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Maverick’s 2011-12 Contest Preview: Watering the Roots of Maverick’s

mike — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:30:35 +0000

Thank you to Half Moon Bay Review for permission to reprint this article by our man In the Green Room.

Watering the Roots of Maverick’s
In the Green Room with Mike Wallace
Surf season has been in full swing on the coast as the Indian summer trades blows with Old Man winter in a losing battle in which surfers are the opportunistic beneficiaries. Onshore wind flows begin to clock around from the south in advance of storm fronts, and then switch to the northwest in their wake. Finally they swing to the northeast or, more rarely, due east – in piercing blue offshore perfection that mends tortured lumps of water into shapely waves, the shroud of summer fog lifts and reveals the coastside in all her glory.
This familiar seasonal change is met with great anticipation by surfers around these parts, but the vibe seems just a little more electric this year. Hollywood has made itself at home this fall as a battalion of moving vans sets up camp at various locations along the coast for “Of Men and Mavericks,” the movie paying homage to Maverick’s surf legend Jay Moriarity. Producer and star Gerard Butler got a firsthand welcome to the break with a legit 2-wave hold-down and flush through the rocks. The World Surfing Tour also decided to pay a visit, stopping over “Somewhere in San Francisco” en route from Portugal to Hawaii, spending just enough time to crown Ke11y Slater with his 11th championship…twice.
Yet with all the celebrities under foot the past couple months, the real star has yet to show up after skipping town last year – the Maverick’s Invitational 2011/12. While “The Jay at Mavericks” never ran, Jay’s outgoing spirit will still be in ample evidence, as a new local grass roots organization takes shape with the community and surfers as the driving force behind the event. A five-member board has been put in place for the contest composed of a group of surfers, local businessmen and leaders to ensure that the event stays true to its new manifesto. Reappointed as Contest Director, Jeff Clark aims to “get back to a great event showcasing the world’s best big wave surfers.”
Slater is negotiating with his sponsors to again challenge the infamous break. Kelly took second place back in 2000 behind eventual three-time winner Darryl “Flea” Virostko when his sponsor Quiksilver was still lending its name to the event, narrowly pipping Jay Moriarity in an earlier heat that many thought the young Santa Cruz charger had won. The rest of the Invitee list of 24 surfers will likely remain essentially the same one that was decided by peer vote of the athletes themselves last year (see Bruce Jenkins’ revealing profiles). The caliber of international big wave athlete is such that there will be not one easy heat, though there was a fresh heat draw at the opening ceremonies on January 6 a week into the revised January 1- March 31 contest window. Even the alternates list reads like a veritable “Who’s Who” of hell men. Talk is that Flea will be on water patrol this year — replaced by Ben Wilkinson. Josh Loya is first alternate, with Tyler Fox and Colin Dwyer next in line.
Board member Brian Overfelt is the owner of Old Princeton Landing and a community activist, which informs his perspective on the contest’s mandate and structure. A 20-person panel reports to the board, delegated responsibilities ranging from rescue to beach marshals. The aim is to build a stable structure for years to come based on three central pillars: “community, athletes and environment.” Tight coordination with over 14 government agencies, ranging from the Sheriff to the NOAA, has gone exceptionally well, but may ultimately be assigned to an event planning company in the future.
As Brian puts it, “It is important to water the roots of the local business community, which is always at the front of my mind on any decision the board makes.” In terms of tourism, contest day is one of the biggest of the year for Half Moon Bay and it’s important that the stakeholders in the community benefit from the contest. He foresees a day when local pride in the event runs deep and everyone celebrates it, rather than ducking and running for cover when the show comes to town. Indeed, all will be welcome to a Maverick’s Festival during the contest, which will take place in the Oceano parking lot to help minimize environmental damage to the sensitive cliffs of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Details about tickets are available on: http://mavericksinvitational.com/
Access to the bluffs will be severely curtailed after previous incidents of rock slides and spectators being flushed into the harbor during the epic 2009/2010 event won by Chris Bertish. Land-based judges, photographers and journalists have in the past been granted access to the Air Force radar station at Pillar Point, but the new commander has been tightening security rather than offering access to witness the extraordinary natural events at the base of its cliffs. After recent productive meetings, however, the Air Force may relent on access and even provide “air support” for the event, allowing in some contest apparatus including judging, photography and officiating.
Jeff Clark has always been in sync with Maverick’s and a little Clark luck could well be in order when cherry picking a contest day, requiring full use of the tighter contest window. Mark Sponsler of Stormsurf forecasting doesn’t like the way the weather gods are conspiring this season, which has already slashed viable days for the Invitational. He accurately anticipated “high pressure taking firm control of the North Pacific amid remnants of what was a moderate-plus inactive La Nina weather pattern that he expects to hold well into the spring of 2012. That is not to say there will be no storms, in fact there could be short periods of intense activity when the ‘Active Phase’ gets an opportunity to come to fruition, but that will be the exception rather than the rule.”
Yet there is a refreshing sense of earnestness, renewal and hope about the new contest organization and Overfelt emphasizes that the board has gravitated toward volunteers with a genuine love for the sport of big wave surfing and the community. Indeed, pending a key long-term sponsorship deal or two, which are expected to be imminent, start-up funding is tight and the new group is leery of making big promises and coming up short. It will take a lot of hard work, coordination and a little luck to pull it off and, as usual, Mother Nature will not be rushed by any official time table.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Mike Wallace has surfed for over two decades on the East and West Coasts, Hawaii, Europe and NorCal. Currently a resident of Moss Beach with his family of four, Mike has been spearheading an effort by The Surfrider Foundation to reopen Martin’s Beach to the public. He helps coach the HMB High and Cunha Intermediate School Surf Teams, and in his spare time is dedicated to surf journalism and surfboard design under his “Iconoclast” label.

