Anatomy of a Pounding

This January and early February, California was graced with some solid surf and fabulous conditions up and down the coast. While where I live in SoCal had some big swell and waves, we get nothing like what hits Central and NorCal. The premier Big Wave Spot in that zone is Mavericks. It is a giant, cold water wave that has assorted other hazards like big sharks and gnarly rocks on the inside. The following YouTube video link will connect you to a film of an incredible wipeout by one of the world’s best BIG wave riders, South African Grant “Twiggy” Baker. Even with all his years of experience and expertise, he chose a wave that surprised him and he paid the price. Fortunately, Twiggy came out of it relatively unscathed. This was in large part thanks to the water safety patrol rescue team. Without them, the outcome might have been way different. Check it out. Cheers!