Mavericks Surf Competition, February 7, 2006 - Half Moon Bay, CA

( We* Were There! )

Above is a diagram of the Mavericks surf area. Mick and I first learned of Mavericks in the big wave surf documentary Riding Giants (great to watch even if you're not a surf buff--we highly recommend it). You can't come away from that film without a tremendous appreciation for the surfers who ride big waves. In the film, there's an entire segment that focuses on Mavericks and the one man, Jeff Clark, who "discovered" Mavericks and rode it solo for 15 years before anyone else joined him.

Here are a few pictures of the contest, which Dane and Aubrey and I went to with my friend Sue while *Mick (so sad) sat in classes all day. The four of us sat perched up on a high cliff where we could see the surfers only as little dots, but being there with ten thousand other people rubbed off some fun and exciting ju ju on us (yes, I'm afraid the kids even got their first whiff of ganja ju ju there as well--fortunately, not enough to impair any of us!).

News report: In one of the above photos, Grant Baker of South Africa celebrates with his trophy after winning the Mavericks surfing competition in Half Moon Bay, California February 7, 2006. Twenty-four surfers competed in the contest with waves between 30-45 feet to win the $30,000 top prize. The competition off California's Half Moon Bay attracts big-wave surfers from around the world, who attempt to catch and successfully ride waves as tall as 35 feet (11 metres) that are propelled by winter swells traveling the Pacific Ocean. Baker won $30,000 for scoring best among 24 surfers.

Note: When I get ahold of Mick's computer (where I can download personal photos), I'll add to this entry a few shots of us at this competition. I'll also publish those birthday party pix...