Shred White & Huge! Maverick’s Goes Off!

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (Shred White and Blue)-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.
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.”

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. FOMO: www.maverickssurf.com.

// Photo by Art Gimbel

Maverick’s – How to Watch the Super Bowl of Suring

Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Shred White and Blue)—Mavericks Surf Ventures, Inc. has a wide-ranging series of options for remotely watching the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest.

Mavericks CEO Keir J. Beadling explained that that the decision to offer such a large array of viewing options was informed not only by the company’s desire to bring the excitement of Mavericks to as wide an audience as possible, but also by its interest in protecting the area surrounding the world-famous break.  “In an effort to limit crowd impact on the Half Moon Bay area and coastal ecosystems, we are encouraging all Mavericks fans to watch the contest via free live webcast and by attending our live viewing party at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  Both options provide a much better viewing experience than the view from the beach. If you do plan on attending Mavericks in-person, please be respectful and cautious of the natural environment, and leave no trace.”

Millions of fans witnessed the 2008 Contest via a live webcast, and this season Mavericks has launched its most ambitious webcast offering to-date.  For the first time ever, fans can catch all the live action at Mavericks’ official website, www.maverickssurf.com. Also new this year, Mavericks will bring viewers around the world an opportunity to experience the thrill of Mavericks via a live, interactive webcast on Facebook and Ustream.  The webcasts will be powered by Ustream, the leading live broadcasting platform on the internet. The experiences will provide fans with an unprecedented level of interactivity while viewing the contest—sharing their thoughts real-time, through Facebook Connect, with other Mavericks fans everywhere.

As was the case in 2008, the day’s activities will also be available via a unique live webcast viewing event at AT&T Park—“baseball’s perfect address” and the home of the San Francisco Giants.  Ticketed fans can watch the Contest live and in high definition on the big screen in centerfield or from any of the big screens throughout the Club level. Tickets for the AT&T Park viewing event will include in and out privileges and can be purchased for $20 in advance, $25 at AT&T Park, or online at www.maverickssurf.com.

Fans who will be in the East Bay can attend a live viewing event at Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Oakland.  The event is free to attend, but space is limited, so fans are encouraged to arrive early.  For more information go to www.misspearlsjamhouse.com.

For those who want to be even closer to the action, Mavericks has a few spots available on its officially-sanctioned boat tours.  These boats are piloted by seasoned, local captains with knowledge of the area around the Mavericks surf break, and guests on the boats are provided with complimentary parking, lunches and official Contest apparel.  More information is available at www.maverickssurf.com.

Finally, fans who want to experience Mavericks from an entirely new perspective will have the unique opportunity to view this year’s event from the world’s largest airship—Airship Ventures’ Zeppelin Eureka.  The “Eureka” is a 246-foot airship that accommodates 12 guests per trip, and, weather-permitting, will run 30-minute passenger trips in the sky throughout this season’s Contest Day from Half Moon Bay Airport.  The spacious cabin comfortably accommodates the pilot, flight attendant, and up to 12 passengers with luxury features including oversized panoramic windows, an onboard restroom with window, and a unique 180-degree rear observation window and “love seat” that wraps the entire aft end of the cabin.  More details are available at www.airshipventures.com or by calling Airship Ventures at (650) 969-8100, ext. 111.

//photo by: flickr.com/jdegenhardt

It’s On! Mavericks Contest Window Opens!

Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Shred White and Blue) — On just 24 hours notice between November 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010, 24 of the world’s best big-wave surfers will be summoned to Half Moon Bay, home of Mavericks, one of the most majestic and infamous surf breaks on Earth.

There, they will test their individual skills and vie to be crowned champion of the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest Presented by Sony Ericsson. Competitors will face the dangerous elements of the frigid northern California waters in search of the perfect ride on waves reaching heights of 30 to 40 feet or more.

