meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

[gh]

and I mean the cowabunga kind of surfing...


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 01&sc=1000

[jhc68]

Certainly was a big swell at Mavericks. See link below... beware the obnoxoiusly loud ad that leads into the real video.

http://www.surfline.com/video/video_player/video_player.cfm?id=20883

And here is where to keep track of the nastiest big waves annually:

http://www.billabongxxl.com/main_page/index.html

[gh]

After many fits and starts, this year's gets up and running tomorrow:

<<....One of the most intriguing things about the Mavericks contest, to be held Saturday with an 8 a.m. start, is that some of the competitors have legitimate concerns about the size and conditions. That virtually guarantees one thing: It won't be dull.

In a Thursday-afternoon vote of the 24 invited surfers, 17 voted yes - a clear majority, but hardly unanimous. Grant Washburn, Matt Ambrose and Shawn Rhodes - three of the best and most experienced surfers ever to ride Mavericks - were among those who voted "no." They have no problem with the size, expected to be as big as 50 feet on the wave faces. The wind is another story....>>

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z0fKnozsNZ


And this:

<<...The world's best big-wave surfers, lured by the promise of clear weather and monstrous breakers, voted Thursday to hold the death-defying Mavericks surfing contest on Saturday...>>

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z0fKo9soUX

<< Those who want to watch Mavericks, but not from the coastal bluffs, have several options. The contest, which runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, will be Webcast at maverickssurf.com. It will also be on an interactive Webcast on Ustream and at facebook.com/mavericks.>>

[gh]

omigoodness! spectators washed away first thing.... listening to the surf dudes babble on with the commentary is like, totally gnarly man.

[gh]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

tales of the carnage on the beach

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1C1AAA.DTL

[no one]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

In the never ending search and thirst for knowledge and pardon moi's ignorance - hasn't there been like 100 - 150' waves that have 'been surfed' - somewhere in surfdom

[no one]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

did a little bit of 'research' but nothing definitive other than crazy stuff here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nS_aR8XX_U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbETb6NK ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ6e0XGB ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcioR3El ... re=related

[jhc68]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

No, no one, no 100 foot waves have been surfed. Go here for photos of the biggest waves ridden this year and click achives for the past several years biggest.

http://www.billabongxxl.com/biggest_wave/index.html

Conventional wisdom is that waves with face heights of 60-70 feet are about as big as anyone has ever attempted. Most of those have used tow-in assists because it is so difficult to paddle with enough speed to keep up with waves of such size.

Crazy surf types keep discovering deep water breaks like Cortez Banks (100 miles off the California coast line) where huge open ocean swells break over shallow reefs. Places like that might yield 100 foot waves but attacking them is difficult, expensive and just a bit dangerous. Also, the mythical 100 foot wave might only exist in weather situations that make surfing impossible.

Moreover, determining wave heights from photos is more an art form than a science. Hawaiians tend to measure waves from their backside height while most others judge the face of the wave. So, a Hawaiian style 20 footer might have a front side face of 40 feet.

All that being said I had the great good fortune to ride the train from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo round-trip yesterday with miles and miles of good views of the huge swell that was pummelling California's central coast. From Point Conception to Pismo Beach there were no surfers or boats out at all (it's all either private ranch land, USAF property or public beaches where even local long-time surfers recognized closed-out suicidal conditions). I've never seen so many huge waves, but without reference points it would be tough to say how big they really were. But it was BIG, by any standard... a very cool train ride.

PS: Most of the morons on the train were completely oblivious to the possible once-in-a-lifetime spectacle right outside the window!!!

[no one]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

jhc68 - thanks for clarification - and dispelling some urban legends. Regardless of 'guesstimations on height' all of those waves (and others) are monsters. Certain 'personality' to try those - been on road from Goleta to SLO - no train - scenery amazing but not sure if I had the same look as yours on train. Was a lifetime ago however. Did have a teammate in college who was a quite accomplished surfer - grew up in Playa Del Rey, Strong as an ox, flexible and a contortionist - plus lived 1/2 block from beach and had no fear (Young and dumb) He did mostly So Cal beaches - all that and a distance runner too! - And very good one at that. Not sure if he ever did those monster waves. - did big ones up and down so cal. So do they have 'official' records on heights or ???

[jhc68]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

Here is a fun montage of the biggest waves from an exceptionally big wave year... click on the Billabong Big Waves video:

http://www.grindtv.com/surf/video/big_wave_surfing_freaks_vie_for_billabong_xxl/#45473

[jhc68]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/chasingtheswell/

There are 3 videos on this LA Times site.
The 2nd one is the best, especially the sequence showing a one minute thirty-seven second "hold down" underwater at Mavericks last February.
And note that Jeff Clark, the guy with a brief interview at the end of video part 2, surfed Mavericks absolutely alone for 15 years before he could convince anyone else to paddle out there with him.

[no one]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

maverick Nov 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation ... feature=iv

[gh]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

great post with another Mavericks film linked there:

<<chuck norris must have? been swimming nearby and the water was trying to escape >>

[lonewolf]

Re: meanwhile at the planet's greatest surfing site...

These guys are kinda like rodeo cowboys..chasing the next wave/rodeo... not sure which is more dangerous... bulls or big waves..?