Full Maverick’s Coverage: Day of Days| Realtime: Scenes from Maverick’s | Twiggy: Biggest Ever? | Wave of the Day: Peter Mel | Kai Lenny: Next Level at Maverick’s | Safety Prep at Mav’s
Yeah, we love superlatives when it comes to big waves, probably to a fault. (Hey, we get excited about this kind of stuff. Waves are rad. Especially big, glassy, all-day waves.) But when one consults an expert, such claims can be warranted. In this case, it’s Mav’s grandfather Grant Washburn, who’s been keeping a daily journal of Maverick’s sessions for almost 30 years.
Kai Lenny from above. Photo: Billy Watts
“Of course there’ve been glassier sessions when we could catch more waves — but I can’t think of another day with that size waves the entire day and that kind of conditions,” Washburn said. “There were times when it was good, but not that outer back bowl all day. We used to call that the outer realm. Peter Mel and I talked about that for a decade, and nobody went near it. I’m calling it: best dawn-to-dusk big-wave paddle day ever.”
Late Drop podcast host Jamie Mitchell took full control of Surfline’s Instagram story for the whole swell, documenting all the action from the channel. (In between catching waves like this, of course.) Photo: Billy Watts
Ian Walsh. Photo: Pedro Bala
“I think we put in a good 10 hours today,” said Ian Walsh at the boat ramp on dark. “Definitely feeling the cramps in the triceps and the lats. [Laughs.] The conditions don’t get much better. It was incredible for the entirety of the day. The size, the swell angle, the low tide timing, and what the wind did throughout the day – overall it was incredible. There were long lulls, but everyone seemed to get a really good one.”
- Photo: Ari Kapour
- Photo: Bill Watts
Of course not everyone had the same transcendent experience. “It was really challenging and really hard,” said SF/Mav’s charger Matt Lopez, pictured above from a couple angles. “In the morning it was either a 40-foot slab or a 50-foot roll-in to a slab. I got a couple small ones — then I got one of the sets and I got friggin’ lip-launched straight out.”
Good from afar, dangerous up close. (And no, we have no idea how Jeremiah Klein got this photo.) Photo: Jeremiah Klein
First two: Twiggy. Third: Kai Lenny. Fourth: Regretful. Video: Ari Kapoor
“At one stage I was telling everyone that it was as good as Maverick’s gets,” said Twiggy, who may have snagged the biggest wave ever at Mav’s earlier in the morning. “That was about two o’clock. We’ve had better sessions but not many. If you look at the entire day, it was amazing. The level of surfing was next level — but no one was really making barrels through the Bowl. We’re still learning out there.”
“Today’s personality in the water was one I had never experienced,” said Kai Lenny, who was, by most accounts, the day’s standout. “It was breaking in a different part of the lineup. My normal markers that I use were irrelevant. We were sitting so far out. She was a friendly monster today; she allowed us to play and get away with a lot.”
Well, occasionally there were consequences, as there often is at Mav’s. Photo: Billy Watts
“Today was special because you normally can’t get that outer bowl without getting destroyed,” Washburn continued. “Those were mostly makeable. Oftentimes, the waves at Mav’s are as wide as they are tall. All the Maverick’s you see, when it breaks on the ledge, is heavy and hollow. But that’s not the main height of the wave.”
Unidentified, for now. Photo: Billy Watts
“La Nina looming, the North Pacific went on an XL bender to start the month of December,” explained Surfline forecaster Schaler Perry. “While not uncharted waters — XXL days at Maverick’s have happened during previous La Nina winters — this was a special 36 hours at Mav’s. The best it’s been in years. The storm that sent the swell nudged off Japan the third of December and joined a large, complex area of low pressure over the central North Pacific the weekend of the 4th-5th by way of a robust East Asian Jet Stream. The storm reached peak intensity trailing quickly behind a preceding storm, with a large fetch of 50-knot+ winds and seas measured to about 50 feet. The track of the storm kept it over the strongest seas, resulting in a captured fetch which enhanced swell generation and packed more size in the initial long period energy than model guidance showed. The end result was an unbelievable appetizer Monday afternoon ahead of a Tuesday feast. Local winds were light, and conditions flawless as high pressure brought historic heat on land. A December to remember.”
Swell Signature
Storm Location and Movement: Low pushes off Japan then rapidly intensifies on track towards the West Coast north of Hawaii December 4th-6th.
