The 2010 Mavericks was big wave surfing at its biggest, with 40-foot swells and high winds. Nick Polansky got an on-the-water view.
THE COMPETITION WAS called on Thursday afternoon. By the end of the day, four friends and I had confirmed a spot on one of four boats scheduled to leave from San Francisco harbor. By Saturday morning, three of the four captains had backed out, as conditions were too dangerous.
After taking five headcounts of the 30 people on board, the captain of Whacky Jacky set off for the two hour journey south to Half-Moon Bay. 12 of the 30 got sick within the first 20 minutes, but seeing the surfers was well worth the journey on the NorCal Pacific.
All photos by Nick Polansky and Luke Groesbeck. All rights reserved.
1
Early start
Leaving the harbor at 6:30 AM.
2
Alcatraz
>Dense fog and poor visibility left San Francisco Bay eerily barren, with Alcatraz lurking in the distance.
3
Cross the gate
The clouds began to break as we crossed the gate into the 25-foot swell.
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