A storm that originated in the South Pacific has created such a massive south swell that the greatest surfer ever Kelly Slater decided to skip one of the biggest surf contests in the world, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, to surf some of the most amazing waves to ever hit Fiji's world famous Cloudbreak.

Despite the waning popularity of surfers using a personal watercraft (PWC) to tow themselves into big waves, certain surf breaks still deem PWCs necessary because of the size and shape of the wave. Former two-time World Champion surfer Tom Carroll and big wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones recently partnered up to film a new 3D movie called Storm Surfers 3D. In the middle of shooting big wave surf footage at Margaret River, Western Australian, tricky conditions caught up with Carroll, who was towing Clarke-Jones into the waves.

At a Board of Commissioners Meeting hosted last evening by the San Mateo County Harbor District, a decision was made to postpone issuing a Limited Commercial Activity Permit, required to run a surf contest at Maverick's, until August 1st, at which point the Harbor District's Board of Commissioners will review dual applications submitted by The Godfather of Maverick's Jeff Clark and the Mavericks Community, LLC, which is led by Clark's ex-wife Katherine Kelly Clark. The Harbor District's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously last night to deny a Limited Commercial Activity Permit to Mavericks Community, LLC.

The situation surrounding a possible surf contest at famed big wave surf break Maverick's has taken an interesting turn. The Godfather of Maverick's Jeff Clark has informed me that the San Mateo County Harbor District is holding a Board of Commissioners Meeting this evening, June 1st at 7 PM at the Half Moon Bay Comfort Inn. Paragraph 5 of the Board of Commissioners Meeting Agenda is titled, "Limited Commercial Activity Permit for Mavericks Community, LLC" with the proposed action being "Approve Limited Commercial Activity Permit with conditions". The issue is proposed by San Mateo County Harbor District General Manager Peter Grenell.

Rob Machado is in a very select company of surfers.  One one hand, you can call him one of the greatest competitive surfers ever for his numerous accomplishments, including finishing in the top three of the ASP World Tour rankings twice in his career (in 1995, Machado narrowly avoided winning the World Title, losing out to Kelly Slater in the finals of the Pipeline Masters in a close finish that saw Machado giving Slater a high five at the end of the wave, possibly giving up priority and the World Title for the sake of sharing a moment with his close friend).  On the other hand, you can say Machado is currently the most popular free surfer in the world, with throngs of fans showing their support by watching his surf films and supporting his philanthropic involvements.  It is these achievements that helped Machado gain induction into the Surfer's Hall of Fame in 2000.

Jeff Clark is called "The Godfather of Maverick's" for a variety of reasons. For starters, Clark was one of the first individuals to discover the behemoth wave and surfed it literally all by himself for 15 years before others finally listened to Clark and saw the wave for themselves. Clark knows the wave better than anyone and founded the first surf contest at Maverick's. Clark was one of three surfers who starred in one of the greatest surf documentaries ever made, Stacy Peralta's Riding Giants. In the film Clark represented Maverick's, with Greg Noll and Laird Hamilton sharing history and stories about Waimea Bay and Jaws. Clark is also the owner of Mavericks Surf Shop. It is for these reasons that Clark is held with the highest regard when any discussion turns to the famed monstrosity that is Maverick's.

While most of the events on the ASP World Tour are featured at fixed world-class surf locations like Lower Trestles, Jeffreys Bay and Pipeline, the Rip Curl Pro Search introduces a different venue for the world's greatest surfers to compete in each year. Over the past six years, the Rip Curl Pro Search has been held at Reunion Island, Mainland Mexico, Chile, Bali, Portugal, and Puerto Rico, where Kelly Slater won his unprecedented 10th ASP World Title. This year, the Rip Curl Pro Search is coming to San Francisco, where from November 1st - 11th the top surfers in the world will be surfing the frigid, churning waters of Ocean Beach.

Barracuda Networks, a tech company who also served as the official sponsor of The Jay at Maverick's Big Wave Invitational, announced through a press release that they were withdrawing all sponsorship and support for The Jay at Maverick's Big Wave Invitational.

The Billabong XXL Awards reward the craziest and most talented of big wave surfers. Those who have accomplished what was previously considered the impossible. An awards ceremony is held annually at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California, a raucous affair that rewards cash and accolades to the best of the big wave surfing community. There is usually a minimal amount of controversy that accompanies the awards show due to a correlation between Billabong's sponsorship of the event and winners who are mostly sponsored by Billabong. Regardless, it doesn't take away from marveling at the feats accomplished by some of the best surfers in the world.

The right of passage to surf in a contest at Maverick's involves years of making appearances at the famed big wave location, proving to your peers that not only can you handle one of the most dangerous waves in the world, but that you have an innate passionate for it. For some big wave surfers, it can take years before any sort of recognition is made, and even then there's a very good chance that the alternate list will evade the prospective surfer. As the popularity of big wave surfing, especially at Maverick's, continues to grow, so to does the challenge of earning a place amongst the competitors at Maverick's.