Why Jay? The Naming of a New Maverick’s Surf Contest

mike — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 02:27:25 +0000

Why Jay? The Naming of a New Maverick’s Surf Contest
In the Green Room with Mike Wallace

It has been a memorable year of extremes in the surfing world, including the untimely death of 3-time World Champ Andy Irons and the 10^th World title for Kelly Slater. Yet when Mother Nature makes the call, Maverick’s will once again surge front-and-center into the impact zone. On December 1 the window will open for “The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational” and will remain open until February 28 (Ed: except for blackout period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day).

By a fortuitous accident of geography, the reefs off of Pillar Point have for eons funneled muscular long-period winter swells into cavernous bowls and towering walls off of Half Moon Bay, which has comparatively only recently rolled out its welcome mat for this new threshold of surf legend and lore. For one epic day this winter our cozy hamlet will be thrown into a frenzy of activity as the contest machinery whirs to life, spectators jostle, shutters click, jet skis hum and locals either rejoice or duck for cover. Why, then, name the contest after a cheery, blue-eyed kid from Santa Cruz with the disarming grin who drowned on June 15, 2001, free-diving in the Maldives?

Well, in a world full of compromises, traffic jams, deadlines, dead-end jobs, bills, taxes and any number of other banal distractions, Jay lived his brief life with the rare sort of purity, joy and focus that most people never achieve in a lifetime. Pacifican Matt Ambrose vividly remembers the wide-eyed grom who “blew past me straight to the bowl” and said it “looked fun” before swinging into a past-vertical freefall. A less precocious veteran would have had a gut check, knowing that he’s way too deep if closer to the peak than Ambrose.

But from the moment Jay launched into public consciousness at age 16 on December 19, 1994, on the cover of Surfer, crucified in the maw of a feathering lip of that very same wave, he surfed his life in the sweet spot, right in the curl, making Maverick’s his second home. At times Jay was so excited to greet a rising swell, he was known to sleep overnight on the cliffs to be the first to crack it at dawn. Surely that’s grounds for residency, or squatter’s rights in our town? How many people can honestly say that their path inspires that level of passion?

In his too-brief 22 years, Jay’s preparation and athleticism was only outclassed by his infectious personality, which deeply touched those who knew him, surfed with him and loved him. And one person who knew him well was his Maverick’s mentor and tow partner, Jeff Clark. The pioneering big wave gladiator and the young gun built a special relationship in the water, logging countless sessions seared in the memories of a small cadre of awed witnesses. Clark recalls, “Mike Gerhardt, one of Jay’s best friends, brought me a bunch of stickers recently that said: ‘Never Forget Jay!’ And I said, ‘Mike, what do I need those for? I’ll NEVER forget Jay.’”

On just one of those many special days, Clark threw Jay the tow rope on an improbably giant and clean swell on December 22, 2000, and told the few remaining stragglers in the channel: “The sun’s going down, it’s 25-foot and we’re going to show you the future.” With the harbor horn bleating its lonely call, an amber mist on the water and the size of the swell amplified by the 20-30 foot spinnakers of spray and dark silhouettes of the waves, Clark zipped out the back and whipped Jay into a bomb. It was one of the longest rides ever witnessed at Maverick’s and you could only follow its progress by watching the ski on the shoulder with Jay completely engulfed by the shadows. Kicking out 45 seconds later, past the rocks, Jay would have probably continued all the way into Surfer’s Beach and high-fived a few groms if the wave hadn’t prolapsed back into the maelstrom.

