Mavericks Surf Contest 2009-2010

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.

Surf trip South of the Border IV - Playa La Noria

Last October during my last surf trip to Mexico, a buddy of mine and I decided to go search out a good empty wave, we happened to find Playa La Noria. It's not really a secret beach or anything, but the 3 times we went, there was no one except us and once the land owner showed up and sold us some cold sodas after a really good 3 hour session. Noria itself is wide open beach break with a couple sandbars. Unfortunately we always showed up right when the wind was switching onshore so I never saw it barrel, it might not barrel, but the wave had fat shoulders to carve on. On each side there looked to be point waves. We surfed the north side and the middle of the beach. The north side did have a suedo-right point, but the conditions werent the best. This wave did have alot more power than La Ticla, so if you're in the area, Noria is about 20 km or so past Marauta. Check it out!

Turn here at this sign! Follow the dirt road (dry creek bed trail) to the beach. Its best to have a high clearence 4x4. (10/08)

Looking torwards the north side (right point) wave. I did catch a few good and long waves here. (10/08)

Playa La Noria glassy Beach Break (10/08)

Nice set comming in @ Playa La Noria (10/08). It was alot bigger than it looks from the beach as I was standing on a sand dune about 10 feet high. I would have called this set in the 5-7 foot (face) range.

 This beach was HUGE and empty. If you wanna see endangered sea turtles land on the beach to lay eggs, this is the beach to go to!! (10/08)

Here's a bunch of Kemp Ridgeley Sea Turtle hatchlings. I took this shot in La Ticla as Eleno was taking care of them. Sea Turtle eggs are an aphrodisiac delicacy here in this part of the world. The Mexican government had recently then launched a campaign to end this tradition. But we still saw it happen, and there was nothing we could do. So I applaud Eleno and everyone else in Michoacan in thier efforts here. (10/08)

If we get stranded, don't worry, I won't eat you!

Happy Monday to you all! It's a grey, rainy morning here in northern california today. Good day to sit back and relax, or for all you normal people out there, to be at work! Since I grew up and lived in South Texas for 25 years, I never really saw mountains, let alone snow except for on TV and one summer my family and I went to Colorado for vacation. So if you ever wonder why I am so facinated with mountains and snow, that is the reason! So of course, here are some photographs of our road trip one day up into the mountains. This time, we went up I-80 torward Reno, Nv and Truckee, Ca. These pictures were actually taken last April. Hope you enjoy my pictures!

Lakeside Reflection (4/09)

I prefere driving on Hwy 50 from Scramento to South Lake Tahoe when we take trips into the mountains, but even the Interstate 80 drive is very pretty, especially if you go off the beaten path.

When California was first being settled, a group led by a man named Donner became stranded in the mountain pass due to heavy early snowfall. They were stuck there for months, and if you remember the story, they started to eat eat each other! Desperate times/people call for desperate measures and they did what they had to do. Leason of the story is.....dont go hiking in the mountains during winter unless you're prepaired to eat your friend!! Hahaha (4/09)

Near the summit of Donner Pass (4/09)

And this is the beautiul Lake Donner. Hey atleast the Donner Party had a nice view! (4/09)

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoyed my photographic experience!

Saturday Shots 2

Hello everyone. Hope your week went by ok. Here is one of my favorite sunset photographs in Santa Cruz, Ca. Have a great weekend!