On March 11, 2024 a swell made its way into Half Moon Bay, California. It was late in the season for that much energy to hit Maverick’s, and after a very busy season, it’s likely that those who decided to paddle out were weary. Weary, but excited. One of those surfers was Trevor Carlson, a man who is accustomed to the inevitable beatings one takes when chasing big surf.
“Trevor Sven Carlson flew out from the North Shore of O’ahu to get a piece of the action,” wrote Mavericks Surf Awards. “While this had to be one of the tallest waves of the day, it also made for the worst wipeout as a bump in the wave face sent Trevor flying onto belly without penetrating the water.”
Carlson explained that he was taking a page out of Maverick’s legend Pete Mel’s book when he took off on the wave you see above.
“After seeing a couple sets stand up on the outer ledge, I followed Peter Mel outside hoping to find a lucky chip shot,” he said. “Eventually he paddled back in saying something like, ‘We’re dreaming,’ so I joked that I’ll keep dreaming. A few minutes later this approachable-looking teepee popped up and it felt right so I gave it a go… It’s the ones you don’t make that fire you up so I’ll keep coming back.”
As I said, Carlson is no stranger to paying his dues, and after spending a bit of time in the Maverick’s washing machine, he popped back up no worse for wear.
“He took a few massive waves on the heads in the aftermath,” Mavericks Surf Awards continued, “and luckily made it home safe to his family.”
