Mavericks No Vote Tomorrow but Contest May Be On Sunday!

The Mavericks big-wave surf contest may now be held at Half Moon Bay on Sunday instead of Friday or Saturday.

Mavericks surfers have postponed voting on whether or not to call the contest. Yesterday, they were due to vote on Wednesday or Thursday for contests that would take place on Friday or Saturday.

When the much-anticipated 'contest call' is made by the 24 invitees to the Mavericks Surf Contest, they have just 24 hours to get there. The invitees are some of the world's greatest big-wave surfers, and this year's competition carries a record roll-over prize of $150,000.

Contest Co-director, Katherine Clark, said early this evening that the vote had been postponed to Friday, when they were hoping to predict a Pacific swell that would produce consistent 20ft waves throughout Sunday.

However, at the Opening Ceremony in November, veteran Mavericks surfer, Grant Washburn, described a wave with a 40 ft face as 'smallish' for Mavericks. His perfect wave was a smooth 50 footer. Anything over 60 ft, for the three-times contestant finalist who has been surfing there for 20 years, was too big!

'I don't want to get into that,' said Katherine, referring to the technicalities of wave measurement.

But she said she was referring to what is known as a  '20ft Hawaiian' wave, and the surfers would be happy with that.

Most of the surfers are already along the Californian coastline, with some in Hawaii and one in South Africa.

Contest sponsors are Sony Ericsson and Barracuda Networks.

For updates on the contest: maverickssurf.com

pics show the invitees and Alternates at the Opening Ceremony; Grant Washburn with 19-year-old Colin Dwyer of Pacifica, one of the Alternates

for Grant's interview at the Opening Ceremony:  
http://lizinsanfrancisco.blogspot.com/2009/10/grant-washburn-on-calling-mavericks.html 

Dreams of Mavericks Surf Contestants 2009/2010

The Mavericks Surf Contest, a battle of the titans of big-wave surfing, is not just about heroes, its about those who dream of one day conquering the mighty waves with equal dare-devilling skill.

Like 19-year-old Colin Dwyer of Pacifica, who stands in the shadows on the Alternates list for the second year in a row. Described as 'one of the newest hard-chargers!' at the opening ceremony of the 2009/2010 season - see previous blogs - he knows his chances of competing are slim.

Colin - pictured with Mavericks 'Test Pilot' Grant Washburn - is honoured to be on the list and ranks 15th out of 15. With the contest dominated by so many of the mighty, Colin would like to see an age break with waves of opportunity for younger surfers.

Change is blowing through the organization, so he is hopeful.

Would that mean veteran surfers stepping off their boards to allow younger ones in, or new categories? Colin doesn't know. He just hopes that one day his feet will be on his board on the water and not on the beach.

'In a new age of democracy, hopefully sooner rather than later,' he said.

Colin's success would also mean family succession: his father, Steve, is a veteran surfer of Mavericks the place, who twice rose into the ranks of the contest. He would have competed more, says Colin proudly, only the contest was then not held for a few years.

Dreams of competing inspire the other Alternates, like Hawaiian Kealii Mamala - right - who has been surfing the North Shore of Oahu.

'I've been, you know, trying to put my time in as much as I can. It's always been a dream for me to get into this contest sometime...whenever it will happen,' he said.

Perhaps two of the most rueful Alternates are Brazilians Alex Martins, now living in San Francisco, and Danilo Couto, who top the list. They made it onto the competitors' roll call last year when injuries plagued Ben Andrews and Nathan Fletcher - who are now back on form. Dreams of displaying their skills were shattered by a perverse Pacific Ocean that flat-lined during the season window of January 1 to March 31.

Alex - left - is doubly pleased to have the contest running for another year and to see the extended opening of the season - from 1 November - 'because we missed the best swell of the year!' he said. As last season rolled pitifully to an end, the surfers could only stand and reflect on some of the best Mavericks days that had fallen over Thanksgiving.

As for living in San Francisco, Alex said, 'I love it, I kinda got used to the weather, it's different from Brazil!' The Pacific Coast is not a surf scene, the water is brutally cold, it doesn't have perfect point breaks, and that makes it a 'very unique' place, he said.

His replacement, Ben Andrews, had injured an ACL ligament in his knee. 'It's been a long haul trying to get back in shape,' said Ben - pictured with legendary surfer Dorian 'Doc' Paskowitz. He started surfing again in June.

How does he feel now?

'I'm stoked! I feel better than ever!' he said.

