Home › North America › Central California › SF-San Mateo County
|
One of the seven natural wonders of the world, a phenomenon somewhere between Tommy Lee's manhood and Angel Falls, Maverick's is that rarest of things: not just a perfect wave and not just a giant wave but a perfect, giant wave. It's rare when a person or place lives up to the hype, but Maverick's really does. To surf it or see it from the channel or the cliffs on a perfect, giant day is to be held in awe of one of the most amazing waves on Earth. Maverick's is, in one overused word, awesome.
The peak at Maverick's lies a little less than a half-mile off of Pillar Point and is marked by a clump of Stonehenge-like boulders lining the inside (two of these boulders have even been christened: Mushroom Rock on the south end and Sail Rock on the north). Climb up the cliffs lining the Air Force facility that overlooks the break, and you'll get a hint of what Maverick's is about: massive swells looming out of the deep, approaching a shelf (about 20 feet under, made up of black, ungodly reef and boulders) at breakneck speeds. From there, Maverick's becomes a 20-foot version of Stockton Avenue: a perfect, jacking AAA-frame breaking both ways, the right going forever and the left a short-lived explosion of hell and spitfire. Watch a nutcase take off on one of these behemoths, and you'll see why Darryl Virostko isn't the only surfer who should be called "Flea."
But this is only the view from the bleachers. Anyone who's gone so far as to check the place from the sidelines (not to mention make an attempt at the peak him or herself) will tell you, with a straight face, that it's a life-changing experience.
Just paddling out can be a test in endurance and, at times, bravery. Besides hitching a ride on a Jet Ski or a boat, there are generally two paths to take: the long road and, you guessed it, the short road. Although it's much more time-consuming (as long as 25 minutes from the beach to the peak), the long road tends to involve the least risk. Paddle out through the lagoon just in front of the Pillar Point Harbor breakwall, let the current pull you past Mushroom Rock, turn turtle under a few 4- to 6-foot insiders and make the long pull toward the peak. As soon as you see a house-sized tube explode onto the reef, you'll know where you need to be or need to avoid, depending on your mission.
The short road -- which cuts the paddle by about half -- is a little more tricky, and we don't recommend it unless you're following a NorCal Sherpa who's done the rock dance 1,000 times. The entry is on the north side of the break, and you have to brave a minefield of submerged rocks and a horrendous shorebreak before it's smooth sailing out to the peak. Many an experienced big-wave rider has been denied attempting this entrance, and the last thing you want to do is lose a fin on your $700 rhino chaser before you even make it through the shorebreak.
The risk level evens out once you make it to the lineup: no matter where you take off, you're rolling the dice. The hot spots on the Maverick's playing field are as follows:
OUTER BOWL
On the biggest of days (20 feet at 20 seconds and beyond on the Half Moon Bay buoy), there's a takeoff spot about 100 yards out beyond Maverick's proper. Few waves have been caught here, but all of them have been memorable. Richard Schmidt's disaster wave in 1992 was a Second Reef bomb and just about every wave ridden on October 28, 1999, started in this zone (albeit with the help of a Jet Ski). Unless you plan on being the first paddle-in surfer to conquer Jaws, it's not recommended that you attempt Maverick's when this section's cracking.
THE CORNER
The best surfers at Maverick's know the Corner like the back of their guns. This is the peak on the extreme north end of the break that, if you time it right and choose the right one, allows you to get into the wave and down the face before you become another wipeout statistic. Maverick's pioneer Jeff Clark went left (a shorter, intense wave with a psycho drop and a quick shoulder) off this spot for years, and few have followed his lead since then. Sin
ce it's the deepest point you can take off from for the rights, it's often regarded as the triple diamond takeoff zone. Watch masters like Peter Mel, Flea Virostko and Ken "Skindog" Collins surf the place, though, and you'll see that the correctly chosen wave from the Corner is actually an easier takeoff than launching into it farther down the line. Note the emphasis on the words, "correctly chosen." Pick a bad one at the Corner and you'll follow Jay Moriarity and a host of others into Horrendous Wipeout infamy.
LATES BOWL
While the wolf pack scrambles for the choice cuts at the corner, the Lates Bowl is an overflow section on the south end that occasionally serves up the rogue monster. When a big set shifts wide of the Corner, it usually breaks on Lates Bowl. The drop tends to be a little easier and the wave a bit fatter, but we're still talking about Maverick's: it's no bunny slope.
