Once a year some of the best surfers from all over the world are invited to Half Moon Bay, California to compete in the Mavericks Invitational surf competition. Popularized by local surfer Jeff Clark, Mavericks (which is just 20 minutes south of San Francisco and 1/2 mile offshore from Pillar Point Harbor) is home to massive waves that reach up to 60 feet and explode with such ferocity that they can be recorded on the Richter scale. If that’s not enough, icy cold water and a shallow bottom make Mavericks one of the most treacherous, and thus alluring, big wave riding locations.
Most of the photographs of Mavericks are taken from boats, but I wanted to take portraits of the men and women who were ready to take on the most difficult waves in the world.
