un lunes

Mavericks history is all pretty recent. Until around 1990, only one person was surfing Mavericks—local Jeff Clark, who first paddled out there in 1975, then surfed the break alone for the next 15 years. Most people, professionals, big-wave riders, and casual surfers alike, simply couldn’t believe that rideable waves that big routinely and predictably broke in Northern California. Under the right conditions, 25 – 50 foot waves feet break over Mavericks’ rock reef. In 1990, a photo published in Surfer magazine broke through the world’s denial, triggering the arrival of crowds of big-wave riders, many from Hawaii.Mavericks is a dangerous break. The waves come in off deep water and are funneled by the rocky topography of the bottom, concentrating the size and power into the impact zone. Moreover, the water is cold, requiring thick wetsuits which restrict body movement. —something warm-water surfers are often unused to. Then there’s just something about cold water: it feels “harder,” when you hit the surface. It’s “unfriendly.” Warm water, by comparison, can feel like a caress. Disaster struck Mavericks in December of 1994. Hawaiian professional big wave rider Mark Foo wiped out during take-off on an 18 foot wave. No one thought much of it in the moment: the wipeout seemed innocuous, especially for such an experienced surfer. But Foo never surfaced. People began searching for him and his body was eventually found a few hours later, floating just beneath the surface. In retrospect, trying to figure out what had happened, some people speculated that Foo was over confident and had underestimated the strength of the Northern California surf, along with the deleterious effects of cold water and restrictive wetsuits. But, of course, no one will really ever know.The ocean must be respected, regardless of the size of waves. That’s something every smart surfer remembers.