Being part of the opening ceremony is a privilege not given, but one that is earned by dedication, commitment and plenty of sacrifice.
So before the opening ceremony I speed South and rack up add another quick 1000km’s on my good old rental car to visit Shaun Alladio-K38 PWC Rescue guru. The lady is a legend in big surf rescue and training and we spend time updating training and having some good laughs with her five year old Shania, before saying our goodbye’s and driving North to catch the Opening Ceremonies of the Mavericks Big Wave Invitational, which is always a special ceremony and good party.
The ceremony starts off with the best in the world’s big Wave riders invitee’s standing in their suits, with their boards behind each other, while Jeff Clark, friend and contest Director says a couple words in honour of all the past big wave riders & watermen who have lost their lives riding the mountains we come to challenge and try our best to tame.
Jeff runs though each rider in the row of big wave riders and says a couple of words. To be a part of this is such an honour, most people will never quite understand. To be standing there, part of this unique and special group of internationally recognised big wave legends is such an honour and privilege.
Chris and Brock Little
A privilege not given, but one that is earned by dedication, commitment and plenty of sacrifice. To be standing there amongst so many of your childhood hero’s and be part of the elite group, a big wave brotherhood is one of the most amazing feelings in the world, knowing that you’ve finally made it, earned that spot and it makes everything and every hardship you have ever had to face and overcome worth it, like it was nothing.
We all paddle out and join hands in a big circle out in the water and Jeff says a blessing and everyone says a couple of words in respect of being part of this special place, ceremony and being part of this truly unique group that get to charge these incredible waves out at Mavericks every Winter.
The ceremony finishes and by chance a couple waves are breaking so we all paddle out and share a couple together, howling and hooting like little happy school kids at a party.
Everyone meet up afterwards for drinks and dinner at the heat selection party, where the heats get randomly drawn, which is always a good laugh.
Round 1 Heat
My heat gets drawn…Twiggy, myself, Zach Wormhout, Carlos Burle, Grant Washburn and Alex Martins. Holy smoke is that the final? No that’s the first round heat! This just demonstrates the level of competition. Every heat looks like a final, as you run through them. Well, two Saffa’s in the same heat, perfect, that means two Saffa’s that are going to have to be going through to the Semi’s and so the party begins and goes on late into the night.
When this crew gets together, it always gets festive to say the least…
The swell ended up being even later than forecasted and only arrived Friday during the night, but Saturday blessed us with flawlessly glassy 12ft conditions under warm, blue sunny skies. Thirty surfers in the line-up, very possibly more, all sharing waves and having way too much fun in epic, unusual, glassy, warm winter conditions…
I surfed for a couple hours with the boys; mostly going left at Mavz, as going right and being the deepest is not a good thing when you get stuffed, not able to bottom turn, because you have four people on your outside.
Tweaking my knee trying to avoid another rider I knew it was time to go in, so I got a late drop and rode it through the inside bowl, while seeing it learching I pulled up high and got barrelled off my pip and just as it clam-shelled I snuck out getting clipped as I snuck through the front of the lip, laying back and re-gaining my balance, stoked, smiling and feeling the energy & stoke of what being here is all about. I rode it in…Having a special ace up my sleeve. I pack up my board, try to convince a couple of friends that I know a wave that will be 12ft and cranking, but no one believes me, so pack in a burrito and head south at high speed, knowing a wave that I surfed solo a couple of times before, which might be cranking!
Just under two hours later I am pulling into one of the most exclusive golf courses on the planet and home to one of the best big wave spots on the planet! Tow surf waves, wrong! Best paddle waves in the world…I pull into the car park and watch a 12-15fter hammer down the point…
Overwhelmed by stoke, I suit up in and am walking down Pebble golf course and jump into the water in a matter of four and a half minutes. Of course there’s no one out…Only ever heard of one guy out there and that was Don Curry who took me out three years ago to paddle into a couple 15ft bombs, since then it’s been solo missions all the way.
Mavericks: Boardcam
I paddle out and score perfect gassy 12 feet waves, solo for an hour and half of bliss & perfection, before the sun sinks below the horizon. Only in America can you surf the top big wave spot with forty people and then drive an hour and half and surf just as big perfection by yourself. Magic!
The following day, Don Curry and I launch the ski and head 59km’s down the coast to surf some secret spots, while taking in the breathtaking Monterrey Bay scenery.
The next day there are small waves at Mavericks and after wiping off the cobwebs a weary few paddle out to share some waves together Twig, myself, Washburn, Greg Long and Frank Soloman.
The next week is filled with lots of training in the pool, acupuncture and shock treatment on the knee with a forecast for a big swell on the horizon and some super fun Stand up paddle sessions with Jeff and friends..
With the forecast looking good for the 17/18th Jan, everyone starts getting amped and the energy and rumours start circulating about the contest possibly running on the Fri 17th.
As news travels the frenzy begins and the hype escalates to a mad, overwhelming barrage of phone calls and predictions, which have everybody frothing at the prospect of the event running under unusual, warm weather, blue skies and possible perfect conditions.
To not get caught up in all the hype and frenzy, when this what you have been building up to and working towards for the last couple of years is near impossible and so the emotional rollercoaster ride continues.
Mavericks: Explode!
By the 16th, the contest is on, no it’s not, the bouy readings are big enough, no they’re downgrading after a day of sitting with Jeff while hearing him dealing with over fifty calls to media and forecasters as he was making the final call, I thought I would have to head to the nearest psychiatric ward to be admitted, cause I thought I was going over the edge from the anxiety.
At the end of the day, the high pressure persisted off the coast and stopped the storm system from strengthening, so the contest was not called, which was a huge disappointment for many of us, but it was the right call and it meant that there would still be great waves at Mavericks over the weekend, just not 20ft thundering Mavericks (40ft faces).
I come back just in time on Monday the 19th, for a small swell and a free Go Pro camera from the contestants’ pack, to mount it on my board and paddle out and score some sick footage and great, fun waves at Mavericks, while getting the first ever onboard Mavericks surf footage… A good day!
And as the swell dies and trip comes to a close, as the forecast looks weak for the next two weeks, work back home beckons and the responsibilities of life catch up with me. With the rands running low, our currency not our best friend and very little swell on the horizon for the next couple weeks it’s time to look at heading home…and with the contest on 24 hour notice, the journey doesn’t end here.
Every time the phone rings, it could be that call over the next two months…The contest status is green light…get your ass over here, were on! I’ll have to drop everything and run, be on the next flight back over here, to charge another bomb and fly the big wave flag for my homeland…because you don’t miss the chance to live your dreams when you get this close..This is life, live it, love it, embrace it. Live every moment and have no regrets!
Stay tuned…Chris Bertish out!
