Follow Luca Padua on Instagram: @lucapadua, Slice of the pie: How this South Bay pizza shop became a worker-owned cooperative, Biggest waves in 10 years: Photos of surf icons riding the 50-foot monsters at Mavericks, Hope for Big Basin: Santa Cruz scientist documents the rebirth of our fire-ravaged forests, Homegrown Hollywood: Meet Silicon Valley’s spirited filmmakers, 8 ways to keep your fitness-based New Year’s resolutions rolling (while still sheltering in place), 650 Restaurant Roundup: Hawaiian donuts & Thai street food arrive (while mainstays hibernate), Tasty against all odds: Our nine most memorable meals of 2020, Inside The Queen’s Gambit: Exploring the unknown Bay Area origins of the Netflix hit. What is it that you are going after as you further your journey surfing big waves? Jeff Clark grew up in Half Moon Bay, watching Mavericks from Half Moon Bay High School and Pillar Point. More than just tackling the topic of surfing, Chasing Mavericks set out to capture the story of the late big-wave legend Jay Moriarity. Conditions that morning were just right for monster waves. The Inn was recently selected for 2013 Best of Half Moon Bay Award in the Hotels & Motels category. Soon she will be part of the first women's heat in a surfing contest there. I can take everything that everyone has taught me plus what I like to do and put it all into one. I’ll be out there surfing. Is it intimidating laying on your stomach starting up a mountain of water? The wave on the left moves way faster and there is way less time for you to paddle in, stand up and ride the wave successfully. Since then, many women have followed in her footsteps, showing the world that women can … http://www.thebigwaveblog.com/surf-spots/mavericks-northern-california Among them was Jay Moriarity, 16, who had only surfed Mavericks a few times and was the youngest person Mr. Clark had ever seen challenge … They brought their dog “Maverick” along but decided to leave him on the shore. You have to sit in a different spot, which could be a bad spot if a big cleanup set comes in. That’s what crazy is. “Mavericks” Half Moon Bay, CA was named after the dog of three local Half Moon Bay Surfers, Alex Matienzo, Jim Thompson, and Dick Knottmeyer, that discovered the location in 1967. This was the year Duke Kahanamoku chose Isabel Letham, the first person to surf Australian waters, to surf tandem with him in 1914 at Freshwater Beach. I think I am really good at having fun and I’m having tons of fun right now. Mavericks Surf Awards Announces Video Performance Contest to Honor Mavericks and the Surfers Who Brave the Legendary Wave. I read the story of the early surfers of Mavericks and there is question as who was really the first to surf it. Half Moon Bay High School student Luca Padua just found out he’s competing on California’s biggest wave. In fact, Mavericks may be one of the unluckiest events in the entire surfing world, with a long tale of things gone wrong. It’s like that but magnified by ten thousand. We can’t all go out to Mavericks, can you bring it to us? It was the same spot that Alex named after the dog, Maverick. I heard it was first surfed by a gentleman out of Southern California who traveled specifically traveled up to what is now known as Mavericks in his VW Bus and surfed it in 1971 and his name was Russ Fabrick. He was the first surfer to ride Mavericks, the formidable reef break west of the Pillar Point headlands. Half Moon Bay native, Jeff Clark, was the first person to surf the big wave in 1975, just a high schooler at the time. Dave Schmidt and Tom Powers, friend of Jeff Clark were the next people to surf Mavericks. In this same spot Jeff would eventually teach his children, Katrina, Kevin and Kaila, to surf. On a scale of 1–10, how frightening is surfing Mavericks? For more information about the history of Mavericks Half Moon Bay, please see the following articles: