Mavericks Surf Competition Will Not Be This Weekend After All!

Disappointed big-wave surfers and their fans will not be rushing to Half Moon Bay this weekend for the Mavericks Surf Contest. But there is some hope for next week.

The Pacific Ocean has not complied with their wishes that the contest would be held on Sunday.

According to stormsurf.com, as the weekend approached, a contest was not looking likely. Waves only of 12 - 13 ft are forecast for Sunday, and tomorrow at 9-10 ft. Tantalizingly, further out to sea a storm is forecast with waves of up to 46 ft.

As stormsurf say on their website, there are 'some glorious waves teasing you off in the distance, so close, but yet oh so far----'

However, they say the next swell building behind it is expected to produce waves of 22 ft on Tuesday - although wavewatch on surfer.mag.com favours Wednesday. And more good news is that stronger storms are expected in the West Pacific up to early February with influence from El Nino.

The last El Nino was in the 2002/2003 season, and the last strong one that led to flooding in California was in 1997/1998.

Contest Co-director, Katherine Clark, has said the surfers, 24 of the world's best big-wave surfers, would be happy to compete with '20 ft Hawaiian' waves.

It is up to the surfers, most of whom are now congregating in California, to make 'The Call'.
pic shows the surfers in part of their Opening Ceremony

Mavericks Close Call

The 24 say 'No!' to an official competition on Wednesday, but some of the finest surfers waiting to compete at Mavericks are still flying over to surf at Half Moon Bay.

'The 24 have voted and the result is no to Mavericks 2009 on Wednesday,' says the Mavericks tweet at 1.50 pm Monday, December 7.

Surfing fans around the world have been waiting eagerly for the result of the surfers' votes that would tell them whether the illustrious Mavericks Surf Competition would be called for this Wednesday. Waves in the region of 40 ft to 50 ft, if not more, are being searched for, and when The Call is made, the 24 invitees to one of the most dangerous surfing sites in the world, will have only 24 hours to get there.

Another tweet continues, 'The guys are telling us that a bunch of them including those in Hawaii will still be on the swell at Mavs. We'll be right there with them.'

The season window of November 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010, is expected to produce some gigantic swells because of El Nino.

For now, though, some great surfing is to be seen this week at Half Moon Bay.

And the waiting continues!

Further info:
maverickssurf.com

pic of the Opening Ceremony by Chris Flowers