In fact, Mavericks may be one of the unluckiest events in the entire surfing world, with a long tale of things gone wrong. Half Moon Bay High School student Luca Padua just found out he’s competing on California’s biggest wave. But surfing big waves is still a deep love -- … Sarah Gerhardt, 42, Santa Cruz: After training with conviction in sizeable North Shore surf, Gerhardt became the first woman to surf Mavericks in February of 1999. Sarah Gerhardt was the first woman to surf Mavericks in 1999. The first is surfer Jeff Clark who opened the Mavericks Surf Shop. What is it that you are going after as you further your journey surfing big waves? “One day a guy told me, ‘This is a man’s playground. Every year I want to get the biggest wave of my life. The wave still happened and I got to experience it. It’s like that but magnified by ten thousand. Local Half Moon Bay resident, Jeff Clark is the first documented person to ever surf “Mavericks” Half Moon Bay, CA. Fast forward a couple hundred years to 1914. That part can be intimidating. The Inn was recently selected for 2013 Best of Half Moon Bay Award in the Hotels & Motels category. You are so focused on sticking that drop and not falling and once you stick the drop deciding what you are going to do after. You are not thinking about anything else except exactly what is going on. Jeff grew up watching the massive waves break from Half Moon Bay High School and Pillar Point. My life is devoted to Mavericks and surfing big waves. The adrenaline is pumping so hard that you almost feel like a super human. They were accompanied by Jeff Clark on January 22, 1990. I always tell people you can see video and pictures, you can hear stories, but no matter what you hear or see you would never understand. Mavericks is a rarity when it breaks big, and for those who get close enough to feel the full force of the wave, it is truly a singular experience. Living less than a mile away in El Granada, Padua has embraced the opportunity of his proximity. It’s crazy how 10 to 20 feet from where you are taking off will make a difference on the wipeout, too. Luca Padua first surfed the Mavericks break at the age of 13, and is now—three years later—an alternate for the official big wave competition on the Coastside. In 1975 at age 17 and with the waves topping out at 20–24 ft (6–7.5 m), Clark paddled out alone to face the break. You have to know that if you want to surf the left well you are going to take some poundings. Up close, the wave is a stunning spectacle. The wave on the left moves way faster and there is way less time for you to paddle in, stand up and ride the wave successfully. Ten. He was with Walt Von Hoffe, his little league sponsor, and friends. Inn at Mavericks is unique because its the only Ocean front Inn at half Moon Bay, and the closest hotel to Mavericks. After this point knowledge of Mavericks as a Big Wave Surfing destination begin to attract attention. That you could die at any second. We can’t all go out to Mavericks, can you bring it to us? If the average ceiling height measures about eight feet high, then the wave stands three times that size on the smallest of days. On those days when it is pumping and crazy huge and everyone is flying in from all over the world … that stuff is more hectic than the actual surfing part. (Photo by Dominic Padua) The Mavericks surf break, just north of Half Moon Bay, is a world famous big wave that has been ridden by some of the greatest surfers. If you wipeout on the left it is heavier, even though you are only 20 feet away from the right. I think I am really good at having fun and I’m having tons of fun right now. Maverick was used to swimming out into the water with his owner Alex Matienzo, and decided to swim out and join the surfing crew. “Mavericks” Half Moon Bay, CA was named after the dog of three local Half Moon Bay Surfers, Alex Matienzo, Jim Thompson, and Dick Knottmeyer, that discovered the location in 1967. "We've got one day to hold an event for the best of the best," said Clark, 55, who was the first person to surf Mavericks in 1975, when he was 17. It’s crazy. It’s awesome to be on the list and I’m honored to represent Half Moon Bay, but if I don’t get in I’ll still be doing the same thing. You can walk to Mavericks Beach in 22 minutes from Inn at Mavericks. He grew up near Pillar Point, where he could watch the waves that were thought to be too dangerous to surf. They brought their dog “Maverick” along but decided to leave him on the shore. It’s all about having fun. People were trying to read so I had to keep it cool. The name and the group