‘Best day ever at Mavericks’

25 miles south of San Francisco, Mavericks, the mecca for big-wave surfers since 1992, had its "best day ever" on Tuesday.

Word spread quickly in the big-wave surfing community when it was learned that Kai Lenny was coming to Mavericks. He’s the best in the world, deeply respected and admired by all, and the 28-year-old Hawaiian savored the notion of surfing Tuesday’s big swell.

Lenny’s appearance was brilliant, but by day’s end, there was much more to the story. “All things considered,” said San Francisco’s Grant Washburn, “I think this was the best day we’ve ever had at Mavericks.”

That’s a voice of authority. Washburn has surfed and documented every significant Mavericks swell since January 1992, when the surfing world became aware of the once-secret spot off the coast of Half Moon Bay. His claim is certainly debatable in the wake of so much history, but this was a day when all of the crucial elements reached optimum level. “Definitely all-time top three, for sure,” said longtime photographer and water safety expert Frank Quirarte.

The best surfers in the world fly to Mavericks during the winter to take advantage of

the combination of ideal weather, favorable wind, swell direction, [and] wave faces of 50-plus feet.

After a year of COVID-19, contentious politics, and economic hardship it's nice to talk about something that's beautiful, inspiring, and dangerous (where no one got hurt).