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- "Men Who Ride Mountains" -
QUIKSILVER MAVERICKS MEN WHO RIDE MOUNTAINS SURF COMPETITION The second annual Quiksilver/Mavericks Men Who Ride Mountains Big Wave Event was held on Friday, March 3rd at Half Moon Bay, located in Northern California. Santa Cruz local Darryl "Flea" Virostko took some of the meanest drops, biggest wipeouts, and maintained the best rhythm with the 20-foot sets throughout the day to win the US$30,000 first prize check for the second consecutive year. "It could only be described as a Fleapeat!" stated Quiksilver Inc. CEO Bob McKnight. "This was the first time I've seen Maverick's break" continued McKnight, " and it was the most gladiator pit, balls to the wall display of surfing I've ever seen."
Flea's big drop
Second place went to Kelly Slater ($8,000), which was an amazing result considering he had the flu and an injured ankle. Australian Tony Ray ($6,000) consistently paddled into some of the biggest waves all day placed third and local hellman Peter Mel ($5,000) placed fourth after being dragged across the rocks in probably the heaviest wipeout of the day during the final. The wipeout on a 20-foot bomb, had Mel spitting up blood on his way back out to the line up. Zach Wormhoundt ($4,000) and Matt Ambrose ($2,500), who are both also Mavericks locals, placed fifth and sixth respectively in the final.
The winners !! Contest Director, Jeff Clark, used his lifelong experience at Mavericks to choose the perfect day for the event. Mavericks could only be described as monstrous throughout the day with clean waves in the 20 to 25 feet range. Many of the competitor stating that it was equally as heavy as any surf they have had in Hawaii. Winner Virostko, who surfs Mavericks on every legitimate swell, stated that the contest day was "as big as it gets for paddle in surfing. Any bigger, and you would have had to tow-in to the surf." Being a paddle in event, that would not have worked. It seems that Clark called the perfect day.
Brock Little
The only Big Wave surf event to be held in California this year drew many spectators from nearby San Francisco and Santa Cruz and press from all over the country who came to watch twenty of the best big wave surfers compete. The total prize purse totaled $75,000. At one point, Mavericks became a media circus with 5 helicopters, a dozen boats and two dozen personal watercraft buzzing the contest area.
Flea
Ross Clark Jones
Kelly
The Mark Foo Sportsmanship Award went to Rick Hesson. Rick has been surfing Mavericks for a number of years and has been personal coach and mentor to Jay Moriarity, a 21-year-old Santa Cruz surfer who has established himself as one of the best at Mavericks. Hesson made a moving speech in accepting the award. "I'm following my dream, and it's exciting to see so many young surfers being given the chance to follow their dream thanks to Quiksilver."
Peter Mel
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