running it has changed every few years since then. He conceived the possibility of riding Hawaii-sized waves in Northern California. I feel once you get in the water it’s almost soothing and calm, even though it’s a crazy fifty-foot wave. I have changed so much in the last three years mostly based off video and what people have seen and told me. It’s understanding the actual power of the ocean. There is the side of having video where I can change my surfing. "It haunted me," she said. For me I have it right here in my head. It has been a big help for me to see how the different generations surf. The three surfers decided to name the location for their dog “Maverick” who seemed to enjoy himself that day. Luca Padua was recently sitting in English class at Half Moon Bay High School when he received a text from a friend congratulating him on being slated as an official alternate in the 2017–2018 Mavericks big wave surf contest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mavericks,_California#History, 346 Princeton Ave Half Moon Bay, California 94019, The Story of How Mavericks Half Moon Bay, CA was Discovered, Read Reviews On Inn at Mavericks On TripAdvisor. The two first met when Frosty was approached by a young Jay in 1990 as the skinny kid with a sparkle in his eye wanted his help in becoming a better surfer. Jeff grew up watching the massive waves break from Half Moon Bay High School and Pillar Point. Yet it is not just the height that is threatening, but the density of the wave. While out surfing with some friends, he noticed the wave offshore and made a plan to swim out and hit it. Jeff Clark (born March 26, 1957 in Redwood City, California ) is one of the most noteworthy big-wave surfers, famous for surfing Mavericks alone for 15 years before it was widely discovered by the big-wave surfing community. However, as to who the dog's owner was, most sources point to two different individuals. Clark, who is credited with being the first person to surf Mavericks decades ago, is the contest's creator. Follow Luca Padua on Instagram: @lucapadua, Slice of the pie: How this South Bay pizza shop became a worker-owned cooperative, Biggest waves in 10 years: Photos of surf icons riding the 50-foot monsters at Mavericks, Hope for Big Basin: Santa Cruz scientist documents the rebirth of our fire-ravaged forests, Homegrown Hollywood: Meet Silicon Valley’s spirited filmmakers, 8 ways to keep your fitness-based New Year’s resolutions rolling (while still sheltering in place), 650 Restaurant Roundup: Hawaiian donuts & Thai street food arrive (while mainstays hibernate), Tasty against all odds: Our nine most memorable meals of 2020, Inside The Queen’s Gambit: Exploring the unknown Bay Area origins of the Netflix hit. More than just tackling the topic of surfing, Chasing Mavericks set out to capture the story of the late big-wave legend Jay Moriarity. Inside I was pretty stoked. For nearly 24 years, Mavericks Half Moon Bay CA has been a world famous surfing destination and attracts thousands of spectators and some of the best surfers from around the world to face the massive waves of the Mavericks Surf. The experience comes naturally. My first time out there, when I was 13, I was in the channel and if a lump of water came my way I was scratching for my life. Half Moon Bay native, Jeff Clark, was the first person to surf the big wave in 1975, just a high schooler at the time. Titans of Mavericks At the end of the day, who cares about the contest? Tell us, what is your relationship with the wave and those who surfed it and those who surf it now? Jeff Clark grew up in Half Moon Bay, watching Mavericks from Half Moon Bay High School and Pillar Point. At 16, he is now in his third season surfing the break since making his first drop — amazingly — at just 13 years old. An event that gained international praise and rightfully so, helped pave the path for many other females wanting to … That’s the biggest factor if you want to be good at what you do. Mavericks breaks to the left and to the right, the left considered to be more challenging. Now, it seems like if you didn’t get the picture or if it’s not on Instagram, it never happened. It later became known as, “Mavericks.” Little did they know that this big wave surfing spot would be rediscovered by Jeff Clark in 1975, and introduced to the world in 1990 as the location for California’s biggest waves. Among them was Jay Moriarity, 16, who had only surfed Mavericks a few times and was the youngest person Mr. Clark had ever seen challenge … We can’t predict the future, but where do you see yourself with Mavericks