Peak Storm Wind/Seas: Broad fetch of 50-knot wind with an impressive pocket reaching 55-60 knots+. Measured seas near 50’ outside of the strongest portion of the storm.
Peak Storm Intensity: 942 millibar low pressure below the eastern Aleutians on December 5th.
Swell Travel Time: 2-2.5 days
Peak of Swell: 17’ @ 19 seconds from the WNW (280-285) Tuesday morning on the Half Moon Bay Buoy. The afternoon session Monday was 10’ @ 20-22 seconds.
Local Conditions: Pristine with high pressure over the region
Bianca Valenti has been charging Mav’s and Ocean Beach and Puerto — and many other big-wave haunts — for years now, and it showed in her performance yesterday. ‘‘T’was and epic day!” she said. “The waves were HUGE and perfect. The level of surfing, insane! And best of all was everyone’s level of stoke. High vibrations! A day I will cherish forever, especially given 2020.” Photo: Pedro Bala
Better than the Super Bowl. Photo: Billy Watts
NorCal local Travis Payne snagged runner up at the Mav’s contest in 2016. He’s still out there doing things like this. Photo: Billy Watts
“I had a long morning,” said Payne. “Couldn’t use any of the regular lineups. I got kinda frustrated and actually called it a day. Took my suit off on the boat and started shooting photos. I did some self reflecting, and decided to give it another go. I had to paddle over one or two before I was able to spin on this one. Was the biggest wave of my life. Bummed I didn’t kick out, but glad I was able to hit the off switch in the head, and commit.”
Travis Payne. Photo: Billy Watts
First up: Wilem Banks. Second up: Kai Lenny. Vid: Grant Thompson/EVA-1/Panasonic
“I’ve never been around such a zen scene for a swell of such magnitude,” said Banks. “Sessions like that draw up a lot of inspiration for myself and the up-and-comers who really want it. Stoked to have been positioned just right! It all came together and I just held on!”
Kyle Thiermann. Photo: Audrey Lambidakis
“I’m totally deaf in both ears after that wave,” laughed Santa Cruz surfer Kyle Thiermann in the parking lot after his session. “That was one of the best waves I’ve ever had. I got it from outside the main bowl, then I bottom turned up into it. Normally where the shoulder section is, turned into the main Maverick’s bowl. I just packed a big one, and had the crowd cheering.”
Kyle Thiermann. Photo: Billy Watts
“That was the biggest wave of my life, for sure,” said Thiermann. “I’ve never caught a wave from that far outside the bowl. It’s weird because it’s almost easier. It’s not as steep of a drop. But then it keeps going, and going, and going. By the time you bottom turn, you’re in the main bowl at Mav’s. It’s a lot of power in one spot. I think I got less worked because I was in the barrel. I got sucked up and over and down. I had to equalize my ears a couple times. I took one more on the head. Then the jetski came and got me.”
South African charger Matt Bromley is just that — a charger. He’s been on a tear recently, and clearly has the confidence to take off deeper than most. Photo: Billy Watts
Yeah. Looks easy from up here. Photo: Ari Kapoor
Justine Dupont is a known Euro/Nazare charger — and those skills were put to good use on Tuesday. Photo: Billy Watts
“Water safety was key,” said Frank Quirarte. “Everyone really worked together to keep everyone safe. No bad injuries — and everyone who wanted a good one, got one.” Photo: Jeremiah Klein
Kai Lenny. Photo: Billy Watts
“In the past, I feel like I’ve missed opportunities because the fear becomes overwhelming,” said Lenny. “But through a lot of experience and time in the water, you realize that you can make it. You gotta just go for it. Today was one of those days when I realized that I actually can do this. If I could do it once or twice, why can’t I do it 15 times? Luckily I didn’t even fall today.” (Editor’s note: I fell at least twice today, walking up and down the cliff. Never even came close to the water.)
Speaking of the cliff viewing area…it wasn’t as packed as in years/swells past. But those who trekked up the path were rewarded with views like this. Photo: Jeremiah Klein
Jojo Roper. Photo: Billy Watts
“That was the best Mav’s I’ve been a part of in my days out there,” said Jojo Roper. “The opportunity was there to paddle the biggest wave if you wanted it — and I’m just stoked to have gotten a chip off the outer reef. I’ve wanted one of those my whole life. Biggest wave I’ve ridden out there!”
Jojo. Photo: Billy Watts
Photo: Jeremiah Klein
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Maverick’s: Day Of Days - Surfline.com Surf News
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