I"ve wondered for a while if I was the first person to kneeride it. Let me qualify that by saying that "ride it" is subjective.
In early December 1994 (before Mark Foo died, maybe early in the same swell or the one before). I was driving to my wife's parent's house in Monterey from SF. Surfed Ocean Beach that morning, double-o and long interval and not super consistent so the paddle wasn't horrible. Big enough but easy to pick and choose. Had heard of Mavericks, so on the drive down parked out on the point and it was breaking, not huge but clean and backing off pretty quick. Middle of the day and no one was out but the paddle was all open water and easy looking so I walked down and paddled out on north side of the break. Time was limited and I shoulder hopped two soft lefts, cruised a couple of big turns as they backed off and rode the second one out until I had to paddle to get back in. It was hard to find the peak as it was pretty flat between sets and I was being careful to stay clear of getting caught inside of the right as it had some energy. Very likely I wouldn't have gone near the pit any way even if I knew where it was gonna be. In and out of the water in about 45 minutes as I figured I wasn't going to get centered enough to pick off one of the rights anyway.
Technically I rode it, as inglorious as the two ten foot mushburger shoulder hops were compared to OB that morning. Not really sure you can even call that riding it, but was I the first kneelo? In a way I hope not and that it was someone more intent on charging it.
I do a couple of snap shots of the day (not me in then though of course). If I can dig them up I'll post - kinda fun to see that wave breaking with absolutely no one in the water.
Mavericks question
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Mavericks Question
Hi,
Scott passed your question on to me, so here's what I know. I first attempted Mavericks on a kneeboard on Halloween of 1992. After getting obliterated on two bombing rights, I went in with my tail tucked between my legs. I came back that season and the season after that, on a different board, to keep trying. Finally, after two years, at the beginning of that swell in December of 1994, I made a right there. For twelve years after that, I tried waves there and had some successes and some disasters. If you're interested, I posted a story about my early experiences at Mavericks on this KSUSA site.
At the time I first started to try Mavericks, the place was still an unknown and it's previous riders weren't talking much. So for all I know, there's some other kneeboarder out there that rode it before either of us.
I hope you're still surfing and that we get the chance to share a session or two.
Phil Curtiss
Scott passed your question on to me, so here's what I know. I first attempted Mavericks on a kneeboard on Halloween of 1992. After getting obliterated on two bombing rights, I went in with my tail tucked between my legs. I came back that season and the season after that, on a different board, to keep trying. Finally, after two years, at the beginning of that swell in December of 1994, I made a right there. For twelve years after that, I tried waves there and had some successes and some disasters. If you're interested, I posted a story about my early experiences at Mavericks on this KSUSA site.
At the time I first started to try Mavericks, the place was still an unknown and it's previous riders weren't talking much. So for all I know, there's some other kneeboarder out there that rode it before either of us.
I hope you're still surfing and that we get the chance to share a session or two.
Phil Curtiss
Phil thanks very much for weighing in on this. I looked at the thread about your first sessions at Mavericks and wow man that's a huge cliff you're hucking off! I am still surfing (Westport WA mostly) and would love to cross paths some day but really I'm already too scared just looking at the picture of that drop so it definitely won't be near Half Moon Bay.
I did find a few snapshots of the day I took a little perimeter tour of Mavericks and shoulder hopped the left - it looks a little bigger in the photos than I remember it (which is the opposite of the usual arrangement wherein the waves get bigger as the memories get older). Will scan and post them soon.
Meanwhile I'll see if I can get back my deposit on the first half-man commemorative plaque
Thanks again.
I did find a few snapshots of the day I took a little perimeter tour of Mavericks and shoulder hopped the left - it looks a little bigger in the photos than I remember it (which is the opposite of the usual arrangement wherein the waves get bigger as the memories get older). Will scan and post them soon.
Meanwhile I'll see if I can get back my deposit on the first half-man commemorative plaque
Thanks again.crappy scans of crappy prints but it was a good day and no one surfing. The only person I saw the whole time was right before I drove away one guy drove up to check it out - pretty sure it was Ken Bradshaw but only guessing from seeing his picture in magazines.
I miss that time on the Central Coast, driving up and down Ocean Beach some days in the dead of winter trying to find people out so you wouldn't have to surf alone when it was big ... not so lonely anymore but still such a rad place
I miss that time on the Central Coast, driving up and down Ocean Beach some days in the dead of winter trying to find people out so you wouldn't have to surf alone when it was big ... not so lonely anymore but still such a rad place
Heard a rumor about this spot. I checked it out during my final tour of Cal in 1990. Speculated about what it would take to surf it or even paddle out, then turned tail and ran away to surf much more moderate but still scarey Suicides (?) to the south somewhere.
Big ups to you guys for having the 'nads.
Big ups to you guys for having the 'nads.
Red if we're dividing up balls between Phil and I he gets 3 and 7/8's and I get what's left over It was spooky enough for me just nibbling around the edges all alone. And then in a day or so Mark Foo died in similar size and it landed home that trifling with that place was a bad idea. Never went back.
Ocean Beach was adrenaline inducing enough and I sat out plenty of days there each winter or opted to surf Deadman's or Fort Point. Once even took a double paddle-in of shame: worked for 45 minutes to get out on a big, thick and unruly day, finally got the window to join the one other guy out but got scared so instead of paddling out past the impact zone I turned around and paddled in. Walking up the beach the pack of mean Kelly's Cove locals (a lot of construction worker types with big pit bulls) razzed me about it so much I walked back into the ocean and paddled for another 30 minutes and got a window, got out and was really just gripping on the edge of panic as the big sets were mean as sh!t triple overhead bombs. During a lull I made a mad dash for the inside, snagged a wave maybe 60% as big as a set wave, straightened out and went in. Where I walked through the gauntlet of being called a p@ssy a second time on my way back to my truck. I thought about telling them that at least I made it out none of them did but decided it was better to shut up and take my lumps.
I could regale you with more inglorious tales of cowardice and failure in the face of challenging surf but you get the picture.
It was spooky enough for me just nibbling around the edges all alone. And then in a day or so Mark Foo died in similar size and it landed home that trifling with that place was a bad idea. Never went back.Ocean Beach was adrenaline inducing enough and I sat out plenty of days there each winter or opted to surf Deadman's or Fort Point. Once even took a double paddle-in of shame: worked for 45 minutes to get out on a big, thick and unruly day, finally got the window to join the one other guy out but got scared so instead of paddling out past the impact zone I turned around and paddled in. Walking up the beach the pack of mean Kelly's Cove locals (a lot of construction worker types with big pit bulls) razzed me about it so much I walked back into the ocean and paddled for another 30 minutes and got a window, got out and was really just gripping on the edge of panic as the big sets were mean as sh!t triple overhead bombs. During a lull I made a mad dash for the inside, snagged a wave maybe 60% as big as a set wave, straightened out and went in. Where I walked through the gauntlet of being called a p@ssy a second time on my way back to my truck. I thought about telling them that at least I made it out none of them did but decided it was better to shut up and take my lumps.
I could regale you with more inglorious tales of cowardice and failure in the face of challenging surf but you get the picture.
