Wicked Weather Gives Sufers 70-Foot Waves

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December 8, 2007
Maverick's window opens right after huge swell hits

HALF MOON BAY -- The timing for this year's Maverick's surf contest opening ceremony was either an ironic twist of fate or an appropriately timed kickoff to the big wave contest season.

Appropriate in the sense that the North Pacific has fired up with plenty of big storms just in time for the holding period, a good indicator of things to come. Ironic because contestants and organizers waited eagerly all last winter, and even into the spring, for the right combination of swell and weather to materialize, only to be shut out and forced to cancel the event. Then, what will almost certainly go down as the biggest swell of 2007 slammed Maverick's this week, producing massive, clean, barreling waves just days before the contest window reopened.

However the general consensus among the Mavericks surfers attending Friday's opening ceremony at Pillar Point was that this week's "Big Tuesday" swell was actually perfectly timed. Despite all the hype, the massive swell wouldn't have gotten the contest the green light, even if it had arrived within the contest window, Mavericks contest director Jeff Clark said.

"Maybe if the swell was from a different direction," Clark said. "But the direction on this swell was too south, so the waves were pushing into the rocks and making it too dangerous. It was really nasty out there."

Foggy conditions prevailed along the coast during much of the swell also.

"The lack of visibility was also a big problem," Clark said. "If the judges can't see what's going on out there, then we can't run the contest. That's the challenge, to find a day with clear conditions, good wind and consistent big waves for every heat."

While the conditions weren't right for the paddle-in contest, they were excellent for tow-in surfing, Clark said.

"We had a great swell this week," Clark said. "There were about 15 tow teams out on Tuesday and guys were getting some of the most incredible rides we've seen out here in years."

This year's opening ceremony fell several weeks earlier than in years past. Clark said he elected to extend the waiting period earlier into December when he saw that the winter storm season was showing excellent early potential.

Longtime Maverick's surfer and contest invitee Josh Loya said that the solid run of North Pacific juice we've seen since Thanksgiving validates Clark's decision.

"It's definitely been quicker to kick in this winter," Loya said. "[Maverick's] has already broken about five or six times and we've had better conditions already than all of last year. This last swell [Big Tuesday] was probably the swell of the winter."

Now that the official contest window has opened, 24 of the world's best big wave surfers will be on call until March 31. They will be expected to drop everything at 24 hours notice and show up in Half Moon Bay ready to charge if Clark determines that conditions are right and gives the green light to run the contest.

This year's event boasts a $75,000 prize purse, with $30,000 for first place, $12,000 for second place, $7,500 for third place, $3,500 for fourth, $2,500 for fifth and $1,500 for sixth place. Although the event is still searching for an official sponsor, the prize money is already guaranteed according to contest officials.

None of the surfers at the opening ceremony seemed too concerned about the politics behind the event's sponsorship. Most said they were just honored to attend, and would surf in the contest even if no prize money were offered. After all, most of the invitees were out there risking their lives on Tuesday, towing into some of the biggest waves ever seen when no prize purse was up for grabs.

"Whether the contest is running or not, I'm gonna be surfing this wave," said Santa Cruz invitee Russell Smith, who tow surfed out at Ghost Tree on Tuesday with his brother Tyler. "I've been coming up here for a long time before the contest."

Because of the extremely windy conditions and choppy waters offshore, the surfers decided to forego the traditional ceremonial paddle out. Instead, they lined up side by side with their massive boards looming behind them as Clark thanked the competitors for their participation and wished them all a safe and successful event.

The entire crowd also shared a moment of silence to honor the memory of legendary Monterey/Carmel waterman Pete Davi. Davi died on Tuesday while attempting to paddle surf the colossal waves out at Ghost Tree, the notoriously treacherous break off of Pescadero Point in Pebble Beach.

Davi was well known up and down the coast for his incredible performances in heavy waves from Big Sur to Hawaii, and was also one of the original crew to tackle Maverick's in the early 1990s after Jeff Clark let the word out about the big wave spot.

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THE WAIT FOR 07/08 IS OVER

We'll announce Official Webcast details in just a few short days. In the meantime, check out our Photos and Videos section for highlights from last year's Contest. We'll be adding to our collection of "Best Of" clips in the coming weeks.

But rest assured - it will be LIVE, and it will be FREE.....