Surfers at the Titans of Mavericks contest in Half Moon Bay kicked off a beautiful Friday morning by practicing their moves ahead of what's billed as the most dangerous surfing contest in the world.
A total of 24 of the world’s fiercest surfers were chosen to compete in the annual surfing contest in Half Moon Bay, which first began in 1999.
The swells were expected to reach up to 40 feet in the Pacific Ocean. The contest has been called off four times in its history, in 2015, 2012, 2011 and 2009, not because the waves were too dangerous, but because they weren’t high enough.
Heavy fog over the Pacific Ocean delayed the Titans of Mavericks contest about 8:20 a.m., which picked up again about 20 minutes later.
The surfing contest is held two miles from Pillar Point Harbor, north of Half Moon Bay, California at the village of Princeton-by-the Sea, which is 20 miles away from San Francisco. After strong winter storms, the Pacific Ocean waves have been known to top out at 80 feet. The break is caused by an unusually shaped underwater formation.
The contest was originally named for a dog.