in the future? Is it intimidating laying on your stomach starting up a mountain of water? Without it I would not be where I am. This site uses cookies to ensure that you receive the best experience on our website. When you are going that fast and the wave is that steep, and you look back at the wave you just rode or is coming down on you — whether you stick a crazy drop, survive a wipeout — it’s a feeling of euphoria going throughout your body. But first, he has to finish English class. That’s what is more of a challenge. When I see huge waves I think, it’s on! I’ll be out there surfing. Many surfers have answered the call of Maverick’s over the years, including legends Jay Moriarty, who surfed Mavericks for the first time at age 16, and Hawaiian big-wave surfer, Mark Foo. California’s biggest wave was a secret no more. There are still days when no one documents. Who cares about the media? In this same spot Jeff would eventually teach his children, Katrina, Kevin and Kaila, to surf. http://www.thebigwaveblog.com/surf-spots/mavericks-northern-california First time Jeff Clark surfed "Mavericks" as it was then known then, inside the reef within 100 yards of shore. For the next 15 years, Clark surfed Mavericks as his own playground. But watching some of my friends get blown up by 20, 30 foot waves, that puts a pit in my stomach. Soon she will be part of the first women's heat in a surfing contest there. Once you are out there you can feel the raw power and energy and everything that is going on. He caught multiple left-breaking waves, thereby becoming the first documented person to tackle Mavericks head-on. This was the year Duke Kahanamoku chose Isabel Letham, the first person to surf Australian waters, to surf tandem with him in 1914 at Freshwater Beach. And that’s how I found out that Clark said he was the first one to surf it.” Surf history, largely pre-literate, but I need to pass this fantastical adventure, this complete narrative altering, through surfing’s most celebrated and only surf historian, famed author of both the Encyclopedia of Surfing and the History of Surfing Matt Warshaw. He studied the wave patterns and learned how to navigate it. The Mavericks surf break, just north of Half Moon Bay, is a world famous big wave that has been ridden by some of the greatest surfers. I can see their different perspectives and take advice from all of them. Watching your friend dropping in on a wave, knowing that something really bad could have happened, or that they just had the best wave of their life. Mavericks Surf Awards Announces Video Performance Contest to Honor Mavericks and the Surfers Who Brave the Legendary Wave. With the contest start-date looming on the near horizon, we spoke with Padua about Mavericks, and why surfing it is just plain “crazy.”. “We know in big-wave surfing, the first person to get to the victim is a surfer,” says Burle, who has attended past BWRAG courses. After a photograph of Mavericks Half Moon Bay, CA was published in “Surfer” Magazine, news of this incredible Northern California Surfing spot grew to the point that Big wave surfers from around the world had to come see what all the fuss was about. A 16-year-old kid named Jay Moriarity, who had only surfed Mavericks a few times, was the youngest person in the water. Conditions that morning were just right for monster waves. In 1975, at the young age of 17, Clark decided he would surf the massive 20-24 foot waves and paddled out by himself to face the break. That’s what crazy is. Who cares about the pictures, who cares about the interview? This year I’m on the alternate list for Mavericks, but I hope to get on the list in the main event. I want to be able to chase every big swell in the ocean. It takes more commitment to ride. You Are Here: I read the story of the early surfers of Mavericks and there is question as who was really the first to surf it. Jeff Clark continued to surf “Mavericks” by himself for the next 15 years and the location remained “unkown” to the rest of the world. It’s like nothing else. Since then, many women have followed in her footsteps, showing the world that women can … The daughter of Gulf Coast surf legend Yancy Spencer III, Abigail seemed like a person who could possibly gauge the authenticity of this collision between Hollywood and surf culture. You could wear those waves on the head. Clark ought to know. But that in itself is still just a very small handful of people. Now, nearly 20 years later, she is a mother of two and an instructor of chemistry at Monterey Peninsula College. 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