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| Grant Baker wins Mavericks big wave contest | Grant Baker wins Mavericks big wave contest |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A 40-year-old big wave rider from South Africa claimed his second Mavericks Invitational surfing championship on Friday, as he led two dozen competitors carving into crests up to five stories tall in northern California's famed surf contest. | |
| Grant "Twiggy" Baker, who hails from Durban and clinched his first Mavericks victory in 2006, was awarded a $12,000 grand prize at the end of the day-long competition, which draws tens of thousands of fans each year to the sleepy coastal town of Half Moon Bay, 48km south of San Francisco. | Grant "Twiggy" Baker, who hails from Durban and clinched his first Mavericks victory in 2006, was awarded a $12,000 grand prize at the end of the day-long competition, which draws tens of thousands of fans each year to the sleepy coastal town of Half Moon Bay, 48km south of San Francisco. |
| "Twiggy's timing, when he's paddling into big waves, is probably better than anyone else I've seen. He has a knack for putting himself as deep as possible and still making it," fellow contestant Mark Healey said in a statement posted on the Mavericks website. | "Twiggy's timing, when he's paddling into big waves, is probably better than anyone else I've seen. He has a knack for putting himself as deep as possible and still making it," fellow contestant Mark Healey said in a statement posted on the Mavericks website. |
| The contest, which organisers had considered postponing due to fierce winds earlier in the week, featured waves 12 to 15 metres high breaking nearly a kilometre off Pillar Point Harbor, a contest spokesman said. | |
| Skies were slightly overcast and winds were ideally low the day of the competition, spokesman Gary Bayless said from Mavericks Surf Shop, the competition headquarters. | Skies were slightly overcast and winds were ideally low the day of the competition, spokesman Gary Bayless said from Mavericks Surf Shop, the competition headquarters. |
| Stormy weather has led to monster waves in California and Hawaii and caused treacherous conditions that forced the cancellation of a separate surf competition in the Aloha state. | Stormy weather has led to monster waves in California and Hawaii and caused treacherous conditions that forced the cancellation of a separate surf competition in the Aloha state. |
| Two-dozen professional surfers hand-picked by organiser Jeff Clark compete in the California event, which launched in 1999. | Two-dozen professional surfers hand-picked by organiser Jeff Clark compete in the California event, which launched in 1999. |
| Shane Dorian, 41, from Hawaii, placed second to claim $6,000 in prize money, followed by Californian Ryan Augenstein, 31, who will receive $5,000 for finishing third. The other contestants will receive $1,000 each. | Shane Dorian, 41, from Hawaii, placed second to claim $6,000 in prize money, followed by Californian Ryan Augenstein, 31, who will receive $5,000 for finishing third. The other contestants will receive $1,000 each. |
| Spectators of the monster swells have been barred from the beach and surrounding cliffs since the 2010 contest, when the roaring waves injured multiple onlookers. | Spectators of the monster swells have been barred from the beach and surrounding cliffs since the 2010 contest, when the roaring waves injured multiple onlookers. |
| "The giant waves of Mavericks generate surges that leave the small beach at Mavericks underwater with no beach to stand on," the website says. | "The giant waves of Mavericks generate surges that leave the small beach at Mavericks underwater with no beach to stand on," the website says. |
| Event-goers now gather outside on the grounds of the Oceano Hotel and Spa in nearby Princeton Harbor, where the competition is streamed live on giant screens. Last year about 30,000 people watched from the hotel parking lot, Bayless said. | |
| A surf event in Hawaii set for Wednesday was cancelled when organisers deemed conditions too stormy to produce the quality of waves needed, despite Oahu seeing its largest surf swell in a decade. | A surf event in Hawaii set for Wednesday was cancelled when organisers deemed conditions too stormy to produce the quality of waves needed, despite Oahu seeing its largest surf swell in a decade. |
| "We got waves of 15-18 metres on Wednesday but it was very stormy and adverse conditions," said Jodi Wilmott, organiser of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave invitational. | "We got waves of 15-18 metres on Wednesday but it was very stormy and adverse conditions," said Jodi Wilmott, organiser of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave invitational. |
| "There were high wind warnings. Coming onshore [the wind] absolutely shreds and destroys the waves. It's not the clean and organised swells you can ride." | "There were high wind warnings. Coming onshore [the wind] absolutely shreds and destroys the waves. It's not the clean and organised swells you can ride." |
| The event is on standby as organisers monitor upcoming swells to the islands until the end of February, which is the deadline for the event. | |
| "It's been a very active winter sweep season so we are optimistic that other opportunities will arise by then," Wilmott said. | "It's been a very active winter sweep season so we are optimistic that other opportunities will arise by then," Wilmott said. |