Hail Mavericks, stay safe surfers

San Francisco Chronicle, 3 dot blog, 1/18/13. "Mavericks surfing contest guide", A few things to know about the Mavericks Invitational big-wave surfing contest, scheduled to start Sunday at 8 a.m.

Catch Mavericks live by webcam,  8 AM, Sunday, 1/20/13

"Format: Four heats of six surfers each, with the top three in each heat advancing to a pair of six-man semifinals. The top three in each semifinal will advance to the final. At the moment, the first-round heats are scheduled to last 20 minutes each, but the time may be extended due to the likelihood of inconsistent surf. Waves are expected to be at least 30 feet on the face, but with the potential of long lulls between sets.

Webcast: To watch the contest on the Internet, go to Surfline, or the contest’s website, Mavericks International Contest.  This is traditionally a first-rate production featuring live commentary and replays."   Read article.   Note:  Photograph from Surfline link. 

Updated articles - San Mateo County Times/Aaron Kinney, 1/19/13. "With Mavericks surf contest comes a word of warning for beachgoers."  "The same ocean conditions that will yield the Mavericks Invitational will cause dangerous surf conditions in the Bay Area this weekend, and officials are urging beachgoers to be cautious."  Article includes a 1:57 minute Channel 7 embedded video.  San Mateo Times, 1/21/13, "Mavericks surf contest goes off without trouble seen in 2010."

Posted by Kathy Meeh