Mavericks insanity

[opos]

Just for the heck of it I thought I'd put up a link to a video that is a couple of years old...not firearm related but for some folks it might be interesting..it's a little place known as Mavericks just South of San Francisco...Insanity reigns there in the wintertime...very cold water and enormous waves...not for the timid...been lots of bad injuries and several deaths at Mavericks...

If you compare the guys surfing (say 6' tall) with the height of the waves it's like falling off a 6-8 story building much of the time and if they make the drop it's like the building falling on them as it breaks..When Mavericks "is up" the call goes out and top big wave surfers from all over the world are on a plane and headed there...

https://youtu.be/iXjb1wAfQPo

 

[Fox Mike]

Whatever floats one's boat. Not for me. There was a clip on TV just last night of some guy falling about 40 feet in one of those HUGE waves somewhere. He was going down and the water was going down at the same rate.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I don't get it? Straight down and then wipe out. That ain't exactly surfing. I didn't see one guy that ended a ride(?) with any dignity. :?

 

[TCGuy]

Here is what surfers think about big waves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDRNaAxryu8

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I don't talk much and I don't give lectures but I will share an opinion once in a while like most people around here. No offence intended to anyone. I did notice that on smaller days at that place there were many rides that went both ways and ended with a kick-out rather than a wipe out into bunch of foam.

 

[opos]

Big wave riders are a breed unto themselves...like the guys that jump off cliffs with wing suits and try to survive to open their chutes just before they hit the ground..we have several spots in California that are nests of super adrenaline junkies...Mavericks, The Cortez bank miles and miles off shore from San Diego in the middle of no where...the ocean bottom comes up to an underwater mountain top and the waves are huge and deadly...and the "Wedge" at Newport Beach which is only up on occasion..it's a very short break...steep and deadly for the inexperienced...

The "normal" surfing picture is of long rides on smooth face curling waves but the big wave folks have little or no interest in that and the huge surf is far too dangerous and fearsome for the more "normal" surfers. No Frankie Avalon or Anette Funacello around these places.

One of my Sons lived in Half Moon Bay for a number of years...the people that surf Mavericks are normally quiet, decent guys (and a few gals these days) that discourage others from surfing there...not because they are selfish or possesive but because they know the danger and don't want lots of notariety to cause the "do gooders" to shut it down. Their respect for the ocean is great and until recently when things started to get crowded and "popular" there was never a problem with beach litter or bad behavior....of course the people come and bring their "stuff" with them.

In a way it's like shooting...there are skeet and trap shooters that never shoot rifles or handguns...folks like me that don't shoot shotguns....folks that like cowboy shooting and others that like precision long range shooting...a place for everyone...The big surf is often out of the sight of the public (Cortez bank and Mavericks to a great degree) so it's not publized much and frankly it's not much to watch unless a person knows what is actually taking place...often times it's rough, cold and remote....

Just posted the video for interest sake only and didn't want to start a discourse that causes resentments...it's just a look at one of the odd sports that take place for people with a hell of a lot more guts than I'd have ever had.

 

[Pierow]

Here is what surfers think about big waves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDRNaAxryu8

Just wondering what the purpose of your post is? The surfer in the video is a fairly inarticulate young man who may or may not be under the influence of drugs. Regardless, the youth gets tongue-tied trying to describe his passion for big-wave surfing so yeah, I could see many surfers having a hard time trying to describe something so visceral.

For another take on big wave surfing give Jeff Clark a listen. This is the surfer Dixie Boy referred to in his post. For those looking for a direct comparison between big wave surfing and hunting/shooting pay close attention to Steve Pezman at the 3:08 mark. He makes a vivid analogy. Just my opinion, not a whole lot separates big wave surfers and the brave souls of the Coast Guard. Surfers don't risk their lives for selfish pleasure only, they risk their lives for each other as well.

Clip is an excerpt from the movie documentary "Riding Giants" directed by Stacy Peralta, a big time skater (skateboarder) from the 1980's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzq49VVSsU

 

[finesse_r]

Seems like it would be simpler to just leap off of 4 story buildings onto a stack of mattresses, surrounded by a pack of pit bulls.

