The greatest big wave surfers in the world are traveling to California to ride the largest storm swells the US West Coast has experienced in recent memory.
At Mavericks, a well-known wave south of San Francisco, surfers from Brazil, France, and Portugal have gathered to ride the enormous walls of water.
Even bigger waves pass past, but people have surfed waves as high as 70 feet (21 meters).
Large rogue waves have hurt people, so officials have advised onlookers to avoid the coast.
This week, “people have been getting on flights all over the world” to surf the famed area, according to Chris Cuvelier, the competition director for the Maverick Surf Awards, who can see the rolling swells from his kitchen. He told BBC News this on Friday.
Surfers who are professionals, “especially people that surf Mavericks, they’re big wave surfers and many of them are travelling around the globe to go catch big waves” , according to him.
Pros such as Kai Lenny, Andrew Cotton, and Lucas Chumbo have all recently made appearances at Mavericks; some of them are competing for the Maverick Awards prize money.
By capturing the thrill of a lifetime on camera during this surge, participants can compete digitally to win a share of the undisclosed prize fund for 2024.
Pro surfer JoJo Roper, of San Diego, loaded up his car after Christmas as soon as he noticed the “gigantic” swell predicted.
He tells BBC News that “it’s been a long time since it’s been that kind of a day” and that it was the biggest since at least 2007.
On Thursday, Mr. Roper, 33, claimed to be one of the only surfers from California riding the 60- to 70-foot waves.
Towing him into the waters on a jet ski, his pal took a plane from Hawaii.
“It’s nice to have it in our territory, and take advantage of some waves close to home rather than travelling to Portugal or where all these other guys come from to chase their waves,” he stated to BBC News.
“Their goal is to pursue our waves. It’s quite amazing. Everything completes a circle.”
He described Thursday as “one of the best days in my lifetime for sure” when he spoke on Friday.
He fired into the barrel of a big wall of water that was collapsing on his third wave of the day.
“It was a privilege. With a victorious laugh, he continues, “And just to get barrelled is a whole other realm of victory.”
“So I’m pretty happy about it.”
After a rogue wave in Ventura, Santa Cruz, knocked pedestrians off their feet and flooded a hotel, forecasters have given warnings of more danger to come.
The NWS issued a warning due to “extremely dangerous conditions.”
“Powerful waves and life-threatening rip currents pose an exceptional risk of ocean drowning and damage to coastal structures.”
Rip currents present “an increased risk for ocean drowning,” according to the NWS.
More swells are expected at Mavericks, which is close to Half Moon Bay.
However, during this El Niño-driven weather phenomenon, only the best professionals in the world should think about diving into the ocean.
According to Mr. Cuvelier, “Mavericks is kind of the biggest of the big here on the West Coast.” “But I don’t think any beginner or even intermediate surfers should really be surfing anywhere in California (in these conditions).”
