Australian surfer Danny Griffiths makes the final of the World Surf League's Big Wave wipe-out of the year award

For once it would have been good not to see an Australian in the final of a surfing competition.

Be in the regular World Surf League or the madmen on the big wave scene, there is rarely a surfing contest that doesn’t feature at least one Australia come the business end of proceedings.

The World Surf League’s Big Wave Awards will be decided soon, and an Australian is - perhaps unfortunately - among the nominees for the wipe-out of the year award.

Danny Griffiths shortly before it all went wrong. (WSL)

Tasmanian Danny Griffiths kept things local for with his entry – he got cleaned up at Ship Stern Bluff, a break approximately 30km from the Tasmanian mainland.

Griffiths made it down the face of the monster he took on. It all went wrong from there.

Once he came back up the face of the wave he hits a bump in the water and disappeared. His board looks like a toothpick as Griffiths is nowhere to be seen.

While these surfers would view such wipe-outs as badges of honour the rest of us can’t help but wonder how people can muster the courage to ride such monsters.

Wilem Banks during his wipeout at Maverick's in California. (WSL)

Griffiths is joined by American Wilem Banks, Hawaiian Nathan Florence, Brit Tom Lowe and Chilean Rafael Tapia as the five nominees for the award.

One will be crowned winner of wipe-out of the year, the other can console themselves with the knowledge they survived.