The 41st annual SURFER Poll and Video Awards will air live Tuesday night from the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The event is viewable at surferpoll.com beginning at 7pm Hawaii time (9 pm PST) and will air live on Time Warner Cable west region in Southern California at approximately 10 pm to 2 am PST.

Fans can like SURFER Magazine on facebook and follow on Twitter (#surferpoll) for live behind-the-scenes insight during the show.

The SURFER staff has their hands full this year with a list of deserving candidates, so we thought we would help them out in the main categories by offering some unsolicited advice on which way to go.

The most coveted video award of the night is for Movie of the Year. This year’s five nominees are: Lost Atlas, Year Zero, Kerrazy Kronicles, Get-N-Classic, and Come Hell or High Water.

GrindTV selection: Lost Atlas. The all-star cast pushes the progression of aerial surfing to new levels. Kai Neville continues to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Taylor Steele.

Always a fan favorite is the Worst Wipeout category. This year’s nominees include Kohl Christensen (Surprise Excitement Party), Evan Faulks (Surprise Excitement Party), Nathan Fletcher (Teahupoo Uncut), Mark Healey (Surprise Excitement Party), Rodrigo Koxa (Teahupoo Uncut).

GrindTV selection: The biggest swell to hit Tahiti in recent memory produced some of the heaviest surf we’ve ever seen and on that day the gnarliest wipeout was Nathan Fletcher’s human rag doll impersonation. This may get the loudest applause of the night.

An important video category recognizing the quality of filmmaking in surfing is the Best Cinematography award. The 2011 nominees include Come Hell or High Water, Float: Archipelago, Lost Atlas, Sight / Sound, Year Zero.

GrindTV selection: Although it lost out to Lost Atlas in the Movie of the Year category Come Hell or High Water will win this one. The level of cinematography in this film rivals those of Hollywood produced films. Keith Malloy’s movie about his passion for bodysurfing is another romantic triumph from the Woodshed clan.

Finally, one of the more prestigious and career satisfying awards is the Best Performance Award. This year’s class is full of Surfing Superstars. John John Florence (Get-N-Classic), CJ Hobgood (Year Zero), Josh Kerr (Kerrazy Kronicles), Carissa Moore (Leave A Message), Dean Morrison (A Dingo’s Tale), Yadin Nicol (Year Zero), Dusty Payne (Lost Atlas).

GrindTV selection: Carissa Moore is leading the charge for women’s surfing. Their level of surfing is right there with the men. Her part in leave a message clearly states that Carissa is better than you at surfing.

Tune-in to the Surfer Poll live tonight or check back tomorrow for a complete wrap up from the show.

Channel Info:
* Los Angeles area – Ch. 101 (SD)
* San Diego area – Ch. 411 (SD)
* Hawaii (all islands) – Ch. 250 (SD) and Ch. 1250 (HD)