Jeff Clark is a legend. He is, as you know, the guy who surf Maverick’s basically alone for years before the wave became California’s most famous big wave spot.
Located just south of San Francisco, Mav’s is one of the most dangerous waves on Earth. Way back in 1975, Clark, just 17 years old at the time, paddled out alone for the first time. For the next 15-or-so years, he surfed it by himself. That’s not to say he didn’t ask others to join him; it’s to say that no one wanted a part of what was mostly considered nothing more than a very treacherous navigational hazard. But soon, Clark’s exploits became a story, and by 1994, SURFER Magazine had named Clark one of the world’s best big wave riders. PBS even put him among the 100 bravest people in the U.S., and in the following years, he was featured in the films Riding Giants, Step Into Liquid, Adventures in Wild California, Discovering Mavericks and many other films. And all these years later, he’s still the guy to go to when one wants to know about the place. Tim Bonython, a guy who’ll travel all over the world for a few scant seconds of footage, recently boarded a red-eye from Maui to SFO to chase a swell, and he hooked up with Clark when he got to Maverick’s.
“Having done two days at Maui’s Peahi we catch a red eye to San Francisco,” Bonython wrote. “Then we high-tailed it to Half Moon Bay for a pristine blue bird day with Mr Mavericks Jeff Clark. Jeff is the founding godfather of this spot and looks after me on his Zodiac to get the shot.”
The day was a big one, with a long period west swell in the water. Bonython, with a little help from Clark, got what he came for. “Mavericks lived up to its name and reputation in one full day of world class big wave paddle action,” he said.
See more big wave action from Bonython on YouTube.
