Video Performance
Contest
Our Mission is to celebrate Mavericks and support the brave men and women that dare surf it.
Mavericks Awards
The Mavericks Surf Awards is a digital video performance contest in which big wave surfers and videographers submit their best surf content from Mavericks for the entire winter season (October 1st to April 15th each year).
A panel of world-renowned big wave surfers, photographers and judges review the content from each season and cast their votes for Biggest Wave, Ride of the Year, and Performer of the Year. There are 3 categories for men and 3 for women, with equal prize money for all.
The prize money for each award is split between the surfer (60%) and the videographers that submit content (40%, split between videographers based on the amount of content captured and used for the competition).
The winners are announced and celebrated at the annual Mavericks Surf Awards, held every May in Half Moon Bay. The party is open to all fans and community members that want to join us in celebrating Mavericks, the surfers and videographers.
One of the most feared waves on the planet
Mavericks is that rarest of things: not just a perfect wave and not just a giant wave but a perfect, giant wave
The peak lies a little less than a half mile off of Pillar Point and is marked by a clump of Stonehenge like boulders lining the inside. Massive swells looming out of the deep approach a shelf made up of black, ungodly reef and boulders 20-feet beneath the surface at breakneck speeds. From there, Mavericks becomes a 20-foot version of Stockton Avenue: a perfect, jacking AAA-frame breaking both ways, the right going long and the left a short-lived explosion of hell and spitfire.
Source: Surfline.com
Our Judges
“There is no bigger honor in surfing than being judged by your peers. I am excited to be a judge on a panel with such accomplished big wave surfers and I am looking forward to celebrating the winners.” – Jeff Clark
Mavericks Pioneer
Internationally Renowned Big Wave Photographer
WSL Big Wave Judge
Ocean Athlete & Environmental Advocate
Three Time Mavericks
Contest Winner.
2023 Winners
These are the talented men and woman who braved Mavericks last season and were selected as the best for 2023.
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Frequently Asked Questions
October 1st 2023 – April 15th 2024
Anyone can submit content for the Mavericks Awards. Be aware, Mavericks is extremely dangerous. You should not surf Mavericks unless you have extensive big wave experience and training. Minors (surfers under 18 years of age on date of wave ridden) must have the prior consent of their parent or legal guardian to enter a submission in consideration for an award.
Content from each swell is curated by Mavericks Awards Co-founders Jeff Clark and Chris Cuvelier. At the end of the season, the content is reviewed by the judges against the criteria for each category and winners are selected. If the judges are not unanimous, the majority wins!
Biggest Wave (Women & Men): The winner will be the surfer that paddles into the biggest single wave of the season based on analysis & interpretation by the judges looking at available pictures and video. The height of the Biggest Wave will be judged based on wave height at takeoff. Must make the wave.
Ride of the Year (Women & Men): The winner will be the surfer that paddles into the best single wave of the season based on analysis & interpretation by the judges looking at available pictures and video. Key criteria includes: quality of wave, location of the take off point, critical drop, intensity of the wave, how the wave was ridden, how was the wave optimized (made it look easy), full and complete wave.
Performer of the Year (Women & Men): The winner will be the best overall performance of the entire season. Key criteria includes: quality of waves, quantity of waves, intensity of waves, how the waves were ridden (takeoff point, execution, turns/carves, style points); consistent performance.
The prize money for the 2024 Mavericks Awards will be at least $25,000. 60% of the prize money goes to the athletes and 40% goes to the photographers that submitted content and is distributed based on the number of clips used in the Awards segment of the show. We anticipate the prize money for each season will be $25,000-$100,000, depending on sponsorships.
Our mission is to celebrate Mavericks and the brave men and women that surf it. Our values of respect, inclusion, equality, safety, environmental stewardship and community guide all our decisions and how we operate the Mavericks Awards.
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Premier Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