As noted local sports journalist Bruce Jenkins sums it all up, Jay set the tone for future generations: “There’s only one thing about the Maverick’s contest that reminds me of Jay, and that’s the contest day itself. It’s always a huge success – fog, wind, rising tide, whatever, to say nothing of perfect days – because of the spirit in the water. It all came to a head three years ago, when Greg Long split his winnings among the five other finalists, but the Maverick’s lineup always shines when the very best, most committed guys are in the water. All the egos, sponsorship deals and personal agendas are cast aside, and nobody epitomized that attitude more than Jay. If he got the biggest wave on a certain day, he only wanted to talk about Grant’s wave, or Ambrose’s, or how good one of the hot young kids looked out there. His soul was pure; nobody could recall ever seeing him out of character.”

Jay had the audacity to live to the fullest, push over the ledge and laugh at life’s precariousness. In this sense, surfing Maverick’s is better characterized as a dance of life, rather than cheating death. This is why those of us chained to desk jobs and the daily grind are drawn to witness the contest. To be transported for a fleeting few seconds when time is suspended and a relatively puny human stands up, dwarfed by the enormity of the universe, pulls in, and comes back out to do it again, rejoicing in his good fortune to be alive in such a place.

As Maverick’s veteran Grant Washburn puts it: “For me, Jay represents the personification of stoke. Enlightenment is usually described as living in the moment, and enjoying every minute… and people work hard to achieve that state, but I think Jay was born with it. He had this very special disposition, a way of treating everyone like an old friend. He also had a habit of giggling at everything, and it was contagious. As we grow up, most of us lose part of the magical feeling that comes from just having fun. Big wave surfing is a way for us to get back to the wonder of being a kid. When a big set hits the reef, everyone becomes a wide-eyed grom. We all tap into our inner Jay – that amped-up 15-year old who was drawn to Maverick’s. Jay is that rare individual who makes a lasting impression on everyone he meets. If one of my kids had been a boy, he would have been named Jay. We had girls, but my wife liked the name Jaden… so I asked if we could throw a ‘y’ in there. Now my younger daughter Jayden is almost 6.”

Unlike Eddie Aikau, the Waimea lifeguard who sacrificed his life at age 31 on March 17, 1978, to save his crew stranded aboard the outrigger canoe Hokule’a in the Molokai channel, Jay didn’t put his life on the line to save others. Aikau made over a thousand undocumented rescues, but of course couldn’t be bothered to do the paperwork. Aikau selflessly put others’ lives before his own and, in addition to being a true waterman, set the standard for Aloha and Hawaiian pride.

In contrast, it was by living for the moment that Jay provided his lasting gift. Rising above pettiness, avarice, selfishness and other human frailties, he led by example with joy, camaraderie and inclusiveness that all too often seems to get lost in the rip tides of negativism. To “Live Like Jay” is to embody goodness, friendship and stoke. As contest organizer Katherine Kelly Clark recalls, “Jay was an angel come to earth. He used to come into my café and just light it up. I loved him like a son or a kid brother – nothing can replace him. Jay belonged to the world, crossed all barriers and rose above it all.”

What did these two legendary watermen share in common? Neither of our humble heroes sought the limelight; it came and found them. Both innately knew the secrets to living a simple life fully and sharing their gifts for doing so. Both, by their shining example, compel us to reflect on our own better nature. And, both were taken from us too soon.

Mike Wallace has surfed for over two decades on the East and West coasts, Hawaii, Europe and NorCal. Currently a resident of Moss Beach with his family of four, he can often be found haunting the beaches south of Devil’s Slide in search of the perfect sandbar with his blind dog, Moose.

(Article originally published (in modified format) by the Half Moon Bay Review and SurfPulse thanks them for the permission to post here.)

The Jay at Maverick’s Surf Contest Opening Ceremony and Heat Selection Held on Monday, November 29, 2010

matt — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:56:48 +0000

Under the guidance of the Half Moon Bay Surf Group, the new organization running the annual surf contest at Maverick’s, the opening ceremony was held on Mon., Nov. 29. The ceremony included an honoring of the late Jay Moriarity, for whom the contest is named, a paddle out to the channel and a ceremonial surf ring with most of the invitees. The heats were selected by surfers picking numbered golf balls out of a bucket.

Bruce Jenkins, noted surf writer and sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, has written a great line-up card with descriptions of the surfers in each heat.

