Ken Garcia, The Examiner
Jan 2, 2007 6:00 AM (3 days ago)

SAN FRANCISCO – The world knows the Peninsula for many reasons — Silicon Valley, Stanford University, the rugged, sweeping coastline. Yet as much as anything, the region has been pinned on the global map as the home to one of the world’s greatest and most dangerous surfing spots, an elusive place called Mavericks.

And as unrelentingly exciting as it is to watch waterlogged acrobats scale fast-moving 60-foot mountains, it’s just as easy for a massive bureaucracy to come up with a plan to curtail it. So when they host the annual Mavericks surfing contest in February, make sure you see it before the regulators rein it in by the leash.

(continue reading…)

Comment period ends for sanctuary management plan
Tow-in surfers, rescuers dominate environmental debate
By Melissa McRobbie / Daily News Staff Writer

As the public comment period on a management plan for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary draws to a close today, a certain group of surfers and rescuers is hoping its input will tip the scales on the most contentious of the proposed changes.

The draft management plan, released in October, is a major revision of the original management plan for the sanctuary, which was designated in 1992 and stretches from Marin County to Cambria.

(continue reading…)

Towed-in
Big waves cause big controversy at Mavericks

Story by: Jeremy Markham

A crisp northwestern breeze glides across the mildly choppy Pacific Ocean. Twenty-foot storm swells are rolling in from the Gulf of Alaska creating an enormous wave at the surf break known as Maverick’s, in Half Moon Bay. Amid the massive waves, small groups of surfers and jet skis bob up and down in the water, their heads cocked westward, watching the mountains of water move towards the coastline as they break almost a half mile off-shore. The waves have grown too big, making it impossible to paddle into them. Instead, the surfers use high-powered jet skis to pull them fast enough to catch such a large wave.

(continue reading…)

Smoke on the Water: Big-wave tow surfing will become a thing of the past if jet skis are banned in the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary
By Ryan Masters

Consider the following four portraits of the jet ski in Monterey County waters:

A jet ski tows a surfer into a 50-foot wave at Ghost Tree, the mysto-death wave off Pescadero Point in Pebble Beach.

A lifeguard launches a jet ski off Carmel Beach and broncos out through the dangerous surf to save a drowning girl.

Santa Cruz pro surfers whip each other into three-foot waves off Del Monte Beach and launch outrageous airs while photographers with hummingbird shutter speeds shoot for gaudy surf magazine ads.

(continue reading…)

The PWC Debate@Mavericks
by Frank Quirarte

I just read yet another article emailed to me pulled from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) website. It was another article in the long line of articles written on the “so-called battle” of PWC’s (personal water-craft) and their use in the Monterey Bay Sanctuary. I say “so called”, because if I was to enter a battle and my Army consisted of only ten guys and my opponent happened to be the United States Government I wold seriously reconsider. But, by using the word battle and inferring conflict the article will more than likely attract more attention than using the word discussion.

Since the start of the proposed ban, surfing publications have tried to spark a hype “battle” between the PWC users and their opposition by publishing pro and con type articles mainly to sell more magazines. In this day and age of the Internet and a desperate need for news to report within the industry, any conflict, no matter what the issue, makes for good copy. But are these publications shooting themselves in the foot? The more you focus on an issue the more attention, both positive and negative, it is going to attract. And in this particular case, the more attention it gets, the worse it becomes for the proponents of the PWC and this case the allowance of tow teams out at Mavericks. If all goes to plan for the opponents (I.E. San Mateo County of the Surfrider Chapter), surfers won’t be allowed to push the limits and tow into giant waves, photographers won’t be able to get any shots of it, magazines and advertisers won’t be able to publish any shots of it, and the public won’t get to see the big wave action they love and can’t get enough of.

But, does this big wave surfing business all really matter if the environment is in danger due to PWC use? It matters a lot. Besides the obvious ocean inhabitants, who would this environmental destruction most likely effect and who would most likely notice the changes in the environment? I’m guessing and I’m no “expert”, it should be the users of this environment. Contrary to popular belief, the folks who tow surf and use PWC’s out at Mavericks enjoy the ocean for other activities as well. For instance, we paddle surf, dive, fish, photograph etc. And yes, if you haven’t already guessed, I am one of those users. I spend more than half my day either in the ocean or within rocks throw of it. During the big wave season, I am out at Mavericks on every substantial day.

It’s no coincidence that the PWC issue has risen on the eve of re-writing the rules governing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Since tow surfing was first introduced at Mavericks there has been an on-going dispute of when to tow surf and when to paddle. For the most part, it all depends on the size of the surf. Meaning at twenty-five feet not even the best surfers can paddle into these monstrous waves and survive. It would make sense that the best surfers at Mavericks are equipped to paddle and tow-surf as conditions arise. But there are still those purists who believe that tow surfing in some way is cheating and it shouldn’t be allowed.

Probably the most vocal and articulate on this matter is Dr. Mark Renneker. Doc, as he’s known at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach where he keeps two homes, has been surfing Mavericks since Jeff Clark let the cat out of the bag in the early nineties. He is one of the infamous “notch crew” along with an entire slew of guys who claim to surf Mavericks more than anybody, regardless of conditions.

