The absolute hardest thing about staging a big wave event is having it coincide with the arrival of some worthy big waves. In times past if they came on the day you had your contest planned,it became a Big wave event, i.e. Smirnoff '74. Then due to the increased exitment level of these coincidences the waiting period was set up, allowing the contest director to choose the best day for the event within the given time period. The longer the waiting period, in some cases up to three months, the more precise the crystal ball used for predicting required.Competitors must stand ready and waiting which requires a large commitment as well as the production crew mobilizing in about 24 hours.
A big wave is generally considered one that is in excess of 15 feet (30 foot wave face if you are an extreme tow-in guy). Calling the event on when the waves do not meet this minimum consistently, opens the door for a lot of second guessing. It also creates a different challenge for the surfers, of finding the rare wave that qualifies as a big one.
With my judging crew in tow we rose above San Diego airport on a SouthWest flight headed north, destination Half Moon Bay. The waves were breaking half a pier length past the end of the O. B. Pier and continued to represent the Ocean's tremendous power on the entire coastline providing glimpses of the special waves that are seldom seen. Jeff Clark, contest Director and pioneer of the break called Maverick's, had called me earlier in the day with reprts of 50 to 70 foot wave faces totally out of control and no takers amoung the elite group of surfers that would comprise the contestants for the event. There are two ways to capture and ride big waves. The first way is a simple long period perfect swell that has groomed itself during its long travel over the ocean. We would be facing option number two which meant trying to seize the moment on the backside of a huge unruly gale. One minute you have too much surf, the next maybe not enough. It's a tough call,but there was no stopping Jeff or the contest now.
We were up early attempting to be as efficient as humanly possible, no time for rehearsal at this performance, and boarded the boat that we would call home for the 8 hours of competition. Judging from a boat is difficult at best and requires and extremely compitent captain. Someone with a knowledge of the break to know where the boat should be as well as the skill to keep it there. Smitty assured me he was the man for the job after our intitial cross challenge of credentials.
The winds weren't right, producing a surface chop that would cause for many a " lost lunch" throughout the day amoung the newborn boat people. There were however some good waves to be ridden and as we watched prior to the contest start, one backside drop helped set the criteria for the day.
As it happened it seemed that the first heat had the most waves but in looking over the results later about 20 waves were ridden per 45 minute heat divided between the six surfers involved. At a little over 3 waves each, you had to be selective, have a good strategy and probably a lot of luck.
When its on, Maverick's is a beautiful perfect big wave with a consistent take-off spot and a long wall that stands up a couple of times after the initial drop as it winds along the reef. Boat judging due to positioning means you focus on one thing, the initial critical section. Take off as deep as possible and make the drop.
As one would guess local standouts Matt Ambrose, Josh Loya, Skindog, Pete Mel and Flea set the tone through round one, but Evan Slater was right up there as well scoring a 9 on his best ride reminding those who may have forgotten that before becoming editor of a major surfing publication, he had logged many a water hour at Mav's. Also very impressive was young Anthony Tashnick demonstrating the smooth style developed over many sessions.
Heat 1 of the semis and Flea had warmed up enough to score the only 10 of the event for a late past vertical descent fade left drop and subsequent hard right bottom turn. he backed this one up with a couple of 8's and on the the Final. Matt Ambrose had five solid scores, tops a 7.5 and Evan Slater barely got past hard charging Brazilian Carlos Burle by a half point.
Semi 2 was owned by Tashnick once again with Pete Mel a solid second. Grant Washburn was the third rung of the ladder to the final his large 6'6" frame needing a really big wave to be compared against.
By the time everyone was in place for the final and the small sailboat whose rum drinkng captain had manuevered through the flotilla of PWCs, spectator boats,surfers on boards and bodyboards was out, the big waves had become few and far between.
Getting to the final of any contest is a great achievement but winning one requires a different strategy where consistency is replaced by pure excellence requiring risk. Evan Slater started off the final with a solid ride for a 7 and soon thereafter nailed an airdrop crowd pleaser scoring a 9 and looking very hard to beat. Flea caught a small one for a 2 score and sat and waited for what he knew he needed to win, while the rest of the crew scrambled around hoping what looked like nothing would miraculously turn into a good scoring ride. Pete Mel got a good one and was holding down second place when suddenly out of nowhere with 15 minutes left of the 1 hour final, Flea muscled himself into the wave of the heat and for my money the best ridden wave of the contest, perfect positioning, critical takeoff, one of the biggest of the day and in total control to score a 9.5. The man to beat having won both prior Maverick's events now had a chance to win again, if only there was enough time. Like a race horse on a finish line dash, Flea put himself in position to catch the next potentially scoring wave. When that opportunity emerged in the dying minutes of the event, in fact it was to be the last wave ridden, he gave all that he had learned from years and an endless amount of waves ridden to his performance riding the wave all the way to the extreme end of the line and paddled the rest of the way to the beach. Three time and the only surfer to win at Maverick's, Darryl "Flea" Virostko, summed up the event with, " It was good to get the event rolling again so it can have a future". Those who have surfed it in its glory know it will deliver those legendary waves for some event to come, Waiting is just part of the challenge.
