Stephen Ellison

Titans of Mavericks Big Wave Surf Contest Welcomes Women

The always uncertain window for the competition opened Tuesday, and pros can only hope for giant swells

Big waves are on the way to Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay, and that could be good news for the Titans of Mavericks surf contest.

And for the first time, women surfers also are en route.

The Mavericks event is never a sure thing; it takes place only if and when giant waves appear at the point. Once the green light is given, the world's top surfers have 48 hours to get to the big wave site to compete.

This year, some of those elite surfers will be women.

Most people agree it is a big step for the sport, but it also was a required step. Organizers essentially were forced to do it to get this year's permit. And on Wednesday, at a California Coastal Commission hearing, those organizers still were trying to convince the board they have done enough to get a crucial long-term permit.

Meanwhile, the contest window opened Tuesday, and surfers expected to compete are excited about the upcoming swells and hoping the contest will be on.

"That's really all I'm thinking about right now, is surfing some really big waves tomorrow and the next few days," professional surfer Bianca Valenti said. "Yeah, I'm excited."

Valenti, already a surf champion, likely would be one of the competitors.

The contest for the first time features a six-woman single heat to go along with the full-fledged competition by the top 24 male surfers. The heat was added after the Coastal Commission required Mavericks to include women in order to get a contest permit.

Contest organizers defended the delay in including women contestants, saying this was the first time, in their view, they've had enough qualified women surfers.

The organizers also pointed out they then went a step further.

"So we had a plan for (a women's division) next year," Titans of Mavericks CEO Brian Waters said. "We're stepping on the gas; we're accelerating the plan right now and going to hold the event this season."

That gesture is significant, Waters said, because Titans of Mavericks wants the Coastal Commission to extend the permit four more years. But skeptics such as San Mateo County Harbor Commissioner Sabrina Brennan say a one-year permit gives everyone a chance to see how it all works out.

"We need to start somewhere, and I think everybody is happy for the opportunity," Brennan said.

Valenti agreed.

"That's what's most important, is to focus on moving forward and focus on progression and how we can create a better future for the up and coming kids," she said.

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