This doesn’t make Doc (as he’s known to us) a Pro Big Wave Surfer by any stretch. If I had to classify his big wave surfing ability I would say he’s above average. He’s also no stranger to the Media getting his big wave exploits published in many publications. But what does this have to do with anything? Well Doc claims that he can and has paddled into a twenty five foot Mavericks wave and also claims there is no need for PWC’s to assist you if you evidently, are as good as him. But guys like Peter Mel, Darryl “Flea” Virostko and Jeff Clark who are hands down the best surfers under any circumstances out at Mavericks, disagree.

Nobody argues the fact that you can catch a wave at that size. But nobody regardless of who they are will be taking off anywhere near the bowl. If this were the case, the best surfers would be doing it. The people who would rather not take off on the shoulder of one of these monsters choose the more effective method of towing into it. This allows them to be on the wave surfing well before the wave goes critical, and perform faster and tighter maneuvers utlizing a much smaller board. What you sacrifice towing in over paddling is the critical drop but the performance you gain is well worth the sacrifice. As was previously mentioned, ALL of these tow teams paddle in as well. To take it one step further, it has repeatedly been strongly recommended by the Mav’s regulars that you paddle Mavericks before towing in.

Now for Renneker, how does he factor in this debate? He will go down in history as the spark that ignited the flame. He alone wasn’t having much luck making his point with his head to head arguments with Jeff Clark and the rest of the Mavericks crew. But as an MD and a fairly intelligent individual he was able to convince the local Surfrider Chapter that PWC’s were basically stinking up the place and are killing marine life. In turn the Surfrider saw what they thought would be an easy victory, and entered into an alliance with Doc. They supposedly did a “study” on the issue that consisted of attaching a whole list of “possibilities” of damage that are unsupported by scientific data or any legitimate data for that matter. These “studies” are basically cut and pasted from a PWC ban that was put in place at the Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuary. Purely Junk Science. Which by the way, that ban went unchallenged because there were no PWC’s being used in that area. And aside from secret meetings held with two or three users and very public arguments with Jeff Clark, it’s interesting that the PWC opponents never tried to discuss the issue with the actual users of Mavericks. This only came about after the issue was brought up at the MBNMS scoping meetings.

Mike Kimsey was the point man at Surfrider and had enough fuel to start a fire at the initial scoping meetings of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Planning Committee. The issue was added to the list of many issues being reviewed for change in the MBNMS. At the beginning, the chairman of the committee was very aware of PWC use within the MBNMS. He was also aware of the conflict brewing and pleaded with both sides to come to a agreement that would allow both sides to coexist at Mavericks peacefully. He made it very clear that they had no authority to govern user conflicts. But since that admission, it seems they do have the authority to govern user conflicts with the power to ban it all together. The sentiments of the committee now because of a few incidents of PWC misuse is a complete and total ban on PWC use within the Sanctuary.

These incidents reported took place in Santa Cruz when locals who usually paddle surf the many breaks along the Westcliff area of Santa Cruz decided to tow surf what would be considered a paddle only spot. Ignoring the PWC laws, which would have kept them away in the first place, one of the tow surfers, actually collided with a paddle surfer. This prompted many phone calls to NOAA as well as the local authorities. This did not help the PWC cause at all. But in any case, there are rules in place that govern safe boating and mark off PWC zones within the surfline. On top of that, there’s the Marine Mammal Safety act that protects sealife of all types from being harassed by any boaters. -

But still these incidents prompted the Joint Management Plan of the MBNMS to move the PWC issue to the top of their list. They formed a committee made up of who THEY thought were the best spokesmen of the issue at hand. The voice of tow surfing has fallen into the hands of Peter Mel, Professional Surfer and Tow Surfing Pioneer at Mavericks. The committee also consists of Mike Kimsey (Surfrider), Dan Temko (Pillar Point Harbor Master), and Lawyers for the PWC National association, Dan Haifley, (MBNMS SAC, Recreation), Tom Stuhlreyer (US Coastguard), Susan Danielson (Save our Shores), Don Kinnamon (CA Boating Safety Officers Assn.). The board’s duty is to define or redefine what a PWC is and where it should be allowed to operate within the MBNMS. Under current MBNMS laws three seat PWC’s (over 15 ft in length) can move freely within the Sanctuary minus the local designated No-PWC Zones.

Committee member Mike Kimsey representing Surfrider and the Save our Shores Foundation is pushing for a complete ban of PWC’s while everyone else seems to want to find a middle ground. It’s becoming clear that a complete ban is not the answer because the data that the Surfrider has produced has no legitimacy regarding MBNMS, scientific or otherwise. PWC manufactures have now introduced cleaner quieter four stroke boats that produce very little emissions. There have been no reported incidents of direct sea life abuse from PWC’s and NOAA has now added another officer to help enforce the existing rules.

