| Chris Bertish wins the Mavericks Surf Contest in big wave surfing day |
| Sunday, 14 February 2010 10:26 |
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After more than three months of waiting, contestants and fans alike were rewarded for their patience with an historic day for big-wave surfing, as Chris Bertish etched his name in Mavericks lore and was crowned champion of the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest Presented by Sony Ericsson and Barracuda Networks.
The total prize purse of $150,000 was the largest in big-wave surfing history, with $50,000 going to Bertish, $25,000 to Desmond in second, $15,000 to Tashnick in third, $10,000 to Wassel in fourth, $8,000 to Burle in fifth, and $6,000 to Collins in sixth. Video #1 - Free surfer rides giant wave before the Finals Video #2 - Spectators washed away by giant wave at Half Moon Bay Video #3 - Surfing view from the hills of Half Moon Bay Video #4 - Boat view of Greg Long's wipeout at Mavericks After two memorable semi-finals which were won by Anthony Tashnick and Carlos Burle, the hard-charging Bertish pulled through in the final round. The Gnarly Head Wines “Gnarliest Drop” Award, given to the surfer who pulls off the most impressive drop of the day, was won by Anthony Tashnick. Commenting on the opportunities that today’s conditions offered, Tashnick said, “There are no excuses on a day like today, it was perfect. Whatever you wanted, you could take.” The Jay Moriarity Award, given to the surfer who best exemplifies the spirit and passion that Jay was famous for, was won by Dave Wassel. Wassel, who thanked the Half Moon Bay locals for accepting him, was also blown away by today’s conditions. “It was undoubtedly the largest surf any paddle-in contest has ever seen.” Despite the roughly 50,000 spectators in attendance, the Save The Waves Green Team was able to minimize the impact that the fans had on the area surrounding this world-famous break. Source: Mavericks Surf Contest |