The contest window for The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational opens on Wed., 12/1/10 and runs through Mon., 2/28/11, with blackout dates from Christmas through New Year’s Day.

Here are the heat selections:

Heat 1
Shane Desmond, Santa Cruz
Kelly Slater, Florida
Grant Washburn, San Francisco
Anthony Tashnick, Santa Cruz
Mark Healey, Hawaii
Ryan Seelbach, San Francisco
Heat 2
Ken Collins, Santa Cruz
Jamie Sterling, Hawaii
Grant Baker, South Africa
Zach Wormhoudt, Santa Cruz
Greg Long, San Clemente
Dave Wassel, Hawaii
Heat 3
Chris Bertish, South Africa
Shane Dorian, Hawaii
Ryan Augenstein, Santa Cruz
Alex Martins, San Francisco
Nathan Fletcher, Hawaii
Tyler Smith, Santa Cruz
Heat 4
Carlos Burle, Brazil
Rusty Long, San Clemente
Peter Mel, Santa Cruz
Shawn Dollar, Santa Cruz
Darryl Virostko, Santa Cruz
Matt Ambrose, Pacifica

Alternates

1. Tyler Fox

2. Josh Loya

3. Colin Dwyer

4. Nic Lamb

5. Danilo Couto

6. Derek Dunfee

7. Ben Andrews

8. Andrew Marr

9. Travis Payne

10. Ion Banner

11. Kohl Christenson

12. Shawn Rhodes

13. Mike Gerhardt

14. Garrett McNamara

15. Russell Smith

16. Jamie Mitchell

17. Ben Wilkinson

Maverick’s Contest Won by Chris Bertish on Saturday, February 13, 2010

matt — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:35:40 +0000

South African charger Chris Bertish, who flew 36 hours to make it to Half Moon Bay the night before the contest, won a stunning Maverick’s contest. Competitors claim the waves were the largest paddle-in waves ever seen for a contest–and for some of the surfers the largest waves they had personally paddled into.

SurfPulse will soon be posting photos in our Flickr group pool from our photographer in the channel, Eric Stanger. Read a great summary of the contest in Bruce Jenkins’ column at SFGate.com. Also, below is the official press release (photos from Art Gimbel for MSV) from Mavericks Surf Ventures (interestingly, with no mention of the bystanders who were injured or the havoc created by the wave surges at high tide at beginning of contest):

Photo by Art Gimbel for MSV

HALF MOON BAY, Calif., February 13, 2010 – After more than three months of waiting, contestants and fans alike were rewarded for their patience with an historic day for big-wave surfing, as Chris Bertish etched his name in Mavericks lore and was crowned champion of the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest® Presented by Sony Ericsson and Barracuda Networks. With waves described by the competitors as some of the biggest they have ever paddled into, and in front of a crowd of approximately 50,000 fans, Bertish outlasted Shane Desmond, Anthony Tashnick, Dave Wassel, Carlos Burle, and Kenny “Skindog” Collins to claim the Jim Beam Jersey and a $50,000 check from prize purse sponsors Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision and Barracuda Networks. The total prize purse of $150,000 was the largest in big-wave surfing history, with $50,000 going to Bertish, $25,000 to Desmond in second, $15,000 to Tashnick in third, $10,000 to Wassel in fourth, $8,000 to Burle in fifth, and $6,000 to Collins in sixth.

2008 Champion Greg Long summed up the day perfectly while passing along the Jim Beam Champion’s jersey to Bertish. “The entire book of big wave surfing was rewritten today.” Bertish, a native of Cape Town, South Africa was overcome with emotion, adding, “It was an honor just to be here today and paddle out with these other guys. I flew 36 hours to be here, and this has been a dream come true.”

Photo by Art Gimbel for MSV

The competitors were greeted by huge waves as soon as the Contest began, with heats one through four being won by Dave Wassel, Peter Mel, Alex Martins, and Ryan Seelbach respectively. “These were definitely the biggest waves I have ever paddled into,” said second-place winner, Shane Desmond. After two memorable semi-finals which were won by Anthony Tashnick and Carlos Burle, the hard-charging Bertish pulled through in the final round.

The Gnarly Head Wines “Gnarliest Drop” Award, given to the surfer who pulls off the most impressive drop of the day, was won by Anthony Tashnick. Commenting on the opportunities that today’s conditions offered, Tashnick said, “There are no excuses on a day like today, it was perfect. Whatever you wanted, you could take.”

The Jay Moriarity Award, given to the surfer who best exemplifies the spirit and passion that Jay was famous for, was won by Dave Wassel. Wassel, who thanked the Half Moon Bay locals for accepting him, was also blown away by today’s conditions. “It was undoubtedly the largest surf any paddle-in contest has ever seen.”

