Free Surf 90

Pip Harry drops into the world's most famous big wave spot, Mavericks, to catch the breaking news.

The mere mention of Mavericks is enough to bring sweat to the brow of even the most experienced surfer. And let's just say I'm not much good out the back wobbly, intermediate and unable to progress from a two-metre mini mal with training wheels. But I'm ticking a life goal off my bucket list today get close enough to the big wave to taste its salty spray on my face.
Located in the sleepy fishing village of Half Moon Bay, 40kilometres south of San Francisco, Mavericks is Mecca for the adrenaline junkie. On this occasionally deadly break, pro-surfers and the criminally insane ride waves more than 15metres high.
Every January the invitational (and weather dependent) Mavericks surf contest is held. Mother Nature, and those brave enough to try and tame her, put on an awesome show.
It's an idea to arm yourself with local advice when visiting this surfing icon. Laid-back kayak guide Kenny Howell runs California Canoe and Kayaks, a few hundred metres from Mavericks, and will take anyone with a modicum of water awareness out to the break for a sticky beak.
We set off in the late afternoon, taking in the tranquil Oakland Estuary and its lazy seal population in a sturdy two-man craft.
Howell is full of insider titbits about Half Moon's famous surf spot. Local Jeff Clark discovered it in the 1970s and surfed it alone for the next 15 years his mates labelling him a bit of a nut job. It wasn't until 1990, when a photo was published in Surfer magazine, that the rest of the surfing world came out to play.
With a Hollywood movie deal in the works, Clark can be seen strolling the local shops telling people he'd like Brad Pitt to play him in the film. If you want to meet the man himself, Clark runs the local Mavericks Surf Shop on Harvard Avenue, where he sells his own custom-made surfboards and signed photos of himself charging the monster wave.
Today, as we paddle effortlessly to the beach at Pillar Point, Mavericks is a wolf rugged up in a sheepskin coat. With barely a ripple on the surface it's difficult to fathom that in the right weather conditions, we'd be staring at a three-storey-high wall of water. Behind us is a clifftop where thousands of onlookers scramble for an elevated vantage point when it's big.
Locals are concerned about the ecological implications of the growing crowds, as the break is in a national marine sanctuary.
With Mavericks lying dormant, we head back to shore and stop by the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club to chug a beer as the sun drops on the boat-filled harbour. Cheap micro brews and free popcorn draws a crowd of locals, who bring along their salty dogs and tell tales about fish, or waves, that got away.
It's not just the waves that grow big in Half Moon Bay. The annual Pumpkin Festival, held in October on Main Street, attracts America's greatest gourd growers who compete in a hotly contested weigh-in. Expect to see Volkswagen-sized varieties of the orange vegetable, as well as sculpting, pumpkin pie bake-offs, local produce, music and local art.
Half Moon is also famous for its organic produce, grown in the surrounding fertile hills. A visit to local Italian bistro Pasta Moon on Main Street is mandatory. Squeeze into the cosy restaurant and drool at every heaped plate that passes by.
We try a bit of everything starting with Monterey Bay calamari served with lemon aioli, pockets of gooey butternut squash and mascarpone ravioli, a brick-size lasagne and a platter of desserts, including their famous layered chocolate cake with coconut cream