Mark Healey: chasing the Mavericks exit

Peter Mel has conquered the Mavericks Invitational 2012-2013 at Pillar Point, Northern California. The event was run in medium-sized Mavericks' waves.

Sunny skies, long period 10-to-20 foot waves, and perfect, glassy faces. The best-skilled wave riders were ready to challenge fear, at Half Moon Bay, early in the morning.

The media circus invaded the cold waters of Northern California. There were small and medium boats and jet skis full of reporters, photographers, and videographers anxious to capture the death-defying moments.

Steep drops and long right-handers demanded high wave lines, as Mavericks rarely delivers contestable left bombs. Judges were evaluating waves in the water and up on the cliff.

The problem was that there were no scores being updated online. Spectators were blind, and no one knew who was making it into the final.

Apparently, it was Zach Wormhoudt, Greg Long, Mark Healey, Peter Mel, Alex Martins, and Shawn Dollar, and they decided to split the prize money.

Goofy-footers had to work harder to keep momentum.

The rules were simple: the best wave doubled its score, and then a second wave is added to the overall heat score. The top three riders of each heat would progress.

Big wave surfers took surfboards ranging from 8'0'' to 10'0'', and wipeouts rapidly came in the webcast. Broken boards, but nothing serious for the surfers themselves.

The Mavericks Invitational 2012-2013 didn't have the biggest waves of all time, but it was worth the wait, and everyone had a good time.

"Mavericks has been a big part of my life. I am so happy to have been able to do this for so many years. It is a blessing and an honor to be called a Mavericks champion. I will hold this close to my heart forever", says Northern California surfer Peter Mel.

The worst of the event was the live streaming quality and the absence of Kelly Slater due to the inexplicable lack of authorization from the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP).

How could online viewers watch a surf contest without updated heat results? Who was leading the charge, who advanced, and who lost?

We didn't know. Surfing, as a whole, may not look better after the Mavericks Invitational 2012-2013.

Mavericks Invitational 2012-2013 | Final

1. Peter Mel
2. Zach Wormhoudt
3. Greg Long
4. Alex Martins
5. Mark Healey
6. Shawn Dollar

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