Bay Area Revelations

Surfing will make its debut in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but the sport made its debut in the Bay Area more than 130 years ago in Santa Cruz. The Bay Area is where the invention of the wetsuit began. And, the best surfers come to the Bay Area for the biggest waves. In this installment of our award-winning documentary…

WATCH FULL EPISODE: In this installment of our award-winning documentary series, we’ll take you to three main areas that attract people from all over the world: San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, and the World Surfing Reserve in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz’s Bob Pearson has been shaping surfboards for more than 40 years. Surfers call him the “master.” In this video, he gives us a tour of “Pearson Arrow Surf’s” production facility in Santa Cruz and shows us the step-by-step process it takes to make a surfboard.

Drake Stanley moved from Southern California to Half Moon Bay to be closer to some of the best big waves in California. Stanley’s day job to pay the bills is a chef. When he’s not cooking, he’s out at Mavericks on high surf advisory days to help save surfers who wipe out.

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View a preview of our next episode in our Bay Area Revelations series, “Riding the Waves.”

Luca Padua first surfed at Mavericks at 13-years-old. Born and raised in Half Moon Bay, Padua watched the waves from a distance. In this clip, Padua shares what he remembers most seeing those giant waves up close for the first time.

“The challenge of the hunt is what attracts you,” Grant Washburn has competed in every Mavericks competition. He’s surfed his home beach, San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, for 30 years. For Washburn, everything revolves around hunting waves because it’s that hard. He says years of training, months of waiting and watching, is worth that one moment.

Survival and beat downs. In this video clip, surf photographer Sachi Cunningham describes what it’s like for surfers at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. Cunningham is often seen out photographing female big wave surfers.

Jeff Clark is the man known for discovering Mavericks in Half Moon Bay. He first surfed there when he was 17-years-old. Waves at Mavericks can get as high as 60 feet. In this video clip, Clark explains the feeling he gets when he catches one of those giant waves.

“I’ve been an advocate ever since I was 7 years old,” big wave surfer Bianca Valenti isn’t one to back down. What started as an individual fight to compete at Mavericks, led Valenti on a four-year fight for all young girls. Women won. Starting in 2019, equal prize money will be awarded for men and women...

“There’s always a choice of where you want to go,” those words from Kim Stoner, co-founder of the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. Surfing began in North America in Santa Cruz in 1885. It’s also one of nine World Surfing Reserves.

Surfing made its official debut in the Bay Area more than 130 years. We’ll visit three popular surfing areas: San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, Mavericks Half Moon Bay, and the World Surfing Reserve in Santa Cruz

The Bay Area is home to some of the best female athletes in the world. They’ve won gold medals, made history and broke world records. In the latest installment of our award-winning documentary series, we take a look at how these female athletes are changing the game and paving the way for others. Featured interviews include Olympic gold medalists...

Kerri Walsh Jennings is a legend in beach volleyball. The 41-year-old has countless awards, including three Olympic gold medals. Walsh Jennings is training for her sixth and final Olympic games. Her husband, Casey Jennings, is coaching her ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In this clip, she shares the challenges she faces with her husband guiding her.

Kim Chambers set a world record as part of open water swimmers who became the first to swim across the Dead Sea. In this clip, Chambers talks about the challenges and mission behind this historic swim. Chambers is the first and only woman to ever swim from the Farrallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge .

The Bay Area is home to some of the best female athletes in the world. They’ve won gold medals, made history and broke world records. In the latest installment of our award-winning documentary series, we take a look at how these female athletes are changing the game and paving the way for others.

“I’m probably a really bad skating mom,” that’s how Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi describes herself when watching her daughter, Emma, skate.

Kim Stone runs the daily operations at San Francisco’s Chase Center, as the arena’s general manager. Before moving to the Bay Area, Stone was GM for Miami Heat’s arena. In this clip, Stone, who is openly gay, shares a personal story about standing up for one of her former employees, following Pulse Night Club shooting.

Former Stanford basketball champion and University of San Francisco coach Jennifer Azzi shares the personal and emotional story of coming out to her parents.