Saturday
27Mar2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 1:30PM
On our recent visit to San Francisco, the night before we left, I learned that we would just happen to be there when the Mavericks Surf Contest was to take place.
If hearing the name, "Mavericks Surf Contest" doesn't mean anything to you, this contest is unlike any other in the world. Located just 45 minutes outside San Francisco at the northern tip of Half Moon Bay, this exclusive contest is for
surfers by invite only and is announced just 24 hours prior to the contest start. Every year a really big swell rolls in from the north always during the winter season that kicks up waves as tall as 50 feet. Only the top 24 big wave surfers in the world are invited. This internationally acclaimed surf contest draws tens of thousands of spectators on a moments notice each year who eagerly await news all season long of this event. Traffic is backed up for miles and all the attention in the little community of Half Moon Bay, California is directed to the ocean. We knew that we had hit the jackpot and we'll never forget this particular weekend.
The morning of the contest, we got up early, and stopped by the BorrowLenses.com office in San Mateo to pick up a telephoto lense for the afternoon. I rented a Canon 400mm f/4 and loved how light it was and how quickly it focused. The BorrowLenses.com people are extremely knowledgeable and super friendly so I don't mind giving them a good plug. We then got into the long line of cars that would take us to Half Moon Bay and
Mavericks break. Upon arrival, we hiked about a mile and a half from our parked car to the top of the hillside where the other onlookers were perched. I've never before seen so many telephoto lenses and binoculars in one place. Anyways, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
In these first two images, you get a sense of perspective from the helicopters and surfers. See if you can find the surfer in the second image.
Here's a few more that I caught that day:
tagged HDR, Half Moon Bay, High Synamic Range, Mavericks Surf Contest, Photography, San Francisco, image, photo, surfer, surfing in Odd Stuff, Photos, Travel
