Mavericks big wave contest waiting period begins

The waiting period for the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest® presented by Sony Ericsson has officially begun. On a picture perfect Friday afternoon, more than two-dozen of the best big-wave surfers from around the world, along with family members, friends, and members of the media gathered on the beach at Pillar Point to celebrate the opening of the new 2009/2010 Contest season.



The only big-wave paddle-in contest on the mainland, the waiting period for this year’s Mavericks Surf Contest® will last from November 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010. During this window, the 24 invitees will wait for Mother Nature to conjure up the “perfect storm”
that will produce waves that are 30-40 feet in height. Once such a swell is on the horizon, the 24 contestants themselves will vote on whether to call the Contest to compete for a record-breaking $150,000 prize purse, including $50,000 to the Champion.

Heat One:
Evan Slater, Darryl “Flea” Virostko, Ion Banner, Dave Wassell, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Tyler Smith

Heat Two:
Peter Mel, Shane Desmond, Zach Wormhoudt, Nathan Fletcher, Matt Ambrose, Anthony Tashnick

Heat Three:
Brock Little, Tim West Jr., Kenny “Skindog” Collins, Josh Loya, Greg Long, Carlos Burle

Heat Four:
Chris Bertish, Grant Washburn, Ryan Seelbach, Ben Andrews, Shawn Rhodes, Jamie Sterling