Mavericks Surf was originally called as the Men Who Ride Mountains and sponsored by surfwear giant Quiksilver, the one-day event began in 1999. It got off to a shaky start when a thick fog bank forced the event to be shortened. Fickle swell and sponsorship issues shelved the contest for three years before the current group, Mavericks Surf Ventures, finally brought the contest back in year 2004. Virostko is a three-time winner, and a then 20-year-old Tashnick kept the title in Santa Cruz in 2005. Baker, aka. Twiggy, came out of nowhere to conquer perfect Mavs conditions in ‘06.

The year 2008 Mavericks Surf Contest takes place today on Saturday the 12th at Mavericks, off Pillar Point Harbor near Half Moon Bay. It goes on from about 8am to 3pm with twenty-four talented surfers. But there is going to be a big North Pacific groundswell set to deliver three- and four-story walls of water. Weather is supposed to be pretty good and look more like late spring season with smooth waves of 25- to 30-foot faces.

Surfers are scored based on the size of waves they paddle into, nature of the dropping down, the success they have surfing the wave and the length of the surfing ride. The contest is a four 40-minute, six-man marothon. Top three, based on top two waves scored by judging crew on cliff, move on to semifinals. Finals roughly slated for 1:30 p.m. Surfer in this big-wave surfing’s contests call it Super Bowl Saturday. There is $75,000 total in prizes with $30,000 going to the real winner. Last year reigning champion is Grant Baker.

You can watch it free live on webcast from www.myspace.com/maverickssurf. But if you live in a closer area, then you can go to on the stadium big screen at AT&T Park; you have to $20 in advance and $25 if you pay at the gate)