 

[Selena]

Seems like it would be simpler to just leap off of 4 story buildings onto a stack of mattresses, surrounded by a pack of pit bulls.

Not really, mankind is geared to battling nature, riding the "big wave" is no different than the rodeo rider climbing on a ton of angry bull or for that matter the hunter stalking say a bear or a bobcat. It's a matter of looking nature in the eye and saying do your worst but I'm going to beat you in the end. The "Mavericks" are essentially the modern cousins of the men that explored the oceans in the days of sail, explored the arctic or for that matter fought the elements to homestead much of the Great Plains. While it may be simpler to jump off the 4 story building, paddling onto the top of a monster wave or climbing to the top of a monster mountain and making it your own is far more satisfying.

 

[opos]

Seems like it would be simpler to just leap off of 4 story buildings onto a stack of mattresses, surrounded by a pack of pit bulls.

Not really, mankind is geared to battling nature, riding the "big wave" is no different than the rodeo rider climbing on a ton of angry bull or for that matter the hunter stalking say a bear or a bobcat. It's a matter of looking nature in the eye and saying do your worst but I'm going to beat you in the end. The "Mavericks" are essentially the modern cousins of the men that explored the oceans in the days of sail, explored the arctic or for that matter fought the elements to homestead much of the Great Plains. While it may be simpler to jump off the 4 story building, paddling onto the top of a monster wave or climbing to the top of a monster mountain and making it your own is far more satisfying.

I'm acquainted with a man that is probably the best known and most famous "rodeo clown" (Bull fighter please!) that ever lived...I don't trade on his name but I know a bit about him...There are men (and women) that become almost addicted to the fact of facing the "impossible" at the very real risk of death or maiming. The men I've known that have that propensity are men that are dedicated to their passion, usually quiet and reserved and not public about much of their accomplishments. There is a man that is a paraplegic that has rope climbed the major peaks in the Western U.S...another we met that kayaked from British Columbia to Baja and he is missing a leg (a friend of ours was his "ground" man setting up camp sights along the way for him)...gentle, nice guy but does things that are not "normal" at all. The mountain climbing paraplegic has devoted his life to developing equipment to help folks with physical issues to be able to do things like climb and does motivational speaking to encourage others to try things that are not really considered doable....he simply wanted others to be able to enjoy what he lived...

The people I've met that are that way also have one thing in common..when the discussion or the pending activity concerns their addiction...their eyes get a look that can't be dismissed..it's intense, fearless and completely focused. I also know that folks like that are not much to be involved with the general "wanna be" public...when my Son lived up by Mavericks he knew several of the "water side" folks that lived in the area...they were great guys according to Mel but he never tried to "be one of them"...he just admired their total dedication to their passion...but he also said the "over the hill weekend folks" that came to try and be part of the crowd were not made to feel welcome and discouraged from trying to ride Mavericks...it was not a playground for pretenders.

 

[Colonialgirl]

My brother out in California is a "Wreck Diver" as well as an instructor and for quite a while a professional diver on oil rigs down off S. America. Went with him to a banquet one time and they had a presentation by a diver that had worked on a sunken "treasure ship" down off Central/South America; He said that the government had put a soldier aboard to MAKE SURE the government got their cut of the treasure; Also mentioned how HARD it was to swallow small items while under water. Had some nice little gold chains, small coins and rings that never got seen by the soldier/government. Hee Hee hee.

 

[opos]

My brother out in California is a "Wreck Diver" as well as an instructor and for quite a while a professional diver on oil rigs down off S. America. Went with him to a banquet one time and they had a presentation by a diver that had worked on a sunken "treasure ship" down off Central/South America; He said that the government had put a soldier aboard to MAKE SURE the government got their cut of the treasure; Also mentioned how HARD it was to swallow small items while under water. Had some nice little gold chains, small coins and rings that never got seen by the soldier/government. Hee Hee hee.

That's a bit like Morenci turquoise ...in the early days of the Morenci turquoise mining it was said all the good turquoise came out of the mine in lunch buckets...it got so bad that the miners had to undergo a strip search and complete shake down when they came out of the mines...Had a friend in Prescott that was an Indian trader and he was a real authority on the Morenci turquoise...the stuff (the real stuff) is really high dollar.