(12-10) 20:38 PST PRINCETON BY THE SEA — Through a blanket of fog, it was a vision of death. Darryl Virostko, the big-wave surfer known as Flea, was taking what witnesses described as the worst-looking wipeout they ever saw. It was a gloomy day at Maverick’s last week, and a handful of riders were meeting the challenge of their lives.

The most-seasoned Maverick’s surfers have seen some epic disasters in their time. Jay Moriarity, who met his death years later while free-diving, took a well-publicized wipeout in 1994, just four days before the drowning of Hawaiian superstar Mark Foo. A Santa Cruz surfer named Neil Matthies took a fall on a giant peak in 1998 and was held under so long that a second wave passed over him before he came to the surface – about 45 seconds later, more than 100 yards inside the spot of impact.

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Jeff Clark has revived the Maverick’s contest on a shoestring budget
Bruce Jenkins, Special to SF Gate
Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Jeff Clark is a madman. At the age of 46, he should be resting on his laurels and organizing surf contests which he just happened to pull off at Maverick’s for the coming winter, after a three-year hiatus.

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Sifting through the headlines of big-wave reality heading into Christmas
Bruce Jenkins, Special to SF Gate
Friday, December 5, 2002

CLARK AND WASHBURN: FOR LOVE OF THE GAME
The early-November swell hit Northern California like a sledgehammer, lacking any semblance of clarity or finesse. It was a big, ugly monster, fueled by south winds and trashing the coastline from Santa Cruz to Point Arena.

It was blowing offshore at Montara, actually, due to the odd-facing contour of that beach just south of the Devil’s Slide. That was for anyone who felt like dropping into a beautifully textured, three-story closeout. I once saw Ion Banner paddle out on a day like that. Jeff Clark has been there. Nobody gave it a shot this time around. Nobody in his right mind would even have a wetsuit in the trunk.

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A look back at the winter’s top headlines
Bruce Jenkins, Special to SF Gate
Friday, June 17, 2002

As we ease into summer and prepare for those grim, onshore-wind days of Northern California surfing, let’s review some of the winter’s major headlines:

BAN THOSE JET-SKIS — UNLESS IT’S BIG

RIPPED OFF FOR YEARS, MAVERICK’S GETS ITS DUE

INSIDERS CALL FOR “TOP TEN” REVISIONS

SLATER AND CURREN: BODYSURFING LEGENDS

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The Biggest Maverick’s Yet
Bruce Jenkins, Special to SF Gate
Wednesday, December 19, 2001

The warmup came with a hurricane’s strength, on a scale without precedent. There’s nothing like preparing for the Maverick’s surfing contest with the biggest waves ever seen out there.

It was a drizzly, overcast November 21, and some of the sport’s true legends were ready – or so they thought. Maverick’s was jammed with an all-star lineup by 8 a.m. and the swell, already a solid 20 feet, was on the rise. By 10 a.m. it was closer to 25 feet, on the Hawaiian scale (40-50-foot faces), and by noon it had made a frightening jump to 35 feet.

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Why Jay? In memory of Moriarity
Bruce Jenkins, Special to SF Gate
Wednesday, December 5, 2001

Author’s note: The following tribute to Jay Moriarity kicks off The Surf Column for the 2001-02 season (a shorter version will appear in an upcoming issue of The Surfer’s Journal). Fittingly, with the Quiksilver contest beginning its waiting period at Maverick’s, the Jay Moriarity Award has been established for all future winners.

There weren’t many smiles when the big day came.I remember Jay Moriarity’s best of all. On a day of wounded egos, shattered nerves and pure frustration, it was a 19-year-old kid who symbolized the true spirit of surfing — then and forever.

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