an “Invited Surfer” until an Opt Out Notice in accordance with section 4 is provided): a. surfer is a qualified waterman (and women) who has earned the respect of their peers by demonstrating the ability to Ride extremely large waves without unnecessarily endangering themselves or others in the discretion of WSL; b. surfer has been invited by WSL and has signed the relevant terms and conditions as delivered by WSL (an “Entry Form”); c. surfer is 18 years of age or older, unless approved specifically by WSL; and d. surfer has been featured in a Submission that complies with these Big Wave Awards Rules. A surfer’s status as an Invited Surfer may be revoked at any time by WSL if, in WSL’s sole discretion, the Invited Surfer acts (or evidence is made available to WSL that they acted) in a way that impugns their own image or WSL’s image to the public. WSL shall provide written notice of such revocation (email to suffice). 4. Opt Out Notice An Invited Surfer remains an Invited Surfer, until such time that the Invited Surfer notifies the BWA Director (as defined below) in writing no longer wish to participate in the Big Wave Awards by “opting out” of the Big Wave Awards ( an “Opt Out Notice”) or unless WSL serves a notice of revocation, as set out above. The Opt Out Notice must be sent to BWA Director by email stating that the surfer is no longer to be considered for the Big Wave Awards, taking effect from that date of the Opt Out Notice. Following receipt of the Opt Out Notice by WSL, the Invited Surfer will no longer be considered an “Invited Surfer” for the purposes of these Big Wave Rules. 5. Request for Invitation If you wish to nominate a surfer, including yourself, to be considered as an Invited Surfer or specific audiovisual content be considered as a Submission please email the BWA Director, at the address provided below, with details of the Ride and the Submission. 6. Submission Window Unless otherwise stated within Part B, WSL will consider Submissions from videographers or photographers depicting a Ride which occurred between 6:00 AM (US Pacific Standard Time) March 21, 2019 and 7:00 PM (US Pacific Standard Time) March 20, 2020 (Submission Window). WSL reserves the right to request further information relating to a Submission and the Ride, as needed, to confirm that a Ride occurred within the Submission Window. All Submissions within the Submission Window are still subject to the 10-day requirement within Rule 7 below. 7. Submissions Photo or video content depicting a Ride will only be considered for a Big Wave Awards Category, and therefore constitute a “Submission” if: a. Content (image or video) was emailed and is of an Invited Surfer acknowledged by BWA Director in writing; b. Content is be submitted in accordance with WSL requirements and directions with respect to such Submission; c. Content owner has signed (or agreed to via the online form) the relevant terms and conditions required by WSL (an “Entry Form”); d. Content owner is at least 18 years of age; and e. In addition to the General Rules for submission, the Content submitted complies with specifications for a Category described in Part B of these BWA Rules. In order to allow timely authentication of Submissions, actual images or video of the Ride along with completed Submission requirements should be completed within ten (10) days of the date the Ride occurs. Leniency in relation to the requirement above will be given to Submissions in the first half of the Submission Window at the sole discretion of WSL, especially in the case where Submissions are awaiting significant release in certain forms of media, but adherence will be strictly enforced beginning December 15, 2019. WSL reserves the right to disqualify a Submission (by notice in writing, email to suffice) if, in WSL’s sole discretion, the photographer or videographer responsible for the Submission acts (or evidence is made available to WSL that they acted) in a way that impugns the individual’s own image or WSL’s image to the public. 8. Big Wave Awards Ceremony Attendance Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and precautions required to contain its spread, there will be no awards ceremony for 2020 and physical attendance by nominees is not required. Nominees are expected to make themselves available for an online presentation at a date and in a manner determined by WSL, which will be recorded and shared with the public through WSL platforms and WSL approved media outlets. 9. Judges Viewing Submissions Following the closing date of the Submission Window, the judging academy members will be contacted by WSL and invited to view the nominated Rides via the Big Wave Awards website or other platform designated by WSL. Judges will be expected to use their best efforts to fully review available materials and participate according to the rules and spirit of the Big Wave Awards. Judges who may have personally witnessed candidate Rides may draw on those experiences in addition to the Submission available in formulating their opinions. Judges should refrain from contacting other judges relating to a Big Wave Awards Submission or otherwise making their opinion of any Submission public without WSL approval. 10. Safety Safety of all surfers, photographers, videographers and other individuals in the ocean is of the highest priority to WSL. Any attempts that are deemed extraordinarily dangerous, discourteous or unsportsmanlike will not be considered as Submissions. All individuals involved are expected to demonstrate the same high level of dedication to safety that has defined the top level of big wave surfing in recent years. The WSL Big Wave Awards honor and reward those individuals who have demonstrated great surfing skill and will not acknowledge instances of reckless bravado. The Big Wave Awards does not encourage unqualified surfers to take risks for which they are unprepared by ensuring that only the most qualified surfers, photographers and videographers are invited to be considered in the Big Wave Awards. 11. Use of Personal Watercraft (“PWC”)/Jet Skis All users of PWC are expected to observe all applicable rules and regulations. Use of PWCs in close proximity to paddle-surfers is dangerous and if an Invited Surfer is determined by the WSL, in its sole discretion, to be acting in a dangerous or discourteous manner on or in concert with a PWC driver, they may be disqualified from the Big Wave Awards.