1st Big Swell of New Year Hits NorCal: Mavs Contest Friday?

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The 1st major swell of the New Year is currently hitting the Nor Cal area and the Pillar Point area of Half Moon Bay is getting busy as Invitees fro the Mavericks Surf Contest begin to assimilate.




The Storm Surf Forecast points to Thursday and Friday to be the peak of this series. The Contest now back in control of the original maverick himself, Jeff Clark is scheduled to have Opening Ceremonies this Thursday and all indicators, point to the contest trigger being pulled Friday!

http://mavericksinvitational.com/

Want to attend? Best check out the details HERE




Speaking of Mavericks, the movies about Jay Moriarty untitled "Of Men and Maverick" used the local high school "Oceana" for background depicting Jay's High school days, seen here providing a little contrast.


One of the films stars Gerard Butler actually braved the surf at Mavericks several weeks ago Full Story and got a real life taste of the raw power of the break, ending up at Stanford Medical Center for his troubles.


Walkers are dwarfed by the new swell along Sharp Park




Mori Point and the endless stream of energy headed toward Nor Cal

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MAVERICKS INVITATIONAL SURFERS TO GATHER FOR OPENING SEASON CELEBRATION
Traditional Ceremonial Paddle Out to Take Place Friday

HALF MOON BAY, CA (January 3, 2012) ? New Year?s Day kicked off the start of 2012 and marked the official opening of The Mavericks Invitational contest window, which runs until Mach 31, 2012. With only 24 hours notice, the international roster of invited big wave surfers are called when the giant waves and conditions are just right to hold a day-long contest.

To celebrate the opening of this new season, the big wave surf community will gather for the traditional Opening Ceremony and Paddle Out at the beach at Mavericks on Friday, January 6, at 2 p.m. While this is not the official contest day, it will coincide with a morning of big waves at Mavericks, and added level of excitement for the ceremony.

"We've been waiting since November, and now we're definitely seeing some big waves this week at Mavericks, " said Contest Director and Mavericks Pioneer Jeff Clark. "It's the first really big swell of the season, a chance for the surfers to get out there and play with that power before the contest actually happens. It's the perfect chance to see each other again after a year or so, get out there and free surf without pressure, and then come together to celebrate and show respect for the surfers, the wave and the community."

The Opening Ceremony is a ritual unlike any other, the 24 competitors, and 17 alternates - along with surfers and fans - are invited to commemorate the opening of the big wave surfing contest window. The ceremony takes place on the beach with family, friends and the community. In the long-honored Hawaiian tradition, surfers then paddle out to the water and form a prayer circle to commemorate the event, show respect to fellow surfers and their safety, and pay tribute to those who have died.

Looking Ahead: Contest Day

This year's contest will have some significant changes for the surfers and public alike. The event this year will be primarily based in the water, with competitor support and judging to take place on the water. There will be no scaffolding or set-up on the beach, and public access to the beach and bluffs will be restricted by the San Mateo County Sheriff, California Parks and other coordinating agencies.

To give the public a place to gather and be a part of the day-long event, the Mavericks Invitational Festival will be the epicenter for the contest, and will be held outside on the grounds of the Oceano Hotel & Spa in Princeton Harbor, Half Moon Bay, just down the road from Mavericks and Jeff Clark?s legendary Mavericks Surf Shop.

The Mavericks Invitational Festival will start at 8 a.m. just as the first heat of the contest starts. The festival will run all day long with a live steam of the contest action. Ticket holders will enjoy live contest coverage and contest updates, as well as music, giveaways, refreshments and access to the awards ceremony, where fans will the opportunity to meet some of the big wave competitors.

Ticket prices start at $25 for general admission, with a limited number VIP packages available. Tickets can be purchased at: www.MavericksInvitational.com.

Parking will be available at the Half Moon Bay Airport, with proceeds benefiting The Boys & Girls Club of the Coastside. All proceeds will benefit future activities, parks and support for the children of the community. Ticket holders can purchase parking passes when buying festival tickets at MavericksInvitational.com.

The Mavericks Invitational is the world?s premier, high adrenaline, big wave surfing event. This one-day, invitation-only surfing competition is held at the legendary Mavericks surf break located ½ mile offshore at Pillar Point Harbor, just 20 minutes south of San Francisco. The 24 most daring big-wave surfers in the world will attempt to tame the massive swells on the biggest and best day of the 2012 winter season. For additional details, visit: MavericksInvitational.com.

The Competitors The Alternates
Matt Ambrose (Pacifica) Josh Loya (Santa Cruz)
Ryan Augenstein (Santa Cruz) Tyler Fox (Santa Cruz)
Grant ?Twiggy? Baker (South Africa) Colin Dwyer (Pacifica)
Chris Bertish (South Africa) Nic Lamb (Santa Cruz)
Carlos Burle (Brazil) Danilo Couto (Brazil)
Ken ?Skindog? Colins (Santa Cruz) Derek Dunfee (San Diego)
Shane Desmond (Santa Cruz) Ben Andrews (San Francisco)
Shawn Dollar (Santa Cruz) Andrew Marr (South Africa)
Shane Dorian (Hawaii) Travis Payne (Pacifica)
Nathan Fletcher (San Clemente) Ion Banner (Half Moon Bay)
Mark Healey (Hawaii) Kohl Christensen (Hawaii)
Rusty Long (San Clemente) Shawn Rhodes (Pacifica)
Greg Long (San Clemente) Mike Gerhardt (Santa Cruz)
Alex Martins (Brazil) Garret McNamara (Hawaii)
Peter Mel (Santa Cruz) Russel Smith (Santa Cruz)
Ryan Seelbach (San Francisco) Jamie Mitchel (Australia)
Kelly Slater (Florida) Frank Solamon (South Africa)
Tyler Smith (Santa Cruz)
Jamie Sterling (Hawaii)
Anthony Tashnick (Santa Cruz)
Grant Washburn (San Francisco)
Dave Wassel (Hawaii)
Ben Wilkinson (Australia)
Zach Wormhoudt (Santa Cruz)

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