When was mavericks first surfed

Chris Bertish South Africa. First Surfed s. Competition Established Each winter season the nation turns its focus on the quite, yet historical coastal town of Half Moon Bay, California. Sports fans and thrill seekers bare witness and watch these TITANS of great strength, mental toughness and dedication in challenge themselves. Contest Finishes. Cancelled due to lack of waves: All rights reserved. Schmidt and Powers had scored the biggest and best waves of their life, and California suddenly gained its own version of Waimea Bay.

By , it landed the cover of Surfer , and the surf world went nuts. In the winter of , three surfers from Santa Cruz rode a few of the waves inside the rocks at Pillar Point. Alex Matienzo, Jim Thompson, and Dick Notmeyer watched the massive waves breaking farther out to sea for years. Often, the german shepherd would attempt to follow them into the water, prompting them to name the wave after it.

It shows a semblance of what it can become around 15 feet, and when on those days where footers are tumbling over the reef… watch out. The reef creates three sections, which can, on very rare occasions, connect.

By , it was almost non-existent, except for days where paddling was impossible. On December 23, , Hawaiian legend Mark Foo drowned on a foot wave. Safety is, as always, paramount to the surfers. Clark was adamant that, in order to qualify for entry, the surfer must complete the wave. Big wave surfer Luca Padua, a Half Moon Bay resident and the youngest person to surf Mavericks, is an official adviser to the contest.

We want to see progression in the sport, not people paddling themselves into unmakeable waves. The platform these guys have created is perfect and I'm beyond stoked to get this season started! A ceremonial paddle out to open the big wave season will take place on October 25, in Half Moon Bay. For more information or to stay in touch with upcoming events and big swells at Mavericks, visit maverickssurfawards.

For media inquiries contact: Nicole Landers at email4pr. When knowledge of the massive waves at Mavericks became widespread in the early '90s, big wave surfers from around the world began to make the drive to the sleepy town of Princeton-by-the-Sea to witness and challenge the beast of a wave.

By , a small group of big wave surfers decided to showcase the rising talent on display at Mavericks. Thus, the idea for a big wave contest at Mavericks was born.

Jeff Clark, the pioneer of the spot, led the way to showcase the best talent -- much like a father showing off his pride and joy. His role as Contest Director also meant that Clark would never surf in an event he worked so hard to make a reality. The early years of the contest were sponsored by Quiksilver and were known as Men Who Ride Mountains.

In the early years, the sport was dominated by men, and there was only one woman -- Sarah Gerhardt -- who surfed Mavericks. A true pioneer, Sarah was an alternate for the contest in other notable alternates over the years include Kelly Slater, Garrett McNamara and Richard Schmidt , and for many years and until recently, she was one of only a few women who surfed the spot.

Today, men and women are charging the waves at every chance to challenge their skill and, for some, to pursue one of the coveted invitations to the contest.