Other competitors, who don't have to dream of being in the contest but are looking forward to the challenge are Kenny 'Skindog' Collins, pictured holding two-year-old son, Koa, with 'Doc', and Darryl 'Flea' Virostko - below.

'I'm ready this season to go again. It's been a while since I've been in the winners' corale!' said 'Flea.'

The only Mavericks' hat-trick winner - in the first three contests in '99, '00 and '04 - he has been shaping up in Santa Cruz.



What lies behind his surfing image of 'the crazy man!'

It's raw courage. There isn't a wave he won't launch into, he said. 'I don't limit myself when it comes to surfing.'

pics by Chris Flowers

Grant Washburn on Calling the Mavericks 2009/2010 Contest

With the opening of the official Waiting Period for the Mavericks Surf Contest, the question that now hangs in the salt-sprayed air is: when will 'The Call' be made?

'The Call' that will have 24 of the world's greatest big-wave surfers and 15 Alternates rushing at 24 hours notice to a beach just off Pillar Point at Half Moon Bay, with an expected 40,000 surfing fans in their wake.

While millions more will prepare to be glued to webcams on computers, or TVs, or dash to the San Francisco Giants' baseball park in San Francisco, to watch one of the world's most thrilling and dangerous big-wave surfing contests.

That vital decision must be made between tomorrow, 1 November, and 31 March, 2010, now that the opening ceremony for the 2009/2010 contest Waiting Period has been held - see previous blog.

The responsibility for deciding when there is a momentous enough swell rolling in from the Pacific Ocean, rests with the surfers. None are more qualified to judge than veteran Mavericks surfer and San Francisco resident, Grant Washburn, who has been surfing the spot for 20 years.

'Hopefully, this will be a good season. All winters aren't created equal,' said Grant at the celebration party at the Oceano Hotel yesterday after the ceremony.

Grant has been surfing there for 20 years and has made a record of what the waves were like on every day of those 20 years. He is also a three-times contest finalist and documentary filmmaker who has coedited a book: 'Inside Maverick's: Portrait of a Monster Wave'.

The 'stats', never mind the surfing, are breathtaking. Of those 20 years, three have been exceptional, three or four have been 'horrible', and most have been in-between, he said.

'People don't appreciate how difficult it is to get a good day.' In one good year, he said, there might only be 30 good days, so when it comes to calling the contest, the surfers are at the mercy of the ocean.

Which is why the last - and shorter - season petered away without a contest. But this season is starting with a rosy aspect. He remembered good El Nino years in 1997 and 1998, and the long-range forecast gives a chance of that happening again.

Given the prospect of El Nino rooting for the contest this season, how are the surfers going to know when to make that magical call? If they paddle out at the first huge swell, will they bypass a chance of more tumultuous waves later?

If they wait, will they end up chasing elusive waves with a look-back at what might have been?

It's less likely, in fact not very likely, that the surfers will make 'The Call' when the waves are too small, but they might, said Grant surprisingly, 'pick a day when they are too big!'

The standard of surfing has risen over the last ten to 15 years with younger surfers 'really pushing the sport,' said Grant - pictured here with Colin Dwyer 'one of the newest hard-chargers!'

Pause the interview while two young girls came up for an autograph! Autographs were a feature on the beach (pic below)

So what are 'small' waves and 'big' waves?

For Mavericks, a 40 ft face is smallish, 'a little disappointing', he said. But a 'perfectly clean' 50 ft -plus wave, one swelling with a smooth surface, no ruffles, in nice weather....he is dreaming of the perfect wave.

Over his 20 years of documenting the waves, he would estimate there have been two perfect days. About once a decade, he said, breaking it down.

Then there are the 60-footers. In his estimation, too big for the most part. Grant, in his early forties, doesn't relish such towering waves, but considers that 'right now the guys would probably go for it!'

A jaw-dropping prospect.

In the interim, what do they do while they wait to make 'The Call'?

Some will stay in California, while others will be across the world, South Africa, Brazil, Hawaii. One surfer yesterday was about to leave for Australia - pic shows Ryan Seelbach, Alex Martins, Chris Bertish

Sponsorship money plays a role in how they live out the next few months, said Grant. They have to figure out how to budget their money, take into account the cost of following swelling seas around the world and leave enough to get back to the Pacific Coast in a hurry.

Pack into that travel fatigue, the tight time schedule - 'you can barely do it from Cape Town' - plus frustrations of lost boards by airlines, and some are surmounting challenges before they even set sight on a wave.

As the party began last night, though, in the warm air with fire-pits and a marquee, a gently-lapping ocean in the background, there was the excitement of another Mavericks season underway.

pics by Chris Flowers