[Leica] Mavericks was CARE AND CAUTION!

[John Brownlow <lists@johnbrownlow.com>]

On 3/13/02 jim@brick.org wrote:

>We have some of the world's largest waves right here on the central CA 
>coast. Ask any surfer about Mavrick. Like surfing down the side of a ten 
>story building. With the top of the building chasing you. Mavrick is off of 
>Half Moon Bay. Bring your very long lenses and get some awesome surf shots.

Now you've got me started!

I've sat on the point and watched the surfers at Maverick's. Hell, just
watching it was one of the most frightening things I've ever done. I even
wrote a song about it (Mark Foo's Last Ride) which made it onto our last
album, though the title got changed at the last minute to Agent Orange.

There is a movie in development about Maverick's, and the death of Mark Foo. 

For those who don't know, Maverick's is probably the biggest break
outside of Hawaii's North Shore. After a big storm, with an offshore
wind, it's sometimes bigger. The thirty to thirty-five foot waves drive
towards rocks at the foot of the point -- one of the nice things about
Maverick's is that you can climb up to the top of the point and get an
*amazing* view. If it is breaking at all, there *will* be surfers.

To give you an idea of the visual impression, when a big set comes in,
the surfers look like little dots against the wall of water. As they
catch the wave, they appear to crawl down the front slowly, because even
though they are travelling at enormous speed, the wave is sucking up
water in front of them almost as fast to feed its enormous height. It is
this equation that makes surfing any big wave so dangerous. If at any
point you lose speed and commitment, you will be sucked up towards the
lip and potentially fail to outrun the wave. Add to that the fact that
the wave is so huge it has waves of its own on the wall which you are
bouncing off as you hurtle forwards... I think you are getting the picture.

if not, try these...

    <http://www.maverickssurf.com/photos/index.html>

Watching someone get wiped out on one of these waves is a sickening
experience, because it really does look like certain death.

Mark Foo was a legendary Hawaiian big wave surfer who died at Mavericks
when he wiped out and failed to resurface. The whole sad epic story is here:

    <http://www.the-last-record-store.com/markfoo.html>

BTW in 2001 a rogue wave washed a bunch of spectators off the harbour
wall at Half Moon Bay, so I advise sitting on the point with your long
lenses. And Jim is right, you will need a BLOODY long lens as the break
is about a mile away.

- -- 
John Brownlow

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com

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