La Ni�a Puts Mavericks Surf Contest in Jeopardy
- By Erik Malinowski
- February 22, 2011 |
- 11:47 am |
- Categories: Outdoors, Weather
Time is running out on this year’s Maverick’s surf contest.
More properly known as the Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Surf Invitational, the contest typically attracts some two dozen of the world’s best surfers to the waves off Northern California’s Maverick’s break, near picturesque Half Moon Bay. This year, there was some added excitement with the inclusion of 10-time world champion Kelly Slater, often regarded as the greatest surfer of all-time.
However, the “window” for which the contest might be held is rapidly closing. It officially opened on Dec. 1 and was designated to run until Feb. 28, less than a week from now. In past years, it was up to an organizing committee to decide when to open the competition with a 24-hour warning to get all the participating surfers to the site. This year, it’s up to the surfers themselves to make “the call,” a decision that seems more and more unlikely to happen this time around.
Why? Blame La Ni�a, the ever-mercurial weather phenomenon that produces cooler than normal ocean temperatures in the equatorial waters of the Pacific. Normally, this is the optimal time of year for seeing 20- to 40-foot waves off the Northern California coast, but swells just haven’t matched up this season.
Last year, swells were not a problem in any sense. In fact, a rogue wave even injured nearby spectators as it crashed the safety partition and bowled over fans who were trying to catch a glimpse of surfing’s elite. That incident prompted organizers to issue a ban on spectators for this year’s contest.
But more often than not, the weather has fully cooperated, as organizers have been able to hold Maverick’s in seven of the last 11 winters. For now, though, all those involved are crossing their fingers, waxing their boards and just hoping for the best.
“I think everybody knows the reality for any of these events — it’s up to Mother Nature,” surfer Grant Washburn told the San Francisco Examiner. “You do everything you can to be ready — but if the surf doesn’t show up, it doesn’t show up.”
Photo: islandgal/Flickr/Creative Commons
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Erik is the editor of Playbook, Wired.com's sports blog. He's also the managing editor of Longshot and a contributor to Pop-Up Magazine.Follow @erikmal and @wiredplaybook on Twitter.
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