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HALF MOON BAY – Organizers of the annual big wave surfing contest at the once-secret ocean spot known as Mavericks officially called off this year’s competition. 

The window of opportunity to hold the contest passed the surfers by this year without the perfect waves taking shape. 

“A great deal of hard work and camaraderie went into the preparation for this event. We had every base covered and we were ready to go, but Mother Nature did not cooperate,” said contest director Jeff Clark. 

The contest draws big wave surfers from around the world willing to ride towering water walls at Mavericks that often reach 60 feet high. 

Mavericks gained international attention after champion surfer Mark Foo died there after getting crushed by a 30-foot wave on Christmas Eve, 1994. 

Contest organizers wait for months for the perfect weather conditions. The swells that cross the Mavericks surf spot grow tall over the shallow sea floor, making for enormous wave faces.