Despite the roughly 50,000 spectators in attendance, the Save The Waves Green Team was able to minimize the impact that the fans had on the area surrounding this world-famous break. As in years past, Green Team staff members separated trash and educated fans on how to reduce their carbon footprint. Added Maverick Environmental Manager Joao de Macedo, “Mavericks is a special place for all of us, and we’re thrilled to say that even with all of today’s foot traffic, the Save The Waves Green Team was able to ensure that this pristine condition.

Mavericks CEO Keir J. Beadling thanked everyone involved in the production of the event. “As we all know, producing this event is no easy feat. It takes countless hours of preparation from everyone in the Mavericks extended family. We’re grateful for the support of all who aided in the staging of this event, as well as for all of our sponsors. And congratulations to all the competitors on what was truly an historic day out here at Mavericks.” The full slate of sponsors for the 2009/2010 Contest includes Sony Ericsson, Barracuda Networks, Jim Beam® Bourbon, Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision, Facebook, the Bay Club, The Corporate Law Group, Gnarly Head Wines, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Airship Ventures, Vertical Response, Surfer Magazine, Oceano Hotel & Spa, Stormsurf.com, Rickshaw Bagworks, GoPro, Mission Chiropractic, and Capture Technologies.

About Mavericks™ and The Mavericks Surf Contest®

Every winter season, Mother Nature offers up the ocean’s harshest conditions and the giant, unpredictable waves that characterize Mavericks and the annual Mavericks Surf Contest®. Frigid waters, dangerous currents, jagged rocks and the ever-present threat of the great white shark. When weather conditions are just right, the 24 chosen surfers will make the official contest call. Once the call is made, they will have only 24 hours to arrive in Half Moon Bay to face the extreme conditions, thunderous waves and each other. Coined as “the wave beyond,” the Mavericks™ brand inspires hardcore athletes to face the unpredictably raw power of Mother Nature, and stirs the souls of those who aspire to challenge their own limits. Mavericks remains true to its core: a cold, mysterious and foreboding place that demands respect from everyone who goes there and inspires them to attempt the extraordinary. 2009/2010 Contest Sponsors include Sony Ericsson, Jim Beam® Bourbon, Barracuda Networks, Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision, Facebook, the Bay Club, The Corporate Law Group, Gnarly Head Wines, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Airship Ventures, Vertical Response, Surfer Magazine, Oceano Hotel & Spa, Stormsurf.com, Rickshaw Bagworks, GoPro, Mission Chiropractic, and Capture Technologies. For more information, including photos, surf conditions, Official Mavericks™ gear, and contest highlights, visit Mavericks online at www.maverickssurf.com.

2009-10 Maverick’s Surf Contest Goes On Without Jeff Clark

matt — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:09:37 +0000

Bruce Jenkins, surf journalist and sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, has published a column with some more information about this year’s Maverick’s Surf Contest being run without Jeff Clark as Contest Director: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/06/SP0U19J0IF.DTL&tsp=1 Related posts:Jeff Clark Sues Maverick’s Contest on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Jeff Clark Out as Contest Director for Maverick’s Contest [...] Related posts:

Maverick’s Contest Window Extension through Wednesday, April 8, 2009

matt — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:13:08 +0000

According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bruce Jenkins, the San Mateo County Harbor District has granted Maverick’s contest officials an extension on the contest window. Instead of today’s official closing date, the extension goes until April 8–and possibly will be extended further through the month of April.

For more information, read the article on SFGate.com.

2009 Maverick’s Contest Finds Sponsorship

matt — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:17:19 +0000

As reported by veteran sports and surf writer Bruce Jenkins at SFGate.com, the 2009 Maverick’s Contest has found sponsorship and the contest window will be from Jan. 1, 2009 through March 31, 2009.

The usual 24-hour notice will be provided to invited contestants and the public.

The contestant list, as reported by Mr. Jenkins:

“The entry list looks quite familiar to anyone who keeps up with Maverick’s lore. Virostko, Tashnick, Washburn, Zach Wormhoudt, Peter Mel, Shane Desmond, Matt Ambrose, Kenny (Skindog) Collins, Ryan Seelbach, Josh Loya, Ion Banner and Shawn Rhodes have been regulars in the lineup for years. The out-of-town representation includes Brazil (Carlos Burle), South Africa (Chris Bertish), Hawaii (Sterling and Brock Little) and Southern California (Long, Slater and Nathan Fletcher). For years, Banner was the only competitor from Half Moon Bay (Clark runs the contest but does not compete), but Banner now has company in the person of Tim West, among the best of the new, up-and-coming generation.

