Even the best big wave surfers in the world have not been able to fully tame this swell.

When we talk about big waves, we imagine different "spots" worldwide, and there is no doubt that among these we cannot forget the mythical wave of Mavericks, a wave located in northern California, United States, exactly on the outskirts of Pillar Point Harbor, in the village of Princeton by The Sea.

This break, caused by an underwater rock formation with a valley-shaped slope, makes the wave break at two angles: a left-hand wave used much less frequently, as it is faster and less reliable, while the right-hand wave is the one that is mostly surfed; however, riding it is quite a challenge, even for the most expert surfers.

Mavericks is listed as the most dangerous wave in the state of California and as if the size were not enough, great white sharks sometimes prowl the area.

This winter of 2021 brought Mavericks a swell that for many has been one of the best in 20 years and big wave athletes like Kai Lenny, Manny Resano, Peter Mel, among many others, have not wanted to miss the opportunity to ride monstrous masses of water and yes, we say monstrous because the term fits perfectly with sizes of up to 70 feet (Peter Mel's wave).

One of the Latinos who has earned the respect of wave lovers and local surfers is the Argentine-Nicaraguan Manny Resano, who last Sunday rode one of the biggest waves seen in the last 20 years and it was not only a big wave, it was a wave from the second reef or "peak" of the "spot", a privileged place for local surfers who possess the characteristics of a true athlete, due to the difficulty that this location requires.

The Resano wave has been much discussed, since despite being one of the biggest, requiring only paddling and being one that no surfer normally takes, including locals, it received little coverage in international surf media, a situation that for the surfer is not so relevant, but could be valued even more.

The waves at Mavericks will continue to break every winter with the right swell direction and there is no doubt that many big wave surfers will always be there to ride them, however, when it comes down to it, when the situation is at its most extreme, few will actually complete their “drops” successfully.

Written by: Enrique Hernández
General Management: Marco Montero