THE CAULDRON
Just inside the Corner, there's a wicked set of boils that you want to avoid at all costs. This is the focal point for the majority of Maverick's wrath and is the spot where you'll be experiencing your two-wave hold-down if you choose unwisely. Strange phenomena --whirlpools, undertows that suck you into the abyss, etc. -- have been known to take place at the cauldron. Proceed with caution.
In 10 short years, Maverick's has risen to the forefront on the big-wave-riding frontier, and there's now a Quiksilver event at the spot that allows the world's best hellmen to charge the bowl for a $30,000 first-place bounty. But unlike Maverick's overnight notoriety, don't think that your path to big-wave glory can be as immediate: Maverick's should not even be attempted unless you've logged some serious hours at Waimea or Todos Santos. Then, and only then, are you worthy of gracing Maverick's with your presence.
-- Ben Marcus
|
Maverick's can handle all tides, but as for most of the spots along here, low and incoming to medium are best.
W is bowly, but dangerous and pushes into the rocks. NW is lined up and safer.
triple-overhead to 80 foot faces before it closes out
E, but not too strong. Some guys like a slight onshore.
10
You don't want to know
Nothing short of Flea, Laird, or Neptune
Paddling muscles. Favorite 10-foot pintail. Personal PWC lifeguard. Oh, and some balls.
winter, fall, spring
Parking in the lot, maybe, if you're lucky. Also, Wave Runners out of Pillar Point Harbor.
It's getting crowded out there, but there are a lot of lookie-loos. Real takers are the minority.
It exists. Do something stupid and you'll hear about it.
10, maximum
1. Only inside your wetsuit.
death by drowning, sharks, run over by a whale, run over by a PWC, a trip through the rocks, hypothermia, broken boards, ego deflation.
|
|
If you want to eat in peace and quiet and don't want to listen to big-wave surfers heckling each other, the Three Zero One Cafe at the Half Moon Bay Airport serves a lovely breakfast.
You like smoked salmon? Located in Princeton, across the freeway from Pillar Point Harbor, the Creekside Smokehouse sells smoked salmon, trout and albacore, and it's the best smoked salmon you'll ever eat. Try the kippered salmon or the pepper jerky and you'll be hooked. The Creekside Smokehouse is closed September, January and February, but the rest of the time, it's epic. To get there, go across the freeway from the Pillar Point Harbor exit and turn right on Avenida Alhambra. It's three or four blocks up and it's worth the drive.
The Moss Beach Distillery is a Chart House sort of place with a view of the Marine Reserve. Look for the sign on the highway just before the airport, a few miles north of Maverick's.
Downtown you'll find the Half Moon Bay Bakery (650-726-4841) and M. Coffee to satisfy your caffeine and sugar craving.
|
|
|
Half Moon Bay has done a good job of transforming itself from a sleepy one-horse town to a tourist destination. There are a lot of places to stay in Half Moon Bay, from the Youth Hostel in the north to the state campgrounds in the south and everything in between. For all lodging listings, check out www.coastsidelive.com.
Or try
|
|
|
|
Other things to do? In Half Moon Bay? Umm. The downtown area is worth a stroll and there's the Pumpkin Festival in the fall and the Half Moon Bay Air Show in the spring. Adn there are some great hikes in the redwood forests just south and east of town. Beyond that, umm, we'll get back to you.
|
|
|
|
Cowboy Surf Shop is on Highway 1, a few miles past Maverick's at 2830 Cabrillo Highway North. This place has been there a long time, and it is dialed in about local conditions: 415-726-6968. Also on Highway 1, a few blocks north of Cowboy's shop, the Aqua Culture Surf Shop has everything you could ever need for the surfing: 415-726-1155. Jeff Clark's Mavericks Surf Shop is located at 151 Harvard Avenue in Princeton, on the road to the infamous surf break. Pick up original Mavericks surf gear, shirts, hoodies and memorabilia. The shop is also home to Jeff Clark Surfboards, where he'll make you a stick for mega Maverick's or puny Princeton, whatever you want: 650-563-9060.
|
|
|
|
|
= 
= 
= 