It’s rare that any of the 24 invitees miss the contest in a given year, so only the top-rated alternates have any chance to get in. This year, the top three alternate slots (in order) have gone to San Francisco’s Alex Martins, Brazil’s Danilo Couto and Hawaiian standout Mark Healey.”

As with last year, if the contest goes off, it will be webcast live (this time in HD) and can be viewed at AT&T Park on the large scoreboard screen.

Inside Maverick’s Book Signing in Montara on Saturday, December 15, 2007

admin — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:22:18 +0000

On Sat., Dec. 15th, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M., Bruce Jenkins–sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle and author/editor of many surfing books–will be signing Inside Maverick’s, a book he edited in conjunction with big-wave surfer Grant Washburn and photographer Doug Acton.

The signing will be at Cafe Lucca in Montara:
8455 Cabrillo Highway (Highway 1), Montara, CA
(650) 728-5229

Surfing Below Sea Level

mike — Sat, 19 May 2007 23:21:39 +0000

I confess, I am a surfer and I am addicted to waves. Selfishly, I resent letting one go by unmolested without leaving my drunken scrawl on its face. Yet surfing is a learned and imitative sport, where conformity is the awkward, pimpled step-sister hiding behind a façade of stubbly individualism. We are all guilty at some stage of poaching style from our peers, grabbing the latest copy of Dane Reynolds: First Chapter or Jamie O’Brien’s Freakside, and screwing up our courage to do something “unique” and innovative.

To be sure, the athleticism, flexibility and hubris to bust an air-reverse over a huge closeout or “go switch” inside a grinding Pipeline tube are truly inspiring for the rest of us mere mortals. Fine if you’re still 20-something (and still have all your anterior crucial ligaments attached), not to mention an endless board supply from Al or Rusty.

But there is a school of surfing that seeks harmony with Mother Nature, not opposition. This act of wave riding is intimate, cradled in the curl, angling along the most efficient high-line to maximize acceleration and length of ride, occasionally dipping to bleed off speed before gathering momentum once again. No “Huntington hop, hack, floater, pig-dog, lay-back slash, tail slide, aerial, or air reverse” here. No butt wiggles, no flailing arms; just slotted, stretched from finger-to-toe-tip. This is the realm of the bodysurfer.

You may scoff and kick sand in their faces, grateful that they’re one rung lower on the aquatic food chain. But witness the apparent disembodied head bobbing in the line-up, usually well inside you, as the backs of waves obscure his stealthy art. Paddling back out you may smugly mock the bodysurfer: “Lose your board, dude?” But he’s heard that one before, and the joke’s on you when you catch a rail or mis-time that aerial; he’s only too happy to pull in, lean, and elegantly finish the wave you nearly wasted. Purity of line and economy of movement are his calling cards. His is an intimate, tactile relationship with the sea.

Equipment

There can be little doubt that the forefathers of surfing were bodysurfers, Pacific islanders or Peruvian fishermen stepping out from the primordial ooze to catch a free ride into the beach. Before Paipo and Olo boards, records show that early enterprising Hawaiians lashed palm leaves or bark to their feet for propulsion, a sure-fire path to dry rot or constellation of blisters. Benjamin Franklin reputedly fashioned a couple of wood planks in the shape of art palettes to attach to his feet and enhance his swimming experience, and Leonardo da Vinci also tinkered with the idea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimfin

Modern proponents almost exclusively employ a pair of rubber Duck Feet or Churchill fins, invented simultaneously over 65 years ago by Louis de Corlieu of France and Owen Churchill of the U. S., whose patented design was adopted by naval demolition teams and made Churchill a multi-millionaire. It was a fortune he lavished on his addiction to competitive sailboat racing, where he was appointed team captain of the U. S. Olympic Yachting Team for two successive Olympiads.

Various adaptations include vented “jet fins,” sliced “split fins,” swallow-tail “force fins,” and even elongated free-diving carbon fiber fins. Some will even attach small plastic planes to their hands for extra traction and speed, but the basic technology for most bodysurfers has not changed in decades.

Technique

The bodysurfer’s entry point on a wave is similar to a board surfer, but typically deeper. He has eliminated a big step—standing up. True, this can be a near seamless step for an expert bipedal surfer, but the lack of it allows the prone surfer to catch a steep, breaking wave almost instantly, sometimes before it even breaks. Like the athletic dolphin, he may kick inside a swell, submarine-style, arms flat against his sides, exploding to the surface just as the bulge of water transforms into a breaking wave. Mostly, he angles in near the curl, cants his body against the suck-up surge, extends an arm and, with a sharp flutter kick, is off.

