Mavericks Big Wave Surf Competition A Go For Friday

HALF MOON BAY (CBS SF) – One of the world's top big-wave surfers has confirmed that the famed Mavericks surf competition will get underway this Friday.

The 2013 2nd place finisher, Zach Wormhoudt, posted on Facebook that he was "honored and excited to be invited to surf in the Titan of Mavericks!"

Within minutes, organizers of the legendary competition, now known as the Titans of Mavericks, posted the news on their website.

With massive swells churning to life in the mid-Pacific on their way to the Northern California coast, organizers awoke Tuesday prepared to make the call.

They raised the chances of the contest being waged off the San Mateo coast at the legendary surf break on Friday to its second highest level – Potential Run – with a decision set to be made early Tuesday afternoon.

Organizers then huddled around computer models and reports from buoys located in the waters off Hawaii to make the call. Currently, the forecast calls for swells growing from 16-foot or higher off the coast on Friday with clear skies.

Favorable conditions did exist last week, but organizers could not call for the contest because Super Bowl 50 was being waged in the Bay Area.

Once the contest was a go, a  call went out to 24 of the world's big wave surfers, 10 alternates and one wildcard.

Among those invite to compete is reigning 'Eddie' champion Greg Long,  Mavericks veteran Grant Washburn, local favorite Nic Lamb, who surfed Mavericks as a 14-year-old, Kona legend Shane Dorian and Santa Cruz native Savannah Shaughnessy, who was invited as an alternate and would be the only woman to compete if she is chosen.

The conditions were last right for a contest in 2014 when Grant Baker of South Africa dazzled the crowd and judges with his skills on the 30-to-40 foot waves.

Conditions in the Pacific currently are generating massive swells in Hawaii where for the first time in since 2009 The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau will be competed in the big waves in Hawaii's Waimea Bay. Long won the prestigious Eddie title in 2009 after beating out 11-time world champ Kelly Slater.

So most of the best big wave surfers in the world are already within easy flight access to Northern California.