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El Nino delivers: Mavericks surf contest on for Friday
San Jose Mercury News ^ | 2/9/2016 | Mark Conley

Posted on 02/10/2016 7:13:18 AM PST by mac_truck

The Bay Area got its Super Bowl fix -- now it will get its Super Bowl of big-wave surfing, too.

The Titans of Mavericks was greenlighted for Friday, meaning 24 of the world's most fearless watermen will take to the ocean off Pillar Point Harbor near Half Moon Bay and put on their own adrenaline-soaked, El Nino-fueled spectacle.

It will mark the first year under new ownership for the event, which wasn't able to stage a contest last year because the perfect day with the desired minimum 40-foot wave faces and clean conditions never materialized.

As for Friday's conditions, Mark Sponsler, the event's longtime forecaster, is predicting sheet-glass smooth conditions early with wave faces from 36 to 38 feet. "Big enough to make the grade and clean," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: mavricks; surfing
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Surf's up!
1 posted on 02/10/2016 7:13:18 AM PST by mac_truck
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To: mac_truck

The Eddie Aikau is on today:

http://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2015/spec/1182/quiksilver-in-memory-of-eddie-aikau


2 posted on 02/10/2016 7:27:14 AM PST by vbmoneyspender
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To: mac_truck

Right now it less than 5 ft? 2 days and it will be 40 ft? I know the weather can change in a moment, but I don’t see the storm to do it right now? We’ll see!


3 posted on 02/10/2016 7:31:44 AM PST by US_MilitaryRules (The last suit you wear has no pockets!)
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To: US_MilitaryRules

The swell is hitting Hawaii today - Waimea will be in the 30 to 40 feet range with some faces hitting 50 feet: http://www.surfline.com/surf-report/waimea-bay-oahu_4755/ . The swell will then hit California on Friday.


4 posted on 02/10/2016 7:40:49 AM PST by vbmoneyspender
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To: vbmoneyspender

Yep...they’re expecting a bunch of the Eddie Aikau competitors to hop on over and surf Mavricks.


5 posted on 02/10/2016 7:42:10 AM PST by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
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To: mac_truck

Never surfed once. I don’t think I’ve ever touched a board. Been landlocked all my life.

But, surfing fascinates me. I enjoy watching it and can’t get enough of good docs like “The Big Swell,” and “Riding Giants.”

Anyway, I think this is cool.


6 posted on 02/10/2016 7:43:51 AM PST by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: vbmoneyspender
The storm producing the swell in Hawaii is a little far from Mavericks to translate to really big surf there, but I guess they're willing to settle.

Thanks to the Super Bowl the contest missed the swell of the year, last Thursday.

7 posted on 02/10/2016 7:49:53 AM PST by skeeter
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To: vbmoneyspender

Eddie would go.


8 posted on 02/10/2016 8:10:49 AM PST by freefdny
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To: skeeter

So here’s the thing - storms produce swell. For example, you can have a storm down in New Zealand produce a swell that will travel all the way across the Pacific until it hits California but the storm itself might never get further north than Fiji. In the case of the swell hitting Hawaii, that was produced by a storm sitting south of the Aleutians. That swell is hitting Hawaii now but you can count on it to hit California on Friday thru Saturday. I’ll be out in the water on both days and its forecast to be double to triple overhead where I’m at. If I get some pics I’ll post them here for you to check out.


9 posted on 02/10/2016 8:20:56 AM PST by vbmoneyspender
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To: vbmoneyspender

I’m going out Fri as well, Santa Cruz.


10 posted on 02/10/2016 8:24:37 AM PST by skeeter
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To: vbmoneyspender

But I have no one to take my pic:(


11 posted on 02/10/2016 8:25:11 AM PST by skeeter
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To: skeeter
Here's a shot a photog got of me in December


12 posted on 02/10/2016 8:29:43 AM PST by vbmoneyspender
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To: vbmoneyspender

What you riding?


13 posted on 02/10/2016 8:33:46 AM PST by skeeter
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To: skeeter

costco special


14 posted on 02/10/2016 8:37:50 AM PST by vbmoneyspender
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To: vbmoneyspender

Nice!


15 posted on 02/10/2016 8:39:24 AM PST by Yaelle
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To: Yaelle

thanks


16 posted on 02/10/2016 8:41:54 AM PST by vbmoneyspender
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To: mac_truck

Watch the documentary ‘Riding Giants’ if you want to see some great surfing action.

Jeff Clark started surfing Mavericks in 1975 when he was in high school. From 1975 to 1990 he surfed it by himself. The big wave riders of the day refused to believe that any place in California had large waves comparable to Hawaii and wouldn’t even come take a look. Eventually that changed, but in the meanwhile Clark had Mavericks to himself for 15 years.


17 posted on 02/10/2016 8:54:48 AM PST by Stevenc131
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To: mac_truck
My sister-in-law runs a surf shop in Dana Point. I imagine she's going to be busy if the big waves actually arrive.
18 posted on 02/10/2016 9:40:20 AM PST by JoeFromSidney (,)
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To: mac_truck

“Surf’s up!”

But no rain.


19 posted on 02/10/2016 10:13:58 AM PST by Parley Baer
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To: vbmoneyspender
How do you keep from running over paddlers and what's the etiquette about who gets on a wave first?
20 posted on 02/10/2016 10:19:13 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (Dear Santa: Please find a home for every homeless and unwanted cat and dog that is suffering)
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