A chat with Greg Long as he heads to Mavericks
February 12th, 2010, 12:39 pm · · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
I had a quick chat with San Clemente surfer Greg Long as he heads toward Northern California to compete Saturday against some of the best big-wave riders in the world in monster waves that could reach up to 30 feet in height.
Long – who has been in the Maverick’s Surf Contest four times and won the event in 2008 – said he thinks this could be one of the biggest and heaviest big -wave contests in history.
“Everybody’s really excited,” he said via cell phone on the road. “It was quite a large and intense storm. I think tomorrow will be an incredible day.”
Early on, there was some concern about wind problems, but the conditions are expected to clean up and become more favorable for surfers, he said.
He paused for a second, checking out the ocean on the road to Northern California.
“The new swell is already starting to show,” he said.
Here’s some video footage of Greg Long that will blow your mind:
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The Mavericks forecast calls for 15- 20 foot waves, possibly 30-foot bombs.
Long said he thought Mavericks was one of the best big wave paddle in (verses tow in) spots in the world.
Greg Long celebrates after winning Mavericks surf contest
“In my opinion,” he said with a chuckle as Hawaiians sitting next to him shot him a disbelieving look.
All the wave’s energy focuses into one peak. It’s not about what the wave is going to do, so much as whether the surfer wants to catch one, he explained. There are 24 surfers from around the world invited to the event, and this year’s purse is a record $150,000.
He’s also just coming off a win at Waimea Bay for the Eddie Would Go contest - where apparently the Webcast missed his actual 100-point wave because all the cameras were focusing on a different surfer. And when announcers called out his points - he was just finishing a bomb of a wave that everyone assumed was the 100-point wave. Read more about that on Surfline.
So for the record, it was his second wave of the heat that got him the 100-points, which allowed him to win the contest!
Watch the contest live at www.maverickssurf.com on Saturday.
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IMHO it is a greater testament to a waterman’s durability in extreme conditions because not only are they handling waves pushing more water than Niagara Falls — they also have to endure ice cream headaches and paddle around in 7/5mm wetsuits. Jaws and Log Cabins might be capable of being a gnarlier wave but you don’t have these other conditions like at Mav’s, Cortes or Todos.
That’s just an opinion though… anything bigger than double overhead I tuck my tail between my legs. It’s no longer fun when catchability of a wave is also accompanied by survivability of the experience.
Anything over 3 feet I am outta there. These guys are the true champions to even ride out there and deal with the emense power that these waves produce! GOOD LUCK LONG
KILL IT!