Today is the start of the waiting period for the
2009-2010 Mavericks Big Wave Invitational Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, Ca. The contest will be held when the North Pacific fires up a huge storm in the Gulf of Alaska and sends down huge 50 foot plus waves torwards the Northern California Coast and perfect conditions of a smooth sea surface and tides come together. The "24" will then have only a 24 hour notice that they will have a chance to win the largest purse in surfing history, over $100000 to the winner. The North Pacific couldn't produce last year, so this year the contest directors decided to lengthen the waiting period for pretty much the entire North Pacific storm season. I was able to attend the last contest in January 2008 which saw perfect 30 foot plus surf with very nice, light winds and blue sky conditions, and I got some ok pictures. If you want to get front and center on the jetty rocks, you must get there early! So here are my shots from the 2008 contest.
the circus that is Mavericks. Notice the helicopter. (1/08)
Conditions this day were perfect with 30 foot plus waves and perfect conditions. Here's to the 2009-2010 season and hopefully, unlike last year (2009), the conditions will come together again.
Mavericks Surf Contest 2008 (1/08). I know it doesnt look too big from my vantage point, but double-click the picture to zoom in and compare to the boats around the wave.
This is the reef break directly to the north of the Mavericks Contest site. Even here were the bythemtry doesnt produce the perfect huge waves that Mavericks does, you can see that this swell was HUGE! These waves were well above 20 feet and just thumpin'! (1/08)
This is a shot taken during a huge swell in November 2008. This isn't my photo and can be found
here. This year I hope to get front and center for some reallt great shots of the 2009-2010 Mavericks Surf Contest.
