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By Julie Jag
Sentinel staff writer
PRINCETON BY THE SEA ? Ken "Skindog" Collins' first time surfing Maverick's, the massive break near Half Moon Bay, couldn't have gone much worse.
The year was 1993, and Collins' escapade started with his "borrowing" a surf board from fellow Santa Cruz Westsider, and madman, Vince Collier ? without asking. It ended a couple hours later, after Collins was sent somersaulting through the frigid waters on his first wave, his wetsuit pulled over his head by the force of 20-plus feet of water. The board he had taken was crushed into splinters, and Collier was fuming.
"Pretty much the worst thing that possibly could ever happen was my first session ? and I was hooked," Collins said. "I loved it. Could not wait for the next time"
Stories about surfers' first experience at Maverick's flowed as freely as the drinks and the jibes Saturday at the opening ceremonies for the 2007 Maverick's Surf Contest. The contest can be called on 24-hours notice anytime between Jan. 1 and March 31. But with no major swells in the near forecast, the 24 invitees seemed to need little prodding to talk about the past.
Collins wasn't alone in having a bad first experience. Ryan Seelbach of San Francisco said he remembered not wanting to go out after seeing a friend's board shredded on the reef.
Jamie Sterling of Hawaii had a good first experience. It was his most recent experience that left the lasting impression. He said Maverick's made him pay for several days of surfing the break unscathed by holding him under the water for several seconds.
But the contestants weren't at the party to talk about the past so much as to find out about the future. As the grand finale of the party, the 24 surfers invited to this year's $75,000 contest drew numbered ping-pong balls to determine who they would face in their first heats.
Collins ended up in Heat 1, which wasn't good news. After seeing the draw, many surfers considered that heat ? which also included defending champion Grant "Twiggy" Baker and Dungeons big wave contest winner John Whittle, both of South Africa as well was Peter Mel of Santa Cruz and Garret McNamara of Hawaii ? the toughest.
Baker said if conditions are good, he doesn't think being in such a packed heat will be a problem. But, he said he is disappointed that he and longtime friend Whittle start in the same heat.
"I would have liked to see us separated," Baker said. "It's going to feel bad to knock him out"
Josh Loya, the Santa Cruzan who made the finals of the 2006 Cold Water Classic, said he's glad he didn't draw that heat.
"There's only one I wouldn't want to be in," he said. "That first heat looks pretty heavy"
Instead, Loya will be in Heat 2 along with Shane Desmond of Santa Cruz, Shawn Rhodes and Matt Ambrose of Pacifica, Seelbach and Ross Clarke-Jones of Hawaii.
Heat 3 consists of SoCal's Evan Slater, Danilo Couto of Brazil, Randy Cone of San Francisco, Russell Smith of Santa Cruz, Ion Banner of Half Moon Bay and three-time champion Darryl "Flea" Virostko of Santa Cruz.
Tyler Smith of Santa Cruz, who took second last year, headlines Heat 4. Also in that heat are: Grant Washburn of San Francisco, Sterling, 2005 winner Anthony Tashnick of Santa Cruz and Greg Long of San Clemente.
The ceremonies started with a few words by Jeff Clark, the contest organizer considered to be the founder of Maverick's. Then the surfers performed a paddle-out and prayer session in the lagoon near the spot where the waves break. Several took advantage of a small swell to reacquaint themselves with the spot.
Whittle didn't need much reacquainting. Though he has been eyeing the break for years, his first Maverick's experience came Friday, when Baker and Sterling offered to introduce him.
Nothing exciting happened. Still, the sight of it is something he said he will never forget. He's hoping his first Maverick's contest won't be either.
"It's the wave I think anyone who aspires to ride big waves or does ride big waves and hasn't ridden Maverick's looks at and says, 'Gee, can I do that?'"
If they don't already, 24 guys should know the answer by the end of March.
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