The absolute hardest thing about staging a big wave event is having it coincide with the arrival of some worthy big waves. In times past if they came on the day you had your contest planned, it became a Big wave event, i.e. Smirnoff '74. Then due to the increased exitment level of these coincidences the waiting period was set up, allowing the contest director to choose the best day for the event within the given time period. The longer the waiting period, in some cases up to three months, the more precise the crystal ball used for predicting required.Competitors must stand ready and waiting which requires a large commitment as well as the production crew mobilizing in about 24 hours.
A big wave is generally considered one that is in excess of 15 feet (30 foot wave face if you are an extreme tow-in guy). Calling the event on when the waves do not meet this minimun consistently, opens the door for alot of second guessing. It also creates a different challenge for the surfers,of finding the rare waave that qualifies as a big one.
With my judging crew in tow we rose above San Diego airport on a SouthWest flight headed north, destination Half Moon Bay. The waves were breaking half a pier lenght past the end of the O. B. Pier and contiued to represent the Ocean's tremendous power on the entire coastline providing glimpses of the special waves that are seldom seen. Jeff Clark, contest Director and pioneer of the break called Maverick's had called me earlier in the day with reprts of 50 to 70 foot wave faces totally out of control and no takers amoung the elite group of surfers that would comprise the contestants for the event. There are two ways to capture and rede big waves. The first way is simple a long period perfect swell that has groomed itself during its long travel over the ocean. We would be facing option number two which meant tryin to seize the moment on the backside of a huge unruly gale. One minute you have too much surf, the next maybe not enough. It's a tough call,but there was no stopping Jeff or the contest now.
We were up early attempting to be as efficient as humanly possible, no time for rehearsal at this performance, and boarded the boat that we would call home for the 8 hours of competition. Judging from a boat is difficult at best and requires and extremely compitent capatain. Someone witha knowledge of the break to know where the boat should be as well as the skill to keep it there. Smitty assured me he was the manfor the job after our intitial cross challenge of credentials.
The winds weren't right, producing a surface chop that would cause for many a " lost lunch" throughout the day amoung the newborn boat people. There wher however some good waves to be ridden and as we watched prior to the contest start, one backside drop helped set the criteria for the day.
As it happened it seemed that the first heat had the most waves but in looking over the results later about 20 waves were ridden per 45 minute heat divided between the six surfers involved. At a little over 3 waves each, you had to selective, have a good strategy and probalbly alot of luck.
When its on, Maverick's is a beautiful perfect big wave with a consistent take- offspot and a long wall that stands up a couple of times aferethe initial drop as it winds along the reef. Boat judging due to positioning means you focus on one thing, the initial critical section. Take off as deep as possible and make the drop.
As one would guess local standouts Matt Ambrose, Josh Loya, Skindog, Pete Mel and Flea set the toenthrough round one, but Evan Slater was right up there as well scoring a 9 on his best ride reminding those who may have forgotten that before becoming editor of a major surfing publication, he had logged many a water hour at Mav's. Also very impressive was young Anthony Tashnickdemonstrating the smooth style developed over many sessions.
Heat 1 of the semis and Flea had warmed up enoughto score the only 10 of the event for a late past vertical descent fade left drop and subsequent hard right bottom turn. he backed this one up with a couple of 8's and on the the Final. Matt Ambrose had five solid scores, tops a 7.5 and Evan Slater barely got past hard charging Brazilian Carlos Burle by a half point.
Semi 2 was owned by Tashnick once again with Pete Mel a solid second. Grant Washburn was the third rung of the ladder to the final his large 6'6" frame needing a really big wave to be compared against.
By the time everyone was in place for the final and the small sailboat whose rum drinkng captain had manuevered threw the flotilla of PWCs, spectator boats,surfers on boards and bodyboards was out, the big waves had become few and far between.
Getting to the final of any contest is a great achievement but winning one requires a different strategy where consistency is replaced by pure excellence requiring risk. Evan Slater started off the final with a solid ride for a 7 and soon thereafter nailed an airdrop crowd pleaser scoring a 9 and looking very hard to beat. Flea caught a small one for a 2 score and sat and waited for what he knew he needed to win, while the rest of the crew scrambled around hoping what looked like nothing would miraculously turn into a good scoring ride. Pete Mel got a good one and was holding down second place when suddenly out of nowhere with 15 minutes left of the 1 hour final, Flea muscled himself into the wave of the heat and for my money the best ridden wave of the contest, perfect positioning, critical takeoff, one of the biggest of the day and in total control to score a 9.5. The man to beat having won both prior Maverick's events now had a chance to win again, if only there was enough time. Like a race horse on a finish line das, Flea put himself in position to catch the next potentially scoring wave. When that opportunity emerged in the dying minutes of the event, in fact it was to be the last wave ridden, he gave all that he had geaned from years and an endlessamount of waves ridden to his performance riding the wave all the way to the extreme end of the line and paddled the rest of the way to the beach. Three time and the only surfer to win at Maverick's, Darryl "Flea" Virostko, summed up the event with, " It was good to get the event rolling againso it can have a future". Those who have surfed it in its glory know it will deliver those legendary waves for some event to come, Waiting is just part of the challenge.
photos at mavsurfer.com
Read About Past Events
Red Bull Tuberide
Mavericks 00'
Isla de Madiera
Mavericks 04'
