Organizers insist event field is ‘ wide open’ to women
When the Mavericks big- wave surfing contest begins at 8 a. m. Friday, there will be no women taking part.
That, though, doesn’t mean women are excluded, organizers and participants said Thursday morning at a news conference at the Oceano Hotel in Half Moon Bay. Savannah Shaughnessy of Santa Cruz is one of 10 alternates, and pioneering big- wave surfer Sarah Gerhardt was an alternate in 2000, in the early days of the competition.
The gender issue came to the fore in November, when the Coastal Commission voted to require organizers to plan to include women in future events. Cassandra Clark, wife of contest founder Jeff Clark, said Thursday that what the commission requested is greater transparency about the selection process — and, she said, women always have been among those considered.
“There’s a misperception that women have not been allowed to participate,” Clark said. “That’s incorrect. The field is wide open to anyone who can surf these critical waves. ... There are a handful of women who surf Mavericks, and they’re my heroes, believe me.”
Surfing Mavericks annually to obtain strong knowledge of the conditions is the top criterion for the event for safety reasons, and three- time champion Darryl “Flea” Virostko said that more women are braving the notoriously dangerous spot all the time.
“Right now, the ( number of ) girls in the Mavericks community is as big as I’ve ever seen it,” said Virostko, a member of the Committee 5, which selects the 24 participants. “There’s a pack of five or six every time, so it’s only a matter of time before you see a girl breaking into that circle.”
“You have to look at the evolution of women’s surfing,” Clark said. “The average age of our competitors is higher than other surf events. These men have a long history of surfing Mavericks. … They’re still learning this wave. Women are relatively new to this sport and they’re making leaps and bounds. You’re going to see that evolve at a much greater rate than we’ve seen big- wave surfing all around. We’re excited for that.”
The Committee 5 keeps a close eye on all Mavericks regulars, scouting talent for the competition, and Virostko noted that a male surfer from Nicaragua is a recent standout. “He went bananas,” Virostko said. “It’s rad. That’s what’s so great about Mavericks: Anyone can go out there and catch the wave of their life. There’s no one stopping them. That also gives them opportunity to be in the event faster than any other contest.”
Gerhardt was invited to join the Committee 5 but declined because of other commitments. Shaughnessy, 26, is an alternate along with her brother, Patrick, but she is nursing a knee injury; in addition, the Committee 5 doesn’t expect any dropouts or no- shows, especially with this week’s cancellation of the Eddie Aikau event in Hawaii.
“As a competitor, I’d most certainly welcome surfing with any women invited to the event,” said participant Zach Wormhoudt of Santa Cruz, adding that gender, race and nationality don’t matter in the water. “It’s a melting pot — there’s a huge camaraderie going on because we’re all in the same situation, the same risk. … It develops a huge bond; it doesn’t matter the background.”
The Mavericks competition has four morning heats, two semifinals and a six- man final in the afternoon. Conditions are expected to be particularly good as the day goes along, with 30- to 45- foot faces. There is a $ 30,000 prize for the winner.
Mavericks can be viewed online at www. redbull. tv. There are six venues around Half Moon Bay and Princeton showing the event: Camerons, Mavericks Surf Company, Half Moon Bay Brewing, OPL, Miramar and Flavor restaurant. It will also be shown at Pete’s Tavern and Wipeout Bar and Grill in San Francisco and La Playa Taqueria in Pacifica.