Mavericks Surf Contest 2009/2010 - 24 Contestants Named

It's the moment Mavericks fans have been waiting for, the announcement of the doughty 24 who will line up in hope of tackling one of the world's most dangerous waves in the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest.

The 24 are specially selected among the world's top big wave surfers. They will prepare themselves to be ready to ride the giant chill waves of Mavericks at Half Moon Bay at just 24 hours notice. First, though, they have to wait for Mother Nature to send a gigantic swell across the Pacific with waves deemed to be worthy enough within the contest season of November 1 to the end of March.

A record prize purse of $150,000 has been rolled over from last year.

Among the chosen few is the reigning Mavericks Champion, Greg Long of San Clemente, who won the title in 2008. Last season there was no contest because of a lack of waves. Instead, he gloried in winning Ride of the Year in the 2009 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards - the Oscars of surfing - and being nominated for Surfline Best Overall Performance Award.

He will be facing tough competition from Darryl 'Flea' Virostko who achieved a hat trick by becoming Mavericks Champion in the first three contests held in 1999, 2000 and 2004. 'Anywhere in the world, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who so perfectly combines a crazy, almost reckless attitude with raw ability,' says his Mavericks bio.

'Flea', from Santa Cruz, withdrew from injury in 2005 and the title passed to Anthony Tashnick, also from Santa Cruz and another hopeful this season. Anthony is listed as an 'alternate' for the prestigious Eddie Aikau contest in Hawaii for the third year in a row.

Also in the line-up is Grant 'Twiggy' Baker of Durban, South Africa, the Mavericks Champion of 2006 and last year's runner up. 'Twiggy,' says his Mavericks bio, had a 'stunning big-wave summer in South Africa, earning Billabong XXL nominations for Biggest Wave, Monster Paddle and Ride of the Year'. Another achievement is to be a main-list entry in the Eddie Aikau contest for the first time.

San Francisco's Grant Washburn, a finalist in '04, '06 and '08, has been surfing at Mavericks for many years alongside the now-deposed Contest Director and legendary pioneer of The Wave, Jeff Clark. Of all those in the line-up, Grant, described as having arms like oars, is considered to be the one with the most experience.

Not only a surfer, he is a filmmaker who has made documentaries and helped to produce books on The Wave. He coedited 'Inside Maverick's: Portrait of a Monster Wave', to which many of the surfers taking part this season contributed.

He is joined both in the event and surfer-writer world by Evan Slater of San Clemente, editor of Surfer Magazine.

Someone for whom the trophy seems to have slipped tantalisingly from him over the years is Pete Mel of Santa Cruz - 'To say that he's due would be putting it mildly. For years, Mel has been the hands-down choice as Mavericks most talented, influential surfer.' A pioneer of the Northern California tow-in movement, he is one of the two most known surfers from the area in Hawaiian competitions.

Brazilian Carlos Burle was winner of the Biggest Wave honors in 2002 for a colossal 68 ft Mavericks wave and was nominated for Monster Tube and Ride of the Year in the 2009 Billabong XXL awards.

Other contestants, all of whom have achieved distinctions in this life-threatening sport are: Hawaiians Brock Little, Jamie Sterling, third in the last contest, and Dave Wassell; Chris Bertish of South Africa - 'known to pull into any barrel at any size – the quickest way to gain respect in the big-wave surfing community.'; Ben Andrews of San Francisco and Nathan Fletcher of San Clemente, both of whom were injured and unable to compete last year; Matt Ambrose, a finalist in three of the last four contests and Shawn Rhodes, both of Pacifica, south of San Francisco - quote by Jeff Clark: “Shawn’s the kind of guy you see out at Mavericks when everyone else is running for cover.”

Another contingent are from Santa Cruz: Josh Loya; Shane Desmond - 'undoubtedly the most accomplished backside surfer in Mavericks' history' and a 2005 XXL winner of the Paddle-in award for a ride accomplished in the Mavericks contest; Zach Wormhoudt - 'among the most accomplished tow-surfers in the world, earning a Biggest Wave nomination in the 2009 Billabong XXL awards.'; Tyler Smith; and Kenny 'Skindog' Collins - 'In the summer of '06, he came out of a massive tube at Puerto Escondido - one of the most sensational performances ever witnessed at the famed Mexico break - to win both Ride of the Year and Monster Tube in the Billabong XXL awards.'

And there are two surfers from Half Moon Bay itself, Ion Banner, the first truly local guy to make the main list as Jeff Clark kept himself out of the competition when he was running it. Of Ion, it is said, 'Always a standout in past contests, Banner gained singular recognition last year for his amazing air-drops and whimsical switch-stance maneuvers.'; and Tim West - 'Best of the up-and-coming younger generation from the Half Moon Bay coastside', Tim made Mavericks headlines in 2005 when a shark buried a tooth in his board. See http://www.surfingmagazine.com/news/surfing-pulse/shark-110405/ for the dramatic story.

One notable missing from this year's contest, however, is Jeff Clark. In an epic boardroom battle earlier this year, the man who discovered the Mavericks wave claims to have been pushed down and under. In his place is Keir J. Beadling, CEO of Mavericks Surf Ventures.

Seemingly, the cause of the battle is over the momentous decision of when to call the contest. Some years, in 2007 and 2009, Jeff as Contest Director never made that call. Not only is he no longer Contest Director but all mention of him has been deleted from the Mavericks website.

There was no contest, either, for three years between 2001 - 2003 due to sponsorship difficulties. This season the contest window opens on November 1 instead of January 1 due to increased sponsorship from Sony Ericsson.

