California features a variety of surfing spots and Maverick Surf Spot in Half Moon Bay is among one of the most impressive. You'll find this break 2 miles away from Pillar Point north of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-By-The-Sea. The wave at Mavericks gets its shape from the underwater rock formations and caves.
The best massive wave surfers around the world arrive to Maverick as a winter destination. These surfers are the hellmen who are willing and brave enough to face the conditions at Mavericks. Depending on the swells and conditions, there's a contest there once a year however it's invite only.
Maverick got its name from a German Shepherd named Maverick, after the roommate of his owner and his 2 friends tried to surf within the waves off Pillar Point in 1961. He was with them because it was a customary for him to swim with either his owner or his owner's friend after they went out to catch a wave. Though they left the dog on the shores of the beach, he started to follow them out them out into the ocean. However, as a result of the unsafe conditions of the water, they took him back to the bumper of the car before rejoining his friends within the water. These surfers failed to have success surfing that day though because the waves were simply too dangerous for them. They name the surf location after the dog since he appeared to have much more fun then they did that day. At first it was called Mavericks Point but was later shortened to just Maverick's.
Mavericks only has a few events a year and they typically attract large crowds that want to witness the big-wave surfing contests firsthand. This doesn't happen anymore because environmental and safety issues have rendered it not safe for spectators to be there anymore.
Mavericks is not easily seen from land. As such, it remained a mystery to the public until early 1990's. Approximately 1/2 mile offshore is where the waves typically break many times in shadow of the Air Force Station of the Pillar Point making it virtually invisible from Highway 1 or any of the streets that neighbor it. A walking path is the sole access by land to Mavericks. Additionally, once you get to the shoreline, all you typically can see is a huge rock and the whitewash of previous waves that were once massive themselves.
Leave your beginner surfboards at home, big wave guns and tow boards are the only thing that work here....
