Mavericks big-wave contest could get a green light Saturday
Large and powerful waves are expected to reach California over the next few days-- especially Central and Northern California -- and chances are good that the annual Mavericks Surf Contest off Half Moon Bay will be held Saturday.
Organizers have not made a call but Greg Long, the defending champion from San Clemente, told me at 1:30 p.m.: "Everybody's looking at Saturday now. It's just a matter of how long the swell is actually going to hold in there for.
"Unfortunately it looks like it's going to peak overnight [Friday], and it's just a matter of whether there will be enough swell throughout the day Saturday to call it."
The powerful North Pacific swell is just now arriving on north- and west-facing beaches in Hawaii, a little later than expected, so it could peak along the West Coast a little later too, which would mean a full day of Mavericks bombs for the 24 contest invitees on Saturday. However, forecasters for Surfline.com are calling for wave face heights of only 15 to 20-plus feet. That's small by Mavericks' standards.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Greg Long negotiates a bottom turn on a Mavericks wave in late November. Credit: Robert Brown
Steve: Yes. It'll air live on the website, www.maverickssurf.com. It will also be shown on the big screen at AT&T Park in San Francisco. You can sign up for a contest alert, I think, on the website.
Posted by: Pete Thomas | January 15, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Will this be televised on the web like most contests these days? What's the link?
Posted by: Steve Wimer | January 15, 2009 at 09:27 AM