There’s been much discussion over last month’s O’Neill Wave of the Winter entries, especially Healey/Richards and when we presented the top five last week. After five days of user voting, it’s 23-year-old South Carolina goofyfoot Cam Richards who garnered the most votes (60%) for his crazy ride on December 6th. He’ll take home a thousand bucks for his troubles, and will be in the running for the overall O’Neill Wave of the Winter — and $25,000 — which runs till the end of February.

[Lead photo by Tom Servais.]

The different angles of the winning wave have been playlisted above for your viewing pleasure.

Cam caught this wave on an 8’0″ shaped by his dad. Here’s how he explained it:

“As soon as I made it, I came straight in — and everyone on the beach was cheering and I couldn’t help but to just smile. I was just kinda shocked. I always dreamed of this scenario happening. Yesterday, I surfed out there on a 6’4″, and just was getting cleaned up, missing waves, and getting smoked. Then I watched Healey’s wave from the water and I looked at someone and said, ‘damn that looks fun.’ So I just said, ‘screw it I’m gonna ride the 8’0” and just chill,’ ’cause I was tired from yesterday.

View: North Shore Forecast

“My first wave was a roll in. I didn’t get that deep, but it spit super hard, so I was already like, ‘well that was worth it.’ Then I packed a closeout, which is pretty standard for me out there. [Laughs.] So then I paddled back out, and was talking to Eli Olson, and we were chatting about how beneficial a big board is — and then this wave came in, and I heard Eli say, ‘go, Cam!’ so I started to paddle and I looked around to make sure no one was around me — because I respect everyone out there so much and I know I don’t deserve good waves out there. But I was alone where I was, and thought ‘might as well!’

“I remembered dropping in and kinda fading, ’cause I didn’t want to outrace it like my first wave. Then just pulled up under it and it looked like it was going to close out, so I was just hanging on to get farther to try and not get smoked. But it kept on letting me through, then I was like, ‘whoa, I’m gonna make this thing’ — and then the little end section came and I wanted to doggy door, but I knew I would’ve maybe dug a rail with this big board, so I was thinking all-or-nothing.

“Then I came out and was just tripping. I didn’t claim it, ’cause I see all these waves everyone gets and would never think mine would compare. And I just try to never claim anything, ’cause sometimes things aren’t as good as they seem. I was so stoked when I first saw the clip, but the whole time I was just thinking about how stoked my dad will be.”

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