“The 24” make the call

And according to Mavericks CEO Keir J. Beadling, this contest seasons adds a new and exciting element:  “This season we’re embarking on a new chapter, as the Mavericks competitors will choose the day.  Once potentially contestable conditions are identified, ‘the 24’ will vote and determine whether to pull the trigger.  If they say ‘go,’ we go, and that’s exactly the way it should be at Mavericks.”   Commented longtime Mavericks surfer and Contest competitor Kenny “Skindog” Collins, “This Mavericks Contest combined with this season’s El Niño is going to be historic!”

El Niño in-play

Official Surf Forecaster Mark Sponsler of Stormsurf.com says there is good reason to be hopeful:  “The El Niño season, which has already begun, should bring a higher number of storms moving from the International Dateline into the Gulf of Alaska than in years previous. Those storms should have the potential to push larger and more consistent surf down the Pacific Coast into California. It’s likely there will be several good opportunities to hold the contest between now and March 31 when the contest window closes.”

Once the contestants receive the green light alert, they have just 24 hours to arrive for the event.  The international roster of invited surfers consists of, in alphabetical order: Matt Ambrose, Ben Andrews, Grant Baker, Ion Banner, Chris Bertish, Carlos Burle, Kenny Collins, Shane Desmond, Nathan Fletcher, Brock Little, Greg Long, Josh Loya, Peter Mel, Shawn Rhodes, Ryan Seelbach, Evan Slater, Tyler Smith, Jamie Sterling, Anthony Tashnick, Darryl Virostko, Grant Washburn, Dave Wassell, Tim West, Zach Wormhoudt.

Also named were the 15 alternates, in order of priority: Alex Martins, Danilo Couto, Mark Healey, Tyler Fox, Rusty Long, Nic Lamb, Jamie Mitchell, Mike Gerhardt, Russell Smith, Kealii Mamala, Garrett McNamara, Andrew Marr, Lawton Smith, John Whittle, Colin Dwyer.

Record Prize Purse

This year, the invitees will compete for a record-breaking $150,000 prize purse, including $50,000 to the Champion.  The purse is personally funded by Mavericks benefactors Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision, and Barracuda Networks. In addition, a $5,000 “Gnarliest Drop” award will be offered to the surfer who exhibits the most impressive drop-in of the day.

South America Bound

Santiago, Chile (Shred White and Blue)—Big storms are breaking down South America way, especially in Portillo, Valle Nevado and La Parva, Chile, where over the past week they’ve been counting the snow by the footload.

So the Shred White and Blue crew is taking a plane to Lima for a midnight changeover, and then to Santiago to see what we can ski. Termas de Chillan is on the menu, (not for the casino, but maybe for the spa), as is Portillo, and Valle Nevado, right next door to where the Subaru World Freeskiing Tour kicks off at La Parva on Sept. 3. (check out www.skipressworld.com for regular updates on that, as well as reports and photos on the trip overall). And please excuse us if we don’t answer your e-mail right away.

In the meantime, here are a couple Foam Bits for you:

How Clean is Your Beach?

Surfside, USA (SWB)—Our beaches are not enjoying the summer at all according to a report from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Across the country, they posted more than 20,000 closing or advisory days last year – and not because of dangerous waves!

Water quality the culprit, including everything from raw sewage to chemicals to nasty body eating bacteria. The NRDC rated how badly the most popular beaches bit it with a cool interactive feature that you can check out here.

Save the Waves and Mavericks Pitch Cool Tee

Half Moon Bay, Calif. (SWB)—Mavericks Surf Ventures, Inc. (Mavericks) and Save The Waves Coalition announced a special edition t-shirt – made from recycled PET plastic bottles.  The shirt is the result of a multi-year partnership between the two organizations with five dollars from the sale of each shirt going directly to Save The Waves, the non-profit dedicated to the preservation and defense of the world’s surf spots and their surrounding environments. Get one at www.savethewaves.org

Classic Utah Powder Video

Worldwide Web (SWB)—And then there’s this – some absolutely ridiculous old-time ski footage from Alta, Utah. Stein Eriksen is the legend in the flashy space pants. These guys kill it on old school longboards.

//photo by flickr/jcablarca