What makes Mavericks to be 'like no other place on the planet'? It is waves often as high as 50 ft, very strong currents, dangerous rocks, shallow reefs and bone-chilling water.

Greg Long and Grant Washburn suffered competition-worthy wipeouts last year. Also 'Flea' Virostko 'on a face conservatively measured at 65 feet.'

Evan Slater knows injury from The Wave. He writes in Grant's book: 'Even after surviving countless beatings and a handful of two-wave hold-downs, I still have no clue why there's a 99.9 per cent wipeout survival rate at Maverick's. Every time you go through one, you wonder in midthrashing, "Is this the end for me?'''

Somewhere betweeen November 2009 and March 2010, these 24 surfing daredevils hope for the opportunity to pitch their skills against each other and Mother Nature...and come out alive.

For more info: maverickssurf.com

Mavericks - November 1 Opening Season

The season for the Mavericks Surf Contest, one of the most dangerous big-wave surfing competitions in the world, is set to open for the first time ever on November 1 instead of in January.

This means that 24 of the world's top big-wave surfers now have from November 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010 for a chance that Mother Nature will produce a stupendous-enough swell at Half Moon Bay to allow the contest to take place.

Mavericks CEO, Keir J Beadling, said, 'We’re thrilled to announce that this year’s big-wave contest season will begin earlier than ever before. We have long understood the importance of increasing the size of the contest window, but haven’t been able to do so.

'Last season’s events further highlighted how valuable a November opening date can be. Now, thanks to the support of everyone involved with the contest, we will make the November opening a reality.'

During the open season, the surfers, who are specially-selected by Mavericks pioneer and Contest Director, Jeff Clark, remain on 24-hour alert. Defending 2008 Champion is Greg Long of San Clemente, south of LA.

Their biggest-ever prize of $150,000, donated by Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision, and Barracuda Networks, rolls over from last season.

Last season the contest window closed without a contest simply because not enough of a Pacific swell appeared. To rub salt into the wound, the November Thanksgiving weekend produced 30 ft - 45 ft waves that were described as 'two of the most perfect days ever seen' there.

Many of the world's greatest surfers swarmed to Mavericks and achieved so many stunning rides that there was a record number of entries in the Monster Paddle section of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards in April, known as the 'Oscars' of surfing.

While Jeff Clark, Keir Beadling and the Mavericks team were left kicking frustrated heels in the sand. They simply did not have enough sponsorship money to open the contest window for six months, even though they had often seen great waves in November and nothing of contest standards between January and March.

Now this has changed. 'We are grateful to our sponsor partners whose support was vital to making the opening of the contest season in November a reality, and for ensuring that the surfers will be competing for a record-breaking $150,000 prize purse.

'We are fortunate that all of our sponsor partners recognize the importance of opening the contest window on November 1, and that they have demonstrated their commitment to making sure we are able to do so,' said Keir Beadling.

As the contest nears, fans will be able to go onto text and email alert for the call that leads to the mad dash to Half Moon Bay, about an hour away from San Francisco.

In the interim, there are surfing treats on the way. The TV premiere of the 'Very Best of Mavericks' will be aired by Fuel TV in August, promised as 'stunning footage' of Mavericks surfing over the past several years.

Also upcoming is the Mavericks Live Tour™ Concert Series, details of which will appear on www.maverickssurf.com.

'Although the contest season is still a few months away, we celebrate Mavericks all year round,' commented Keir Beadling. 'Between the Fuel TV show and the upcoming Mavericks Live Tour concert series, fans should have enough to hold them over as they await the start of the 2009/2010 contest season.'

The Mavericks™ motto is this:

'Coined as "the wave beyond," the Mavericks™ brand inspires hardcore athletes to face the unpredictably raw power of Mother Nature, and stirs the souls of those who aspire to challenge their own limits. Mavericks remains true to its core: a cold, mysterious and foreboding place that demands respect from everyone who goes there and inspires them to attempt the extraordinary.'

Mavericks Closing Ceremony 2009

They're some of the world's finest big wave surfers, and last night they met for the final time as part of the elite Mavericks Surf Contest 2009.

The surfers, their friends and family, and media gathered for the Closing Ceremony with cocktails and dinner at the Oceano Hotel & Spa in Half Moon Bay Harbor, and with the rueful memory that Mother Nature did not produce a wave large enough for the contest to take place within it's allotted time span from January to March.

'Tonight was a special night for everyone who is associated with Mavericks,' said Mavericks CEO Keir J. Beadling. 'It gave us a chance to thank everyone who has worked to make this contest possible. We would like to thank the surfers, who have been as as patient as they are courageous. We are also grateful to our sponsors for all they have done to support this event.'

But contest surfers and organizers are also looking forward with a vengeance not just to next season, but to an early opening of the window on November 1, for the 2009/2010 season.

'We recognize the importance of having the contest window open at the start of November, and we are currently working very hard to make this happen,' said Keir.

Mavericks pioneer and Contest Director Jeff Clark said, 'It’s nearly impossible to overstate the significance of opening the contest window on the 1st of November. If we’d had the support to do so in previous years, we would almost certainly have been able to put on a contest every year. If we are able to do so for the 2010 contest, we will be ready for whatever Mother Nature offers us.'

The Mavericks competition invites 24 of the greatest big wave surfers around the world to enter, and who have to remain on 24-hour alert throughout the contest season. The ability to open the contest in November is dependent on sponsorship. Sony Ericsson are presenting the contest, and the biggest-ever prize money donated for this last season remains in place at $150,000.

'We would like to thank Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision, as well as Barracuda Networks for ensuring that these incredible athletes will once again be competing for a prize purse that pays tribute to their talent and bravery,' added Keir.