"MAVERICKS": THE WORLDS DANGEROUS WAVES
"Here he comes!" "Awe..., he missed it." "Here comes another one!" "Wow, look at him go!"
Just listen to these people talking, makes you feel like your at a very exciting event: such as, skiing, soccer, football, or ice-hockey. But, actually, your at Half Moon Bay, CA, which is about twenty-plus miles from Foster City, CA, east, sitting on a sand dunes, off Highway 1, going towards San Francisco, CA, watching this years "Mavericks, surfing contest.
Every year around this time--December to March--the worlds greatest surfers come to Half Moon Bay to ride the monstrous waves, thirty-feet or more, off of the Northern California Coast. Last year the contest had to be post-pone: the waves did not materialize like they, usually, do. It is not uncommon because sometimes the extreme waves are not there. But this year the waves are there, and the call to the world surfers was given: "The Mavericks Contest Is On!" So, therefore, the surfers, who comes to try their luck, are waiting for opening day, Friday, December 7, 2007, to be assigned their heats, and to participate in the opening ceremony.
It has always been known that the water in the area, where the contest is going to be held, is very dangerous: frigid water; dangerous currents; jagged rocks; and the great white shark has been seen in the past few years. But, do you think that the surfers really care? They are out to ride the biggest wave and win the prize, or to ride the biggest wave they can.
Just sitting on the sand and watching the surfers, a wave starts, so does one of the surfers, he comes in from the side and rides the bottom of the wave. The wave grows and moves faster, so does he across the bottom of the wave. It looks like the wave swallowed the surfer--no, a few seconds later, he quickly, comes out on the opposite side. The wave starts to dissipate, and the surfer does a quick turn, sits on his board, and paddles back to where he started in order to grab the next wave. When the waves quiet down or when its gets dark, the surfers then comes in and they are given their scores.
It is something to watch. Just go west on Highway 92, out of Foster City, north on Highway 1, and you will run into the area near the ocean where the Mavericks Contest is being held.
