Big crowds will come to the California coast from all over the world to see the biggest waves of the year on Saturday ― not to mention the surfers who ride them. Tonic takes a look at who’s keeping an eye on protecting the environment that makes it all possible.
The swell starts in the North Pacific, in the open-ocean storms of winter, and travels thousands of miles toward the California coast. As it approaches Half Moon Bay’s Pillar Point, it flares from the deep underwater valley ― pitching up into a vertical monster as it rolls across the reef, becomes a cantilevered arc, and then crashes its heavy volume of water just a few feet from the rocks.
The Mavericks big-wave break, called a “voodoo wave” by Surfer magazine in 1992, brings surfers and onlookers from all over the world. During the winter, when conditions are right, it can reach 60 feet ― and there’s even a claim that Nov. 21, 2001, was a “100-foot Wednesday.” The break inspires awe: massive waves, dangerous rocks, shallow reef, strong currents and frigid water.
Well, big-wave fans: The time has come! The conditions are ripe, and 24 of the world’s best surfers voted on Thursday to hold the annual Mavericks Surf Competition this Saturday (Feb. 13). The fun kicks off at 8 a.m., and will be webcast on the Mavericks website, as well as on Ustream and Facebook.
Crowd Control
The area around Half Moon Bay itself is a rich habitat for land and marine life. The waters of Mavericks are in a National Marine Sanctuary. Nearby is the home of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and protected lands of the San Mateo County Department of Parks. With a heavy flow of human traffic to watch the wave when it appears, plus crowds reaching nearly 37,000 for the Mavericks Surf Contest, how is it possible to both protect the local environment and let excited onlookers come to see the waves?
Mavericks is a half-mile off the coast, so it’s difficult to see from the nearest beach. The best vantage points on land are from the 75-foot bluffs of Pillar Point itself, and visitors crowd the beach as well as the cliff edges to catch a glimpse of the monster break.
“The biggest impact here I see is nature,” said Jeff Clark, on a morning walk out to Pillar Point. Clark is the original Mavericks surfer, who rode the wave alone for 15 years, before the larger surfing community became aware of the spot. He’s the owner of Mavericks Surf Shop and the original founder of the annual Mavericks surf contest. “The negative impact comes from the ocean ― the erosion. People don’t even amount to 1 percent of it,” he said. A walk along the beach illustrates his point. Huge piles of rocky debris lie at the foot of the cliffs-the result of rain, wind and waves.
According to Scott Lombardi, park ranger for the San Mateo County Department of Parks, the different groups “work together to make sure the area is protected.” On contest day, on-duty park employees work to protect the environment and habitat along the bluffs from the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve to Pillar Point, as well as a nearby marsh. The first priority is public safety, and signs are posted telling people to stay back from the cliff edges. “The last thing we want is for someone to lean out for a better view of Mavericks, only to fall,” said Lombardi. It’s also a great opportunity to educate visitors about the local environment.
Katherine Clark, co-director of the Mavericks Surf Contest, makes sure that the environment is a major consideration in the planning of the contest details. “This has been a passion for me from day one,” she said. “We use biodegradable materials with the contest and make sure that recycling centers are set up where crowds gather. Our volunteers secure the tide pools and clean up the beach, even returning the next morning to make sure they’ve gone over the area with a fine-tooth comb. When we leave, the beach looks even better than when we got there.”
Over the years, the Mavericks Surf Contest has made it easier for curious viewers to watch, even if they don’t come to Half Moon Bay. People in the San Francisco Bay Area can flock to AT&T Park on the day of the contest, to view it on the big screen. And folks from just about anywhere with an Internet connection can catch the webcast on the contest’s official site. Both options may have an effect on keeping the on-site crowds lower, and lessen the impact on the nearby environment.
“These are protected waters,” advised Mary Jane Schramm, media and public outreach specialist for Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary ― the agency that administers Mavericks’ waters. The organization’s main priority is keeping marine life (from the smallest tide pool creatures to sea otters, harbor seals and whales) from potential disturbance. That includes restricting the use of Jet Skis near Mavericks to a certain zone, open only during High Surf Warnings from December through February. On contest day, that use is further restricted: permit only. “We love that nature can deliver such a magnificent performance. But the area is fragile, too, and we want to make sure people remember that,” said Schramm.
That shouldn’t be a problem, as long as the groups continue to work together, allowing people to enjoy the spectacle, while minimizing the impact on the surrounding environment. “Come on out and see it. It’s incredible. But leave it like you found it ― or better,” said Jeff Clark.
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