Too late, and he may air-drop into the pit, recovering with two arms forward, and using his planing hands like a skeg on a board to pull into the tube or up the face in order to take the high-line again. From there, basic maneuvers include the regal “wave,” with one arm forward and the other bent at the elbow overhead while leaning with the back into the wave face. The “iron-cross” juts one arm forward again, but extends the other straight back, palm dragging on the bending curl. Speed is relative, both a blessing and curse for the bodysurfer, achieved by lifting body parts from the water to reduce drag and knife along on a single plane. Rarely do you see him project out onto the shoulder, but right at sea level the sensation of acceleration is greatly amplified. His body conforms to the wave and on steep, dredging sections, his legs can bend and fins arch up into the lip.

Once well-positioned, a number of other options present themselves on a nicely funneling wave. The pinnacle is to stall back in the barrel, inch up the face and then come flying out on the foam ball. Purists may opt just to trim and fade, until the wave runs out of gas. But after folding arms back to cruise, the bodysurfer can then accelerate with one hand forward, dip a shoulder and pull a “spinner,” rotating around his body axis 360 degrees without missing a beat. This has been elevated to an art form at the exclusive Point Panic on the South Shore of Oahu:

Advanced maneuvers pulled by the experts include a half-spinner, where the bodysurfer ends up on his back on the face of the wave and can fold his arms for effect, stall, and then rotate the remaining 180 degrees back to his belly and carry on. Another is to pull up steeply on the face and, at the apex by the lip, arch his back and launch back down the wave, the equivalent of a surfer’s off-the-lip. For the truly advanced, a rare “El Rollo” is pulled off—achieved when the bodysurfer gets sucked so high in the curl that he can simply roll over with the lip, supported by the foam ball, and land at its base only to be pushed out again on to the face. This is a cross-over move from body boarding, where it is much easier to execute.

The exit frequently ends in apparent outright destruction, mostly an exercise in damage control, with an inability to straighten out, kick out, or effectively launch over the shoulder in large surf. The bodysurfer’s best option is the “kick-flip” into a tapering closeout section, diving down at the last second, flipping the legs over and ducking out the back. This maneuver is a natural application of the same Olympic pool technique, with a roll and kick off the wall, which many have learned from the ranks of competitive swimming. Another less elegant option is the “pile-driver,” plowing head down into a closeout in hopes of just avoiding the worst of the implosion until the wave energy dissipates. The Wedge in Newport Beach offers some cautionary footage from the spin cycle:

The lack of a board also provides a built-in advantage in large surf, where floatation can be a liability as much as a crutch. For a bodysurfer, the surfer’s basic “duck dive” is just one of many choices while swimming back out. He can just slip under the boiling white water with a quick bow of his head, tread water, and dip down vertically or make a deeper dive to avoid becoming snared in columns of energy. Eyes wide open underwater, there is a whole range of options that a stand-up surfer never sees at the surface. When thriving in huge days, unencumbered by a board, an almost mystical experience for some.

As bodysurfer-journalist, and all-around bon vivant, Bruce Jenkins tells it… “It’s all about escaping those whitewater fingers, and it’s impossible to explain, but I’ve had times at large, very nasty Ocean Beach where I had no traumas going under waves. This also explains how experienced Pipeline guys—there are probably about twenty of the highest caliber—go out there on inconceivably giant days and don’t hit bottom when they’re caught inside. This is just one of the many pure, essential relationships one can get with the ocean, but it’s unique to bodysurfers (and surfers who have lost their boards).”

Only Characters Need Apply

There are essentially two primary categories of bodysurfers. The first are the purists, who embrace the sport as their own and, for them, it is their passion and only choice when heading to the beach. Many grew up by one of the premier bodysurfing beaches, such as The Wedge, La Jolla, Pipeline, Sandy Beach, Makapuu, and Point Panic. Their sport defines them as characters and iconoclasts. These are classic human beings from many walks of life, fiercely independent, who work hard and play harder. They couldn’t care less what you think of them. Many were expert swimmers before they mastered their craft, like Mark Cunningham, who defines grace and class as ambassador of the sport.

In the second category are the cross-over body boarders and surfers, who are already world-class, gill-breathing watermen, so intimate with the ocean that they can seamlessly make the transition. Names like Slater, Hamilton, Stewart, Machado and the multi-talented Malloy brothers readily adapt to the art of boardless surfing with style and daring.

