Today I went to shoot the Mavericks surf contest. If you don’t know Mavericks, it’s a surfing competition with big waves (30 feet and bigger) in Half Moon Bay, CA that happens only when the conditions are right.
It’s an invitation-only contest and the best surfers are coming.
The weather conditions were exceptional (warm and sunny) but the waves were not as big as predicted (around 24 ft, 8 meters). Mavericks is now almost impossible to photograph from the shore as the bluff and the beach are closed to the public for safety reason. Only a few photographers with very long lenses can hope to get some images.
The best and probably only way to get nice images of Mavericks is to get on a boat. There are plenty of choices at Pillar Point Harbor, however a little calling ahead can save you hundreds of dollars. Price I heard today was between $200 for 2 to 3 hours near the spot to $500 for only one hour.
I was lucky to board on the media boat and we went for two hours during heat 3 and 4, and the semi finals 1.
The Mavericks contest takes place in a very dangerous spot and there is a lot of jet skis, ready to assist surfers, if needed.
Peter Mel won the 2012/2013 Mavericks Invitationals. Hopefully, we’ll be back next season. Congratulations Peter!
All the images presented here are available for licensing or as fine art prints.