Mavericks surf contest draws an all-star cast
Mavericks surf contest draws an all-star cast
Just when it seemed doomed to lamentable circumstance, the Titans of Mavericks big-wave surf contest is on for Friday off the coast of Princeton Harbor near Half Moon Bay.
The event was last held Jan. 24, 2014, with South Africa’s Grant (Twiggy) Baker winning for the second time, but organizers came up empty last year with a combination of poor conditions and blackout dates.
The path of this powerful northwest swell will allow surfers to catch it in Hawaii on Wednesday, then get a second helping as it steams into Mavericks on Friday.
To say the least, the “Titans” represent an all-star cast.
Jamie Mitchell, once the world’s greatest paddle surfer, has become a conspicuous figure in big waves around the world.
Tashnick won the 2005 Mavericks event, and South Africa’s Chris Bertish took the title in 2010.
The beach will be closed to the public, and unlike past years, there will be no accompanying festival for spectators to eat, drink, hear live music and watch the contest on a big screen.
Several Princeton Harbor and Half Moon Bay establishments will be showing the contest on a live webcast.
[...] there’s always the option of watching it in the comfort of home (it will be aired on RedBullTV), with an 8 a.m. start.
The Titans of Mavericks is one of the world’s premier big-wave surfing contests, named after the offshore break near Half Moon Bay where waves can roar with faces as high as 60 feet.
Organizers try to coordinate the event with the most ideal surfing conditions, sometimes giving surfers only a day’s notice to attend.
Though there is no accompanying festival for spectators this year, many Princeton Harbor and Half Moon Bay restaurants will be streaming the event.