Judith Sheridan counts herself among the purists of the sport. Having done her internship at an underground bodysurfing beach in San Diego seven years ago, she matriculated in just a few short months to Ocean Beach in San Francisco in pursuit of her Ph.D. in bodysurfing. A distance swimmer, she had no experience at such a dynamic beach break, nor any wetsuit, and was game for anything the beach could throw at her… and teach her. After cutting her teeth (and hands and knees) at the So-Cal reef, clinging to rocks and ducking under hard-breaking waves, she was on a steep learning curve and used to taking sets on the head.

With the keen observation of a Ph.D. Seismologist, O. B. gave her a new appreciation for the chaos below sea level: “I could see the wave structure, the underwater turbines that surfers never get to see. There is no math to describe the non-linear dynamics underneath a large breaking wave, where rotating turbines (of water and air) spin side-by-side and back-to-back through a feeder zone. After you dive just deep enough, the turbine can push you down to a neutral zone where the water won’t compress any further, or you can navigate between discrete cells until the darkness and silt clears before heading back up.”

An early attempt to apply her water-reading skills in Hawaii nearly backfired. Like a negative image of O. B., the ocean on the North Shore is clear, not opaque. “Brightness above is composed of air bubbles in the turbine (of wave energy). Here you want to avoid the bright spots and head for the dark.” Learning that lesson the hard way, she headed straight out into the line-up at Pipeline; she hadn’t planned on it, but couldn’t resist the beauty and shape of the waves. In her maiden bodysurfing contest at the break, Ms. Sheridan went right at Backdoor, something board surfers do with some premeditation and bodysurfers rarely do. And she made it straight to shore, luckily avoiding the shallow cauldron of reef and caves in no-man’s land.
[To view more photos of Judith Sheridan bodysurfing at O. B., visit photographer Marlin Lum’s website.]

Don’t Taunt Aquaman

So the next time you see that head bobbing in the line-up, don’t smirk. Give a nod of respect, or better yet a hoot, if you’re lucky enough to see him pull in on your way back out. You could learn from his skills, which might come in handy if your umbilical cord-leash snaps spontaneously in double-overhead O. B. and flaps lifelessly around your ankle, while your precious EPS board drifts merrily off to the Farallones to freedom.

As Jenkins observes:

“Getting in, after a session, can be a nightmare at a churning, current-ridden place like O. B. But on just the right occasion, you can pick off a wave from the far outside, go straight down the drop, survive the violence of the broken wave, and ride that thing straight in to the sand. Kind of a cool thing to do under your own power.”

So, share a wave; savor the purity of its energy and beauty. For a change of pace, try going with the natural flow and grain of the curl, rather than above it or in opposition to it. You just might find yourself deeply pitted and blissfully savoring a clarion moment in sync with Mother Ocean, chattering across the dimpled face of a wave. After all, at sea level or below, it’s always overhead.

Mike Wallace has surfed for over two decades on the East and West coast, Hawaii, Europe and NorCal. Currently a resident of Moss Beach, he can often be found haunting the beaches south of Devil’s Slide in search of the perfect sandbar with his dog, Moose.

Inside Maverick’s and Photo/Stoner Book Release Party in SF on Tuesday, October 24, 2006

admin — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 23:22:18 +0000

On Tuesday, October 24th, join Zuna Surf and Chronicle Books for a star-studded Inside Maverick’s and Photo/Stoner book release party and Surfrider SF Benefit at 111 Minna Gallery! Celebrate and throw a beer back with surf authors & luminaries Matt Warshaw, Doug Acton, Grant Washburn, Jeff Divine, Bruce Jenkins, Maverick’s surfers, and more.

Arrive early for seats! The night kicks off with a 7:00 P.M. slideshow by Surfer’s Journal’s Jeff Divine, showcasing Ron Stoner photos not published in Warshaw’s book. Stoner was a pioneering Surfer Magazine lensman who mysteriously disappeared in the ’70s and deemed dead. Then, catch Doug Acton and Grant Washburn’s fantastic new Maverick’s footage.

Afterwards, chill to live surf music by the HIWATTERS and DJ Shabadoo’s grooves. Enter the raffle to win seats on the 2007 Mavericks Surf Contest® VIP Boat Tour and prizes by Sports Basement, Hotline, ClifBar, Surfer Magazine, and more! Plus, score more Mavericks Boat seats and Casey O’Connell artwork in a silent auction.

Admission is $5 or FREE with ADVANCE book purchase* (which includes two free raffle entries, too!). Tix, books & info: www.zunasurf.com/minna.