If there were any doubts that this heated debate is about user conflict rather than environmental issues just go ahead and read the minutes of the PWC meetings found on the MBNMS web site. (http://sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/jointplan/mb_mpwc.html) To date the committee has localized the areas of possible PWC problems to Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. Does the rest of the Sanctuary not matter? I think it would matter if this were an actual environmental issue. But, clearly it’s not. Now that the committee is coming to a close, nothing has yet been agreed upon nor settled.

This stretch of ocean is not and has not been the number one choice for use for PWC owners. It’s just not inviting to the masses. I consider myself a responsible, experienced PWC user. I have been out photographing and performing rescues at Mavericks for the past 7 years, I am cofounder of the Mavericks Rescue Team, I am a member of the IJSBA (International Jet Sports Boating Association) Rescue Team, a Rescue Boat Instructor for the K38 Rescue Team and have assisted the Pillar Point Harbor Patrol during distress calls. And I have trained with the worlds best water recue teams in the harshest of conditions. Fifty degree water, corrosion, many unseen water obstacles, just to mention a few things, keep 99.9% of all recreational PWC users at nearby lakes or deltas. During the first board meeting, a number of 2500 PWC users in Half Moon Bay alone was tossed out by who knows who. This was an example of not only an inflated number but also a flat-out lie. After a careful realculation, the numbers dropped from 2500 to 15 give or take a few. Quite a difference.

For an example of PWC use or lack of it in the Half Moon Bay area, I recall one beautiful winter day on the coast this year. It was 70 degrees, clear blue skies not a whisper of wind and the ocean was glassy with head high waves. What would have been an optimum day for recreational PWC wasn’t. You could not find a PWC for fifty miles of any surf break in or around Half Moon Bay.

So when are PWC’s present in Half Moon Bay? Nine times out of ten it’s when Mavericks is breaking. Not on the ten to fifteen foot “notch days” but on a legitimate big swell. And who are the users? You have an average of six to eight tow teams on a busy day, maybe two or three photographers/Rescue Boat Operators and the occasional filmmaker. So that’s only ten or eleven PWC’s on any given swell. For the most part, the only PWC’s moving around are the tow teams. Their movement is limited to the surf zone. The support boats are usually stationary if not doing a rescue or repositioning for their safety. This is definitely not the picture being painted by the opponents of PWC’s or some of these over zealous writers. If you were only receiving your information from the opposing group you would picture PWC’s running over birds, slamming into surfers, killing everything in sight and smoke and oil everywhere. This is not the case – on any level.

The issue can be resolved peacefully but in order for this to be a win win situation for both sides it will take PWC users to abide by current laws and to basically use common and good boating sense while operating within the sanctuary and the open ocean for that matter. It’s going to require a transition period at Mavericks when the paddle surfers relinquish the line-up to tow surfers and vice versa, something that is already starting to take place. It’s going to require education and training for users PWC or otherwise in the very fragile MBNMS eco system. Basically ocean-goers of all kinds need to kow where to venture and where not to, to avoid upsetting the marine mammals and many other forms of sea life.

This issue is old news to Tow Surfers in Hawaii the birthplace of tow surfing. They just sent a final draft to the Governor of PWC use over the outer reefs of the Hawaiian island chain stating basic rules and regulations. These rules will allow tow surfers to operate when the surf goes condition black but limits them to very defined tow surfing areas. This is a great example of how opposing parties came together and worked out their differences. Just a note, the irony of the Hawaiian PWC issue is that the North Shore chapter of the Surfrider was on the side of the Tow-Surfers.

As a coastal resident and ocean enthusiast I am very aware of the real issues that are damaging to our piece of the Pacific Ocean. Dumping trash/waste, polluting creek outlets, commercial fishing, seals being shot and slaughtered, cruise lines etc etc. These are just a few examples of the problems that are washing up right outside our doors every single day. I don’t understand why the local chapter of Surfrider is not pointing their guns at these real, pertinent issues with the equal enthusiasm as the attempted ban on PWC use. Did the founders and members of Surfrider ever imagine they would be going head to head in battle with fellow surfers and lovers of the ocean itself? Perhaps, SURFrider should reconsider the name of their organization.

Bad Vibrations
Surfers battle enviro-surfers over a proposed jet-ski ban that would protect wildlife — but threaten big-wave surfing at the legendary break known as Maverick’s
By Matt Palmquist
Article Published Sep 3, 2003

Frank Quirarte is on his way to Maverick’s, the storied big-wave break 20 minutes south of San Francisco, when his truck — license plate: MAVSRFR — blows its radiator. It’s a bright, broiling day along the coast, and Quirarte waits for the tow truck to arrive in a steamy pizza parlor in downtown Half Moon Bay, sweating through clothes befitting a photographer for Surfing Magazine: flip-flops, shorts, Quicksilver T-shirt, black wire-rimmed glasses. He’s just turned 40, and his hair and goatee are sprinkled with gray. “We’re experienced surfers, experienced big-wave guys, and we know when a guy’s going to die,” says Quirarte. “So we go in and get him and drag him out, whether he likes it or not. If he doesn’t have a surfboard, doesn’t have a way in, there are so many variables that can get him. Hell, there are sharks out there.

“Nobody else wants to be out there,” he continues with a chuckle. “We’re just sitting there, and we do it